Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-12-21
ActinOmycOsis Nump-Jaw, Big.
JaW.)
Kaa,as Experiment Station, Manhattan, Ka.s

III pigs anu III rare luSGduC0S OUS6TNcu
in horses and man, this disease
attacks chiefly cattle, and is one con-
corning which the Veterinary depart
ment of the Experiment Station re-
ceives many inquiries.
Tie disease is characterized by the
gradual appearance of irregularly
shaped tumors, which, after certain
development, become soft in the
interior, break at one or more points,
and discharge a stringy mass Of pus
containing minute yellow gran ales,
which can be recognized, by careful
examination, with the unaided eye.
These small granules, when viewed
under the microscope, are seen to be
composed of groups of radially ar
ranged club-shaped bodies, known as
Actinomyces bowls, which constitute
the cause of the disease (3ollinger,
1879
The tumors of actinomycosis ap-
pear most frequently on tho lower
Jaw bone, or in and under the skin of
that region. The parotid gland, lying
below the ear, between the lower jaw
and the neck, is also favorite point
of attack. Sometimes the muscular
portion of the tongue is fairly riddled
with minute tumors of the same
character, causing that organ to be-
come stiff and hard woody tongue)
and interfering seriously with masti-
cation. Often the teeth are affected.
get loose ard drop out, and in many
instances the tumors on the jaws
originate in the sockets Of the teeth.
Internal organs, the throat, lungs
and first and second stomachs may
be the seat of the disease. When the
lungs are affected, the symptoms are
similar to those of tuberculosis, but
the characteristic yellow granules in
dictate the electromagnetic nature of
the disease.
The external tumors )lumps) when
first appearing on the jaw bones are
often mistaken for results of acciden-
tai blows, and are then described as
such. They can, however, readily be
distinguished by the fact that the
former are usually cold and free from
acute pain, while swellings resulting
from bruises and blows are usually
warm to the touch Gnflamed) and
painful, and these symptoms soon
disappear upon applications Of cold
water, the pain ceasing and the swell
ling disappearing. In case of true
actinomycosis, cold water applica-
tions have no effect, but, on the con-
trary, the tumors continue to in
crease in size, finally breaking in
various places, producing ugly raw
sores, and discharging their character
istic pus. The abscess cavities thus
formed often heal, only to break out,
soon after, in an adjacent region.
AS already stated, the cause of this
disease is a fungus known as Actino-
myces bowls. This fungus grows on
various kinds of grasses, but especi-
ally on the awns and glumes of barley
and related grasses, and when these
have grown on swampy or flooded
fields, bottom lands in particular.
When these are fed in their dry
state (winter and early spring. the
awns and other sharp points of the
grasses produce, and find access into,
small wounds of the cheeks, gums
and other places, carrying the fungus
with them and thus inoculating the
animal with the fungus. The posi-
bility also exists that these fungi be
inhaled and thus infect the lungs.
Hence, we see, that the disease is of
. distinctly infectious nature, but,
rs far as observation goes, the dis
ease is not contagious, /. e., affected
animals do not tend to spread the
disease, but all affected animals be-
come infected from the same source.
Stacks of barley straw used by cattle
as food and shelter often seem to be
the cause of this disease. The writer
observed herd of twenty yearling
heifers and steers every individual of
which was affected with actinomyco-
sis in various parts of the head and
neck, and the only assignable cause
was bailey straw stack which served
as shelter and In part as food for
these animals. All animals should,
Of course, be kept away from such
suspicious places when cases Of lump
jaw exist on the farm.
The treatment Of this disc ase, up
to few years ago, was almost en-
tirely surgical one, consisting o
extirpation Of the affected parts when
/. they were small and circumscribed
enough and not too near vital organs
or large blood vessels, and Of the APP
plication Of strong and dangerous