PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 51 



men of this foot. Tlie appearance wliicli it presented was precisely 

 that of caries of the tarsal bones. On the surface of the foot were a 

 number of openings and sinuses leading down to the broken-down 

 remains of the bones. A longitudinal section of the foot revealed the 

 condition of the bones, which were simply indicated by some soft 

 masses, which readily broke down with the slightest touch. The 

 bones were much blackened ; and on cutting through them for ex- 

 amination under the microscope, he found a large quantity of mycelia. 

 He did not observe any fungi in the skin. The bones were literally 

 one mass of fungus, occui)ying all the cavities.* 



In reply to a question from the President, Mr. Stewai't said there 

 could be no doiibt about the thing found being a true fungus. No 

 tissue in the body ever presented any resemblance to the dark strijjs 

 so characteristic of fuugiis. It was a true vegetable that he had seen ; 

 there was nothing in the hmnan body like it. 



The President thought the fungus was not the cause of the disease ; 

 but that the disease previously existed, the form w^hich it ultimately 

 assumed being a rapid downhill degeneration. The changes which the 

 skeleton underwent in the course of nature would lead to softening of 

 the bones, and degeneration would naturally follow where there was 

 any tendency to disease. 



Mr. Stewart said he should mention one fact in which the disease 

 described differed from caries of the bone, viz, that in the cavities 

 amongst the tissues which contained the fungi, instead of there being 

 larger gTanulations the cavities were perfectly free from them. 



The President remarked that it would seem as if there was no 

 jjower of reparation in the bone, or capability of producing any new 

 tissue, but it was simply the existing tissue going from bad to 

 worse. 



Mr. C. Brooke said he could not conceive that any spores of a 

 fungus should make their way through the surface of the foot into the 

 interior of the bone, so as to be developed at the de^jth named, and so 

 as to cause the disease. They might rim along the sinuses made 

 for them ; imdoubtedly the existence of sinuses involved the supposi- 

 tion that there was pre-existent disease. 



The President remarked that no number of spores would aflect any 

 healthy foot. 



A vote of thanks was then given to Mr. Hogg. 

 Dr. Braithwaite read a paper " On the Structiu'e of Bog Mosses." 

 A vote of thanks was then passed to Dr. Braithwaite, who took 

 occasion in his acknowledgment to remark that the new school of 

 bryologists now studied mosses entirely by the leaves, which are so 

 definite and unchangeable in their characters, that every moss can be 

 distinguised by its o^;!! peculiar leaf. 



The meeting was then adjourned till the 4th October. 

 Notice was given that the library and reading-room would be closed 

 during the month of August. 



* These masses have since been examined by several indei3cndent observers, 

 none of whom liave been enabled to discover fungus in their couipocsition. — J. H. 



