IDENTITY OF AMERICAN AND FRENCH SPOROTRICHOSIS 129 



changes? To this the answer must be made that this is 

 largely a conventional matter and often it is impossible to 

 state clearly where the line of demarcation should lie. But 

 this I wish to point out, that it is evidently not proper or scien- 

 tific to use pleomorphism, or any other character for that mat- 

 ter, as a basis for the classification of an early American 

 strain, and not use it in the classification of French strains or 

 later American strains. 



In resume, I believe we are justified in stating that the dif- 

 ferences between the American strains, including the original 

 cultures of Schenck and of Hektoen, and the French strains 

 of de Beurmann, Gougerot and others, are easily explained as 

 pleomorphic variations and therefore are insignificant. Fur- 

 thermore, the disease, clinically, pathologically, experiment- 

 ally, and therapeutically, is admitted by all to be identical in 

 France and in America. 



The above statements being true, according to the rules of 

 botanical nomenclature the organisms in both countries should 

 be called by the name first given to them in 1900 by Hektoen, 

 namely, Sporotrichum schenckii. The fact that de Beurmann 

 rediscovered the organism several years later deserves no 

 consideration so far as determining nomenclature is concerned. 

 As regards the use of the compromise term Sporotrichum 

 schenckii-beurmanni, suggested first by Greco of South Amer- 

 ica and more recently concurred in by Meyer in this country, 

 it may be said that this is objectionable because it not only 

 introduces a long cumbersome term but it is not in accord 

 with the rules of botanical nomenclature. There is obviously 

 therefore but one legitimate term for this organism, namely 

 Sporotrichum schenckii. 



It should be pointed out that even though one maintains 

 that the small differences noted between the pleomorphic 

 forms of the Schenck-Hektoen strain and the other sporotri- 

 cha are sufficient to justify a species distinction, the important 

 fact remains that the hundreds of strains of sporotricha 

 found in France and in North America are alike. This is 

 admitted by both sides of the controversy. Therefore^ which- 

 ever view of the original Schenck-Hektoen strain is taken by 



