32 TILBURY FOX, ON SKIN DISEASES 
have been observed and described owe their discovery and 
description to medical men, who, asa rule, do not possess 
sufficient knowledge of the lower forms of vegetable life, in 
general, to undertake the proper examination and classification 
of these parasitic growths. Thus, to use the words of Mr. 
Berkeley, it has come to pass that “ parts of plants have been 
described as whole, undeveloped fungi referred to alge, though 
agreeing with them neither in habit nor physiology ; the com- 
monest moulds, altered by situation, have been described as 
new ; whilst in numerous instances slight variations of the 
same fungus have been treated as separate species.” More- 
over, it must be remembered that few medical men have the 
inclination to work at minute botany, even if they could spare 
sufficient time to compare the plants with already published 
descriptions; test their specific differences, or the contrary, 
by artificial cultivation ; and thoroughly investigate the limits 
of their variation ; by which course alone the errors detailed 
above can be avoided. 
Yet though the mere student of fungi may feel an antipa- 
thy to the contagious diseases in which these minute organisms 
occur, the organisms themselves will well repay a thorough 
microscopic examination. It is merely necessary to refer to 
the excellent plates* of Dr. Fox’s book (to the accuracy of 
which the writer of this article is enabled, in many cases, to 
testify), to prove that to the microscopist the subject is by no 
means devoid of interest. 
The work before us is divided into two parts. The first 
treats more especially of the diseases caused by the growth of 
parasites ; and though this Journal is not the place to discuss 
medical matters, it may be mentioned that the author well 
establishes his chief point—the essential difference between 
eruptive and parasitic disease. The physician will also be 
indebted to Dr. Fox for the very simple classification of these 
parasitic skin diseases under one generic title of Tinea, as 
follows :—1, Tinea favosa ; 2, T. tonsurans ; 3, T. circinata ; 
4, T. sycosis ; 5, T. decalvans ; 6, T. varicolor ; 7, T. Polonica ; 
8, 7. pilaris ; 9, T. tarsi. He places at the end that interesting 
disease of India, the podelcoma, or fungus foot, which has 
lately attracted considerable attention. Many of these, it may 
be mentioned, have been considered as different forms of the 
same disease by writers; and Dr. Buzen, in his ‘ Lectures on 
Parasitic Affections of the Skin,’ reduces them to three :— 
T. favense, T. tonsurante (including T. circinata and Plica 
* The author tells us in his preface that many of the figures are by a 
new process—Kerography—which, in some cases, answers better than 
wood for microscopic appearance. 
a 
