I 



ACTINOMYCETEAB 737 



brittle and moth-eaten in appearance. The lesions usually occur during the 

 monsoon months (August to October). The disease has been twice observed 

 in European officers of coastal vessels who were accustomed to walk about the 

 decks with bare feet in the early morning while supervising washing the 

 decks. Not pathogenic to experimental animals, but the disease was pro- 

 duced on a human volunteer, and the organism recovered. The lesions clear 

 up on treatment with a formalin lotion. Cultures inhibited by gentian violet 

 1 :400,000 and 5% solution used in treatment. 



Tissue stained by Ponder 's method shows the very slender mycelium, 

 either nonseptate or closely septate, suggesting a string of Streptococci. The 

 organism is best isolated on Norris' medium. 



The hyphae are very slender, 0.8/x, in diameter, differentiated slightly into 

 aerial hyphae, surface runners and rooting hyphae extending into the agar. 

 The terminal organs are of two kinds : terminal spindles, slightly curved, com- 

 posed of 2-3 cells, probably chlamydospores (intercalary chlamydospores also 

 occur) and conidia, 1.5/* in diameter, either singly or in groups. The radial 

 surface runners spread centripetally, and are apparently important in deter- 

 mining the shape of the pits and gyrate lesions, while the deep rooting hyphae 

 penetrate as far as the prickle cell layer, open up the lymphatic spaces, and 

 give rise to vesicles. The fungus appears to have a marked lytic action on the 

 homy layer of the epidermis. 



On Norris agar, colonies in 4 days are small, pink, raised, gradually be- 

 coming deeper in color; finally flat, dark, and moist. Aerobic. No acid or gas 

 on any sugar tried, profuse growth on glucose and glycerol. Litmus milk 

 was turned slightly acid, with the appearance of a pink ring at the surface ; 

 slightly clotted with a musty odor. 



Actinomyces plurichromogenus (Caminiti) Dodge, n. comb. 



Streptothrix poly chromo gene Vallee, Ann. Inst. Pasteur 17: 288-292, 1903. 



Streptothrix pluricromogena Caminiti, Centralbl. Bakt. I, 44: 198, 1907. 



Isolated from the blood of a horse, dead of acute Pasteurella infection. 

 Not pathogenic to laboratory animals. 



Hyphae branched. Organism a strict aerobe, growing at temperatures 

 between 18° and 47° C, best at about 38° C. Gram-positive. 



Colony on peptone agar salmon red, shining, irregularly folded, central 

 button with paler radiating periphery. Similar on gelatin. Growth on potato, 

 a pale rosy gray which becomes yellowish red or even vermilion if the tube is 

 removed from the incubator after the colony is formed. Growth folded, granu- 

 lar, verrucose, and drs^ In peptone broth, there forms a pellicle rose salmon 

 or deeper in color, breaking on about the eighth day and settling as a viscous 

 ball; medium clear, but slightly colored by pigment dissolved from the pel- 

 licle. Growth similar on milk, no coagulation. On sucrose with potassium 

 phosphate, growth colorless, and a variety of abnormal forms appear. Glycerol 

 added to media produced yellow to orange colonies. Gelatin not liquefied. 



