TRICHOMYCETES 249 



ism seems to be an aspergillus, and has been named Madurella 

 mycetori. 



Streptothrices have also been found in abscesses of the brain and 

 in chronic disease of the lung clinically resembling tuberculosis 

 in man. Many of them are Gram-positive and some are rela- 

 tively acid-proof when stained with carbol-fuchsin. Such acid- 

 proof forms are common in the feces of cattle where short seg- 

 ments of them may be mistaken for tubercle bacilli. Organisms 

 of this type are very abundant in the soil, which is doubtless 

 their natural habitat. 



Cladothrix. The cladothrix forms resemble the strepto- 

 thrices very closely but the cells of the threads do not branch. 

 The apparent branching of the threads is explained as due to a 

 transverse division of the thread with continuing growth of the 

 one free end which pushes out beyond the other, giving rise to 

 the appearance of branching or so-called " false branching." 

 Organisms of this type have been described as occurring in ab- 

 scesses of the brain and in other parts of the body. The dis- 

 tinction from streptothrix has not always been clearly made. 



Leptothrix Buccalis. This is a normal inhabitant of the 

 mouth cavity. It consists of slender filaments which do not 

 branch. The organism has been found in abundance in small 

 white patches on the tonsils, where it sometimes causes a very 

 chronic but mild inflammation. Artificial culture of the organ- 

 ism ordinarily results in failure. Arustamoff 1 appears to have 

 obtained it on a neutral or acid agar inoculated with leptothrix 

 from urine. 



1 Kolle and Wassermann: Handbuch, 1912, Bd. V, S. 290. 



