48o 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN 



off the fungus, the latter forms special club-shaped persistent hyph^e 

 which asexually propagate the disease in the part. Leucocytes then 

 attempt to get rid of them by engulfing the parasites and succeed in 

 carrying them to other parts, where the leucocyte is killed by the 

 enclosed parasite, which latter again reproduces the disease where it 

 may happen to be. 



When the fungus is surrounded by pus, a mass of debris contain- 



'mr^ 





Mycetoma of the hand. 



ing granules — yellow, black or pinkish — is formed and exuded. The 

 tissue adjoining, muscle, tendon, nerve and bone, degenerate and 

 break down into debris; the body is drained and exhausted; 

 emaciation and cachexia set in, and some intercurrent disease ends the 

 scene. 



SYMPTOMATOLOGY. 



A small Avound, usually in the foot, heals, and a small swelling is 

 noticed which is painless. After one month or so the swelling softens, 

 ruptures, and discharges an oily blood-stained exudate containing 



