98 Transactions of the 



II. — Mycetoma: the Fungus-foot Disease of India. 



By Jabez Hogg, Surgeon to the Eoyal Westminster Ophthalmic 

 Hospital, Hon. Sec. E.M.S., &c. 



{^Taken as read h-fore the Eotal Microscopical Society, Feb. 7, 1872.) 



Plate X. 



The specimen of Fungus-foot disease I wish to bring to the notice 

 of the Society was lately received from Dr. Blanc, of H.M. Indian 

 Army, Surgeon in charge of the Eajkote Hospital. The points of 

 interest in connection with it are, first, the disease, which was found 

 to be confined to the sole of the foot, occurred in an unusually 

 young person, a native of 18 years of age, who had previously 

 enjoyed good health; secondly, soon after coming into hospital 

 Mycetoma was diagnozed by Dr. Blanc, who on submitting a very 

 small piece, which came away in a poultice, to microscopical 

 examination, observed well-defined filaments of the fungus ; and 

 lastly, the affected part of the sole of the foot being immediately 

 excised, the wound rapidly healed, and in a short time after the 

 patient was able to leave the hospital cured. 



The specimen, preserved in strong spirits of wine, presented a 

 hardened, shrunken appearance when it came into my possession. 

 As this was the first time I had had an opportunity of examining 

 the disease in its earliest stage, I was httle inclined to cut it about, 

 and destroy its appearance. A small cut had, however, been made 

 across the slightly prominent and discoloured centre of the mass, 

 as represented in Fig. 1. This opening I carefully enlarged, 

 removing small portions for microscopical examination; but finding 

 nothing except quantities of fat-corpuscles and connective tissue, I 

 dissected away a good deal of the surrounding structures, and 

 came down upon two or thi-ee blackish-looking minute spots. 

 With a low power, an inch and a half, and condensed light, I made 

 out a group of globular bodies, exactly like balls of soot, or one 

 of the Smuts of the Ustilaginous species ; represented at Fig. 2, a. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE X. 



Fig. 1. — The section from foot : one-half the original size ; showing diseased spot. 



„ 2.— «, Netet of fioot-ball bodies, magnified 50 X , /', A portion of one of 

 same after boiling in liquor potassas, press-ed out on a slide ; ex- 

 hibiting molecular and resinous matter ; magnified 150 X . 



^^ 3. — Another portion, showing at c fungoid threads; magnified 350 X. 

 d, Amtt'boid bodies and fat-corpuscles, magnified 650 X. /, Pat- 

 globules and crystalline or resinous matter. 



,, 4, — Another portion, showing well-defined dissepimented cells, imljedded 

 in homogeneous colouring matter; magnified G50 X. e/, A detached 

 spindle-shaped thread, surrounded by fat-corpuscles; also magnified 

 G50 X. 



