126 



India, and separated the disease into two forms — one the black and 

 the other the pale variety ; in addition, there appeared to be an inter- 

 mediate stage, characterised by the presence of pink granules, 



The part affected was more or less distorted, and had numerous 

 openings communicating with channels of various sizes. The materials 

 which escaped from these openings contained brownish-black granules 

 like grains of gunpowder, in one variety, and roe-shaped ones in the 

 pale variety. The alteration of the tissues and bones caused a greasy 

 or waxy degeneration to the parts affected. Dr. Carter considered 

 these black particles the resting spores of a fungus, and the pale an 

 advanced stage of the disease due to a change — seemingly a degenera- 

 tion — of the darkened masses. 



A series of experiments and observations with the black particles, 

 when mixed with cotton soil, placed on rice paste or moist ground rice, 

 both in India and in England, by Dr. Carter and Mr. Berkeley, led 

 to the conclusion that the cause of the disease was a fungus, to which 

 the name Chionyphe Carteri was given. The theory of the introduc- 

 tion was that spores becoming attached to the bare feet of the natives 

 germinated and sent in through the pores of the skin their mycelial 

 threads, hence the disease ; but the pink mould or fungus, of which 

 the black particles were thought to be the resting spores, had been ob- 

 served to grow without any connection with the black particles, these 

 black particles being the only substance associated with the malady in 

 which the existence of fungoid elements had been definitely established. 

 These particles too were on every occasion found to be unchanged. 

 Moreover, the pink mould grew just as luxuriantly in connection with 

 preparations which had been preserved in spirit as in connection with 

 specimens of the morbid tissues which had not been subjected to the 

 influence of any preservative fluid. 



It was at this stage of the enquiry' that Drs. T. B. Lewis and D. 

 D. Cunningham, who had been appointed special assistants to the 

 Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of India to conduct an 

 enquiiy into cholera, were deputed to investigate special diseases, as 

 well as continuing their cholera enquiry, turned their attention to that 

 form of disease known as " I^Iadura Foot " or " Fungus Foot " of 

 India. 



The materials they had for examination were entire preparations 

 of the upper and lower limbs —for both hands and feet, it turns out, 



