THE PATHOGENIC FUNGI 991 



in throat cultures from diphtheria suspects. All produced acid 

 and gas on dextrose, levulose and maltose ; acid only on galactose 

 and saccharose; and failed to ferment lactose and mannite. 22 



SPRUE 



Sprue is an important disease of subtropical countries which is 

 characterized by progressive wasting with profuse anemia and a 

 white frothy diarrhea. There is an inflammation of the entire intes- 

 tinal tract and the lesions on the tongue are frequently characteristic. 



MONILIA PSILOSIS 



Ashford 23 has made an elaborate study of cases occurring in 

 Porto Rico. He isolated from the tongue and stools of two hundred 

 patients an organism which he calls monilia psilosis. This is ap- 

 parently identical with the monilia enterica of Castellani. 



Ashford 's monilia is a large round organism 4 to 7 microns in 

 diameter with a granular and usually vacuolated protoplasm. On 

 Sabouraud's agar it grows as a faintly greenish creamy elevated 

 mass with mycelium which usually penetrates the medium. 



In gelatin it invariably produces hyphse which spread laterally from the 

 stab and give the growth an appearance which Ashford describes as that 

 of an inverted Christmas tree. Monilia Psilosis produces acid and gas on 

 dextrose, levulose, maltose and usually on saccharose but does not ferment 

 lactose nor mannit. The fungus turns milk faintly alkaline without further 

 change and does not liquefy gelatin. 



On passage through laboratory animals (rabbits and guinea- 

 pigs) it produces a systemic mycosis and gradually increases in 

 virulence. With these passage strains Ashford could produce 

 stomatitis and diarrhea by feeding. 



The etiological relationship of moniliae to sprue is not univer- 

 sally accepted. Castellani has isolated six different species from 

 the stools typical cases. He believes that they are not the primary 

 cause of the disease, though they may be responsible for the frothy 

 diarrhea. 



- Eoux and Linoissier, Arch, de m&l. exp. et (Tanat. path. 1890, IT, 62; 

 Compt. rend, de Tacad. d. sc., 1889, 109, 752. 



~* Ashford, B. K., Am. J. Med. Sci., 1917, cliv, 159. 



