270 APPENDIX. 



appearance, being irregularly oval. The one he presents is hexagonal, 

 apparently presenting articular facets of a lightish brown colour. 



" He states that he has lived since childhood principally on oatmeal 

 porridge with treacle, has taken little animal food ; and, during the four 

 years he has been unwell, has taken magnesia as a purgative. He, how- 

 ever, says that he took no magnesia before the first concretion was 

 passed. 



" Such is the case as sent me by m^ friend with a portion of the concre- 

 tion for microscopic analysis. Chemistry and all other means had failed 

 to unravel the mystery of the composition of this concretion. I macerated 

 a portion of it for some time in distilled water, expecting to detect the 

 starch granules of the oat by the polarizing apparatus of the microscope, 

 but in this I failed. I continued the maceration, separating the parts a 

 little with very fine needles, and at last was able to detect very beautifully 

 masses of the hairs of the palea of the oat, of which, and the husks of the 

 oat, the concretion seemed to be entirely made up." 



IV. 



" On a Fungus parasitic in the Human Ear. By JOHN GROVE, 



Esq., M.R.C.S., &c. Communicated by HENRY DEANE, Esq. 



(Read before the Microscopical Society, April 15th, 1857.) 



" Having taken a lively interest for some years in the subject of 

 parasitic growths of all kinds, whether occurring on animals or plants, I 

 have lost no opportunity of seeking for them when occasions have presented 

 offering any probability of success to my research. 



" In the month of September last (1856) I met with a beautiful speci- 

 men of a fungoid growth which was removed from the ear of a gentleman 

 who had been suffering from inflammation of the left external meatus 

 auditorius. 



" Tne ailment commenced with uneasiness and irritation of the ear, 

 diminution of the sense of hearing, and some slight discharge. In a few 

 days there was pain ana greater urgency of the other symptoms. As the 

 patient was in the prime of life, of unimpaired constitution, and apparently 

 in vigorous health, I ordered simply poppy fomentations by means of 

 spongio-piline, the ear to be carefully syringed with warm water, and 

 a drop of glycerine to be applied night and morning the syringing be- 

 cause there appeared to be some flocculent-looking matter deep in the 

 meatus. After a day or two some of this flocculent matter came away in 

 little masses, which was preserved according to order for iny inspection. 



" The fungi to be presently described being detected, it occurred to me 

 that the best method of preventing their further development would be to 

 use some injection which was likely to be inimical to their existence. 

 Alum was selected, and it seemed to answer perfectly. But soon the 

 other ear began to take on the same symptoms as its fellow, and now the 

 alum injection succeeded in checking altogether the progress of the affec- 

 tion, and the patient was speedily out of my hands. 



