CHAPTER VI 



PLASSOMYXINEAE AND MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM : 

 MICROHENADS 



THE term Plassomyxineae first used last year to designate 

 a group of pathogenic organisms, of which the casual parasite 

 of Molluscum contagiosum is the most easily studied, I 

 have defined as follows : diagnosis : Plassomyxineae, nomen 

 novum, applicandum quaedam ad protista parasitica et patho- 

 genica, generi Syndiytrio affinia, quae interdum in statu 

 plasson dicto sunt. 



The name first given to any group of organisms, if it is 

 not based on misconception and hence misleading, must 

 stand as the name of the group in question. Now in using 

 the name Plassomyxineae, I am well aware that the term 

 Chlamydozoa has been previously applied to the molluscum 

 body and kindred structures. Let us trace this idea to its 

 source. It had been found that molluscum bodies resist the 

 action of strong acids and alkalies, &c., and it was inferred 

 that they could not therefore be anything but colloid. 

 The matter was conscientiously examined by L. Pfeiffer, 

 who compared the behaviour of Coccidia with that of the 



99 



