Bibliographical Notices. 127 



Dr. Bennett has traced the growth of mycodermatous vegetations 

 in several cases of Tinea, and has given figures to show the appear- 

 ances they present. He thinks that they spring up originally below, 

 or in the thickness of the cuticle : they consist of small articulated 

 filaments containing sporules. The author endeavoured to propagate 

 the disease by introducing the sporules into his arm and scalp, but 

 he did not succeed in causing the plants to germinate on parts dif- 

 ferent from those which originally produced them. A plant of a 

 similar nature, consisting of jointed filaments and sporules, was de- 

 tected by Dr. Bennett in the lungs of a man who died of tubercular 

 consumption. The vegetations were seen on dissection, but were 

 also detected in the sputa freshly expectorated during life. The 

 plant is allied to Penicillium glaucum. A similar structure was seen 

 in the sordes collected on the teeth and gums of persons labouring 

 under typhus fever. 



Dr. Bennett and Mr. Goodsir* have both examined the vegetations 

 found occasionally growing on the gold-fish (Cyprinus auratus). 

 These consist of elongated cells presenting the appearance of long 

 jointed tubes, and of fine filaments arising from the sides of the cel- 

 lular tubes. Numerous instances are mentioned in different tribes of 

 animals, as mollusca, insects, fishes, birds, and mammalia, in which 

 vegetations have been detected during life, and copious references are 

 given to the works in which the cases are detailed. From all the 

 facts which the author has been able to collect, he thinks it pro- 

 bable — " 1st, that these vegetations always arise in living animals 

 previously diseased; 2nd, that their presence indicates great de- 

 pression of the vital powers, and impairment of the nutritive func- 

 tions of the oeconomy ; 3rd, that the peculiar constitution or ca- 

 chexia favourable to their growth is the tubercular or scrofulous 

 in the mammalia, birds, and fishes, and most probably in reptiles 

 and insects ; and 4th, that the therapeutic indications are to invi- 

 gorate the system, and to use locally, if possible, such applications 

 as tend to destroy vegetable life." 



The paper is one of great interest, and is worthy of an attentive 

 perusal. 



Further observations on the subject of the vegetable nature of 

 Tinea favosa will be found in the ' Edinburgh Medical and Surgical 

 Journal' for June 1842. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



A History of British Starfishes, and other Animals of the Class Echi- 

 nodermata. By Edward Forbes, M.W.S., For. Sec. B.S., &c. 



This book is one of that fair sisterhood of natural-history publica- 

 tions, for which we are indebted to Van Voorst. We had intended, 

 immediately on the completion of the work, to have introduced it to 



* See Annals, vol. ix. p. 333. 



