192 ON THE SO-CALLED CHIGNON FUNGUS. 
A letter of mine appeared in the subsequent week of the ' Lancet ' 
(March 9, 1867), p. 320, and runs as follows :— 
■Bfe-I have recently observed a peculiar condition of hair produced by a 
fundus which, as far as I can learn, is new. The hair is distinguished b a 
umnb r of knots, each forming a sheath round the shaft On e.annn t 
under the microscope, each knot is seen to consist of a *~££*£j^ 
The spores ore large, and very regularly, almost mathematically divided „, o 
two three, four, and more sections, having great resemblance to &m»«, but 
duLn, rom that in many respects. By boiling such a knot or vegetable 
lass in° alkaline water, the appearance under the microscope changes, and 
beautiful ramifications of threads and chains are to be seen. 
« As soon as my observations on germination, etc., of the fungi shall be con 
eluded, I shall be glad to publish the same. nht » m eA the 
« In conclusion, I may be permitted to mention that I have obtained the 
sample of hair from the warehouse of Messrs. Hovenden, where it wa picke 
out bv a workman from a great many different ' heads as perfectly unfa to 
being cleaned. In all other hairs which have been submitted to me tor exam 
the 
nation, no traces of animal or vegetable life could be detected. 
" Yours truly, 
« Finslury Square, March, 1867. H. Bkigel, M.D., ■** 
"\* This is probably the fungus referred to in our last impression as 
Zooglcea capillorum.— Editor of ' Lancet.' " 
The editorial foot-note appended to my communication necessitate^ 
the following additional letter to the ' Lancet' (March 16, p. 352) : - 
« Sir,— You appended to my letter in the last number of your « tL *™" e 
journal, concerning a new fungus of the hair, a note, in which you P mn 7 
probability that the fungus described by me may be the Zoogtaa eajM ^ 
If you would have the kindness to read the description or to g ,an ^ , g 
drawing of Zooglcea capillorum given by Dr. Aloys Mart in inllenleand e^ 
given tnereirom in voi. xiii. oi uuo imioii»uu*'"«6"- ot the 
Transactions,' you would, I think, be convinced that Zooglaa has n^ ^ 
slightest resemblance to the fungus discovered by me. To name on y on g 
ference— of which there exist a great many— of the two growths. 1 ™ spu ^ 
of Zooglcea appear under a magnifying power of 300 to 480 as sum ^p^> 
as if intermingled with nuclear grains ; while the spores of my ""^"g^y^ 
the same magnifying power, seem as large as a lentil and even a pea. ^ ^ ^ 
my fungus does not destroy the hair, which remains perfectly . firnl d at 
affected spot. This point is of importance, for it would ^^.^^V^erf' 
once my fungus from that which Dr. Tilbury Fox mentions in "J*^^ 
of the 2nd inst. ; but he himself believes the fungus seen by him to be l 
• i .V * r 1 • 1 t 
With the Zooglcea capillorum. . *. wee fc 
41 It may be stilted, in conclusion, that my fungus has been for the ^ ^ 
actively germinating on my arm, which was blistered before the vegc a 
