Nocardiosis

IN 1888 Nocard1 described an acid-fast sporothrix, Actinomyces farcinicus, as the cause of farcies du boeuf, or bovine farcy. Eppinger,2 in 1891, reported an aerobic, gram-positive, acid-fast actinomyces as the etiologic agent in a man dying with cerebral abscesses and meningitis. Since then the species of actinomycetes having acid-fast properties has been known as Streptothrix eppingeri, S. asteroides, Oospora asteroides, Actinomyces asteroides, Nocardia gypsoides and more recently N. asteroides. The literature on infections caused by this organism is not voluminous and indicates that cases are not common. The diagnosis in the great majority of cases was made only at . . .