189 
ON THE SO-CALLED CHIGNON FUNGUS (PLEURO- 
COCCUS BEIGELI, Rabenh. et Kuchenm.). 
By H. Beigel, M.D., M.R.C.P. 
(Plate LXVIL) 
In the beginning of this year some of the workmen employed by 
Messrs. Hovenden, of City Road, London, found some peculiarity 
m certain foreign human hair, never before observed by them. This 
hair " had been cleaned and prepared in the usual manner, but 
after these processes it did not present the smooth and glossy appear- 
ance which the cleaned hair ought to display ; it was therefore rejected, 
and given back to the employers as being, from some cause or other 
unknown to the workmen, unfit for sale."* Messrs. Hovenden 
showed locks of this rejected hair to several men of science, myself 
amongst the number. The subject of parasitism on false hair was 
then — February — undergoing public discussion in our newspapers ; 
an article in the Hamburg ■ Freischiitz,' founded on Lindemann's trea- 
tise on ' Gregarinse,' having made its way into England, and being 
largely, and loosely, commented upon. I set about investigating 
the matter, and became soon convinced that the parasite was not 
of animal but vegetable nature, and, without loss of time, I commu- 
nicated my discovery to some of the most eminent Cryptogamists on 
the Continent,— amongst them, Dr. Colin, of Breslau, and Dr. Ra- 
benhorst, of Dresden, and more particularly Dr. Kuchenmeister, of 
Dresden, whose valuable work on the parasites of the human body 
seemed to single him out as the one more specially calculated to pro- 
n ounce an opinion. The following is Dr. Kiichenmeister's reply to 
^y first communication :— 
" Dresden, March 10, 1867. 
" Many thanks for the new Alga, Pleurococcus Beigeli, which you kindly 
^nt me. I received your letter on the 9th inst., and went at once with it to 
Dr - Rabenhorst, our greatest Algologist, asking him to examine your parasite 
Wlth *e. We soon convinced ourselves of the correctness of the drawing you 
sent. 
Kii 
" The Alga must bear the generic name of Pleurococcus, Meneghmi. 
utzing, who, in his work on Algse, figures the genus on the very first plates 
0[ the Hrst volume, designates the genus under the erroneous name of Pro- 
Coccus, Agardh. Rabenhorst insists, and justly, on the right of priority ot 
* ' Hairdressers' Chronicle/ June 1, 1867. Article, « Chignon Fungus." 
VOf " V. [july 1, 1867.] ■ P 
