VEGETABLE PAKASITES. 



surface of the skin, forming what is called a cup = " godet = 

 favus," in the proper sense, we meet not only with spores, but 

 every anatomical part of the plant mycelium, receptacle, and 

 spores. These lie at first underneath the epidermis ; they pene- 

 trate gradually, still covered by flie epidermis, into the follicle, 

 and unite with those of the neighbouring hair, whilst the skin 

 becomes thinner. When the favus is very large, it frequently 

 throws off the dried epidermis, and the parasite becomes exposed 

 to the air. The skin around the hair becomes depressed, thinned, 

 resorbed, and the opening of the follicle changed. When the para- 

 sites of several infected hairs run together, large crusts of favi are 

 found, underneath which the skin is changed to a large extent -, 

 and between the inclosed diseased follicles we find also some 

 healthy follicles. The glands of the hair become narrower and 

 smaller, they contain, as they do in a healthy state, only a few 

 drops of oil, but a large quantity of a granular substance, and 

 their channel of excretion is thread-like, and probably obliterated. 

 A considerable number of such fungi unite to form little peculiar 

 hemispherical masses, from 1 15 mm. in diameter, and from 

 1 4 or 5 mm. in thickness, and are on their free side even or 

 concave, on their attached side convex. Their colour is pale 

 brimstone-yellow, sometimes a little browned by foreign bodies. 

 Their whole convex portion is inserted into the skin, whence the 

 latter is depressed, smooth, and sometimes slightly embossed, 

 exhibiting oftentimes small branch-like elongations or very short 

 and blunt little warts (Lebert). The free side is at the same 

 time the broadest of the favus, often covered with suppurated 

 epidermal layers, called dry crusts, to which they bear not 

 the least resemblance. Whilst the favus is not fully grown 

 it possesses a cup-like cavity in the centre, which fills up as it 

 grows. A very large favus shows alternately salient and depressed 

 lines, in various numbers, all around the centre of the favus ; 

 they are arranged in irregular circles, and ordinarily pierced by 

 one or more hairs. The edges of the free side often adhere to 

 the epidermis of the skin, and are covered with a dried-up 

 substance, forming small, transparent, brownish or grayish crusts, 

 which do not belong to the parasite, and which must be taken 

 away if the favus is to be removed. One or more hairs always 

 pierce the favus in an oblique direction at those places which are 

 provided with hair. When it is removed it is found that the 

 hair penetrates the skin, and that the follicle lies still deeper. It 



