294 BACTERIA IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 



in regarding a true fungus, of the hyphomycetous 

 family, as the specific contagion of diphtheria. 1 



In the same " scarlet fever material," above 

 referred to, the mycelium of a hyphomycetous 

 fungus was found (Fig. 10), and also groups of 

 spherical bodies which seemed to be the spores of 

 a fungus of this nature (Fig. 11). 



Numerous micrococci were 

 found in the specimens 

 marked " diphtheritic mate- 

 rial, Ludington," which did 

 not differ morphologically 

 from those which the writer 

 had previously cultivated and 

 photographed from normal 

 Flg n - human saliva. (See Fig. 1, 



Copied from a photo-micrograph ; Plofo VT ^ 

 amplification 1000 diameters. 



It is apparent from what 



has been said that the micrococci, bacilli (Ewart), 

 and fungi (Letzerich), which have been supposed 

 to be the cause of diphtheria, present no mor- 

 phological characters by which they can be dis- 

 tinguished from similar organisms which are 

 found in the mouth and fauces of patients suf- 

 fering from another disease in which the throat 

 is involved scarlet fever, and of healthy indi- 

 viduals at least so far as the micrococci are 

 concerned. 



Morphological identity cannot, however, be 

 taken as proof of physiological identity, and 



1 Kinnicutt in Supplement to Ziemssen's Cyclopaedia, p. 82. 



