1916] 
Emic—Yurast Funct 297 
and investigated the lungs microscopically. According to 
this author, if guinea-pigs are allowed to breathe the spores 
of Aspergillus fumigatus grown on agar plates, they die 
within seven or eight hours by asphyxia. Upon examina- 
tion of the lungs of the dead animals, he had no difficulty 
in finding the spores in hemorrhagic colonies which per- 
meated the lungs. The same result was obtained with eul- 
tures of Sterigmatocystis nigra. The germination of the 
spores takes place in the alveolar septa between the alveoli, 
and then by means of pressure the germinating spores break 
through the cell walls and enter the alveoli. 
Fungous infectious agents are not absolutely deprived of 
the power to secrete toxie substances, although this toxicity 
does not seem to be as evident in them as in the bacteria. 
Lucet was among the first to mention the existence of a 
thermolabile toxic substance in cultures of Aspergillus fumi- 
gatus. The earlier investigators assert that the intensity 
of the toxic action of certain fungi is proportional to the 
quantity of the fungous spores injected, and in this manner 
the higher fungi differ from pathogenic bacteria, in which 
the resultant intensity of toxie action is to a large extent 
independent of the number of bacteria injeeted into the 
animal. 
Сеш (707) found that the toxic action of an aleoholie or 
ether extraction from cultures of Aspergillus fumigatus was 
of a specific character. He isolated a culture of Aspergillus 
from the atmosphere in the home of a family affected with 
chronic pellagra, and obtained a water-soluble toxin from 
the cultures of this fungus. Не also isolated two toxic 
varieties of Penicillium from corn, the toxic substance from 
one variety producing neuromuscular condensations in ani- 
mals, whereas the toxic substance in the other produced 
nervous depression. Bodin and Gautier (’06) also found that 
this toxin was not destroyed by heating to 120°C. for thirty 
minutes. Otto (’07) obtained an alcoholic extract from five 
strains of Aspergillus fumigatus which was toxic for animals 
either by intraperitoneal injection, or as an emulsion if 
washed into the stomach by means of a probe. Not only 
