ore or less advanced decay and ulceration. In a few cases disease of the
lungs was observed without coexisting disease of the bones or soft parts of
the head. In such cases the fungus must have been inhaled. The disease of
the lungs after a time extends upon the chest wall, where it may corrode
the ribs and work its way through the muscles and the skin. An abscess is
thus formed discharging pus containing actinomyces grains. Disease of the
digestive organs caused by this fungus has also been observed in a few
instances.

Granting the identity of the disease in man and cattle, the question has
been raised whether cattle are responsible for its occurrence in man. Any
transmission of the infectious agent may be conceived of as taking place
during the life of the animal and from the meat after slaughter. That human
beings have contracted actinomycosis by coming in contact with diseased
cattle is not shown by the cases that have been reported, for the
occupations of most of the patients did not bring them into any relation
whatever with cattle. While the possibility of such direct transmission is
not denied, nevertheless it must be considered as extremely remote.
Practically the same position is maintained at present by most authorities
as regards the transmission of the disease to man by eating meat. Israel,
who has studied this question carefully, found the disease in Jews who
never ate pork,[5] and who likewise were protected from bovine
actinomycosis by the rigorous meat inspection practiced by that race.
Furthermore, it must be borne in mind that actinomycosis is a local
disease, causing great destruction of tissue where the fungus multiplies,
but which very rarely becomes generally disseminated over the body from the
original disease focus. The fungus is found only in places where the
disease process is manifest to the eye or becomes so in a very short time
after the lodgment of the fungus. Only the greatest negligence would allow
the actually diseased parts to be sold and consumed. Finally, this
parasite, like all others, would be destroyed in the process of cooking.
Most authorities thus do not believe that actinomycosis in man is directly
traceable to the disease in animals, but are of the opinion that both man
and animals are infected from a third source, which has already been
discussed above. How far these views may be modified by further and more
telling investigations of the parasite fungus itself no one can pred