230 SACTERIA 



indolent ulcers. Fever, prostration and emaciation follow. Rats 

 are susceptible. An agglutinin appears; this may assist in 

 diagnosis. 



Saccharomycetes are sometimes pathogenic. They are bud- 

 ding fungi, multiplying by splitting off the bud when conditions 

 are favorable for active growth but capable of intracellular sporu- 

 lation, ascospores, when under adverse conditions. They usually 

 have a rather resistant capsule, sometimes double. Saccharo- 

 myces busse or hominis is capable of setting up in man a cutane- 

 ous and subcutaneous ulcerative and infiltrative or even suppura- 

 tive lesion which may last for a long time; involvement of internal 

 organs can occur. Transmission to animals is difficult. The 

 organisms are from 3 to 30^, round or elliptical, rarely forming 

 mycelia in the tissues. They stain well but not by Gram's 

 method. They are best seen by mixing the pus with a caustic 

 solution. They grow under aerobic conditions at 37C. upon acid 

 serum, dextrose or maltose agar as white plaques which later 

 become wrinkled and velvety. They are easily killed. 



Coccidiosis or oidiomycosis is an infection very similar to the 

 foregoing but the causative organism, Coccidioides immitis, differs 

 from Sac. hominis in showing intracellular sporuiation and no 

 budding. 



MOULDS OR HYPHOMYCETES 



These are the next higher order of plant algae and consist of 

 cells which can elongate to threads, dividing by intracellular 

 sporuiation or by the development of reproductive organs which 

 in some varieties are bisexual in character. They are widely 

 distributed in nature living mostly as saprophytes. Diseases 

 due to these forms are practically confined to the skin although 

 extremely rare cases of dissemination are on record. 



Ringworm of all kinds is due to the mould Trichophyton either 

 of the species megalosporon or microsporon. The spores of the 

 former are 7~8ju, of the latter 2-3 ju. They grow readily as dis- 



