SACCHAROMYCETACEAE IMPERPECTAE 327 



Jour. Prakt. Chem. 11: 1837. He cites Mycoderma cerevisiae Desmazieres, Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. 

 I, 10: 59. PI. 3, Fig. 17, 1826; and Torula cerevisiae Turpin, Mem. Acad. Sci. Paris, 8: 

 369-402, 1838, as synonyms. He also transfers to the genus his own Micraloa rosea 

 (Linnaea 8: 371, 1833) found on decaying plants of Chara. He recognizes his previously 

 described species (C. mollis), and changes the name of his C. infusioimm to C. Rhei, describ- 

 ing as new C. Valerianae on valerian water and C. inaequalis on aqueous extract of Calamus 

 and orange bark. 



In 1849, Kuetzing again treats the genus in his Species Algarum, pp. 145-147, where he 

 takes up the earlier specific epithet of the beer organism as C. cerevisiae (Desm.) Ktz. and 

 transfers his own Protococcus nebulosus to Cryptococcus. He describes as new: C. natans, 

 O. carrkeus, C. cocoineus, C. hrunneus, C. vernicos^is, and C. vini. As this work is intended 

 as a compilation and several of tlie new species were described from dry material found in 

 various herbaria, the obviously discordant elements need not concern us here. He still clings 

 to the idea that the typical members are spherical, slimy, and found in very moist habitats. 



In the revised and greatly enlarged edition of his thesis published in 1853, Robin 

 recognized C cerevisiae (Desm.) Ktz. and C. guttnlatns Robin, the latter having beon 

 previously described without a name by Remak (1845) from the intestinal tract of a rabbit. 



In 1851, Fresenius described Cryptococcus glutinis, one of the pink yeasts. In the 

 succeeding decades, the generic name fell into more or less disuse, owing to lack of interest 

 on the part of mycologists and also to the misconceptions of Persoon's Torula and Mycoderma 

 by Desmazieres, Turpin and Hansen. Saccardo, for example, in his monumental work includes 

 both the ascosporic yeasts and the asporogenous forms in his genus Saccharomyces. 



In 1901, Vuillemin revived the name Cryptococcus for the asporogenous, nonfermenting 

 yeasts from animal substrata, and since then the name has had practically universal use by 

 the medical profession. Guilliermond (1912, 1920) recognizes Cryptococcus sensu Vuillemin 

 but in his Clef Dichotomique (1928) reduces it to synonymy with Torula Hansen non Persoon. 

 Ciferri & Redaelli (1925 et seq.) have attempted to transfer the species to Torulopsis Berlese 

 (1894) and Eutorulopsis (Eutorula Will 1916). 



From the foregoing discussion it will be seen that Cryptococcus should be 

 used for a residue of species after other valid genera have been removed and 

 may be characterized as follows : 



Cells spherical, ovoid, or ellipsoid, occurring singly or held in more or less 

 irregular groups by the secretion of thick, gelified capsules, especially in old 

 age. Not forming ascospores, mycelium or pseudomycelium. On liquid media, 

 pellicle thick, formed by the coalescence of slimy, floating islets when present, 

 sediment usually slimy. No fermentation and acidity rare with carbohydrates. 

 Liquefaction of gelatin very slow when present. 



Besides miscellaneous organisms, mostly imperfectly described and quite 

 possibly belonging elsewhere, two groups of organisms stand out as com- 

 prising the principal pathogens of this genus. One is a group of organisms 

 isolated from tumors and intensively studied while the yeast theory of the 

 origin of cancer was in the ascendant and utterly ignored since that theory 

 was discarded. Whether the cause of the disease or no, they are interesting 

 biologically and need more work. The other important group includes species 

 centering about C. histolyticus, which have been repeatedly proved to be the 

 etiologic agents of "Toi-ula" meningitis whose literature, clinical manifestations, 

 and pathology have been so thoroughly covered by Freeman (1931). This dis- 



