386 Miscellaneous. 



Fungi (of the genus Aspergillus) upon the tympanic membrane of 

 ten persons, four of whom were attacked on both sides. Having 

 been able several times to watch and study the development of these 

 parasites from their first appearance to their final extinction, I can 

 assert that this parasitic vegetation existed independently of any 

 other disease, and constituted a peculiar and very obstinate affection 

 of the ear, accompanied with great derangement of functions and 

 much suffering. 



The two species of auricular fungi found by me presented all the 

 principal botanical characters of Aspergillus glaucus (Link), but 

 differed therefrom in the coloration of their organs of fructification, 

 which leads me to name one of them A. flavescens and the other 

 A, nigricans. 



We may ascertain, not only with the microscope, but even with the 

 naked eye, the existence of a parasitic pseudomembrane in the ear, 

 and decide beforehand whether it is produced by a vegetation of 

 A. flavescens or of A. nigricans. In both cases the parasitic mem- 

 brane, when extracted entire, bears the very recognizable impression 

 of the tympanic membrane, and consists of an interlaced, lardaceous, 

 white and shining tissue, easily torn and dispersed, covered in several 

 parts with brownish-yellow (^A. flavescens) or perfectly black {A. 

 nigricans) spots (spores). These agglomerations of spores often 

 form upon the white surface applied to the tympanic membrane an 

 annular black space of 1-2 milliras. in breadth, corresponding to the 

 periphery of the tympanum. In general the arrangement of the 

 layers in each parasitic pseudomembrane proves that the parasite 

 grows from without inwards ; that is to say, it tends to bury itself in 

 the tissue of the tympanic membrane. 



A. nigricans, of which the organs of fructification have exactly the 

 same black colour as those of A. nigrescens, discovered by C. Robin, 

 on the 19th February 1848, in the aeriferous sacs of a pheasant, must 

 not be confounded with that species, because the receptacular fila- 

 ments of ^. nigrescens are formed by long cells articulated end to 

 end, and presenting at their point of contact a distinct constriction : 

 moreover the circlet of basal cells round the capitula is not complete 

 as in A. nigricans. 



A. flavescens closely approaches the fungus of the lungs, dis- 

 covered by Virchow, and described by Fresenius from specimens re- 

 ceived from Virchow as a distinct species, which he names A. 

 fumigatns, and identifies with the fungus found by him in the 

 bronchi of an Otis tarda in the Frankfort Zoological Garden. 

 But the descriptions and drawings of Fresenius and Virchow, and 

 especially the microscopic preparation which had been sent to Fre- 

 senius and declared by him to be A. fumigatus, shown to me by 

 Professor Schenk at Wiirzburg, make me perfectly sure that my 

 A. flavescens is clearly distinguished from A, fumigatus, which, 

 moreover, has greenish-brown spores. 



To ascertain positively whether A. flavescens and nigricans are 

 really new species of Aspergillus, or whether they only represent new 



