ON THE ETIOLOGY OF MADURA-FOOT. 263 



On the Etiology of Madura-foot ; Note by the Eev. M . 

 J. Berkeley, M.A., F.L.S. 



[The following article appeared in the ' Indian Medical 

 Gazette ' of April 1, 1874. The Rev. M. J. Berkeley has 

 favoured us with a reply to the objections which it raises to 

 the hitherto received theory of the cause of the Madura-foot. 

 —Eds.] 



Whilst perusing a particularly able essay in a recent 

 number of the ' Medico-Chirurgical Beview ' on the " Causes 

 of Epidemics," — an essay which we heartily commend to 

 such of our readers as have not seen it, — we were not a little 

 surprised to observe that a writer who, whilst manifesting 

 such discrimination as was evident on every page of this 

 Review, should nevertheless have cited " Madura-foot " 

 disease as an example of '' lesions indubitably dependent on 

 extraneous vegetable groAvths." 



We were surprised because we were aware that numerous 

 carefully conducted experiments had recently been made in 

 this country, with a view of definitely ascertaining whether any 

 evidence of special " vegetable growths " could be detected 

 in connection with this malady. The results of these expe- 

 riments were of an entirely negative character. 



We are not unmindful of the lessons conveyed by the 

 numerous instances on record of vain attempts at verifying 

 statements regarding the existence of parasites where their 

 presence has been established beyond doubt ; nor of the fact 

 that probably seven-tenths of the profession regard the 

 etiology of " Madura-foot " as satisfactorily demonstrated. 

 Still, the evidence elicited by these experiments was so strong 

 as to convince us that some serious mistake had been made 

 before any such views could have been propounded. 



We have recently received a pamphlet on the subject from 

 the author. Dr. H. Vandyke Carter,^ but, after careful study 

 of its contents, have not been able to alter our opinion in the 

 slightest degree. This pamphlet and its accompanying 

 plate may, we presume, be taken as an epitome of the author's 

 previous writings and drawings in connection wdth this 

 malady, doubtless embodying also the experience gained 

 during the dozen years or so which have transpired since 

 his views were first placed before the profession. 



' " The Parasitic Fungus of Mycetoma," by H. Vandyke Carter, M.D,, 

 ' Transactions Pathological Society of London.' 1872-73. 



