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CLASSIFICATION OF THE MICRO-ORGANISMS. 



ill small numbers they were evidently quickly destroyed 

 and were only able to occasion the death of the animal 

 when in enormous quantity. The mycelia formed from 

 the spores are not equally distributed in all the organs. 

 The kidneys are attacked by preference; then the 

 cardiac and other muscles ; at times numerous masses 

 are found in the liver. After the injection of the 

 spores of Asp. fumigatus there are very peculiar dis- 

 turbances of equilibrium, the animals lying on one side 

 with the head placed obliquely, the one cheek looking 

 upwards, the other downwards ; the eyes are directed 

 towards the same side. If one attempts to raise the 

 animals from this position they resume it at once ; if 

 one places them on the opposite side they remain at 

 first in this position, but soon assume the old posture 

 with violent rotatory movements around the long axis. 

 Lichtheim found that the explanation of these symptoms 

 was the localisation of the fungi in the membranous 

 labyrinth. 



The success of the infective experiments is most certain 

 with Asp. fumigatus, and then with Asp. flavus. The 

 spores of Asp. niger do not appear to have by any means 

 such an intensely malignant action ; the other species of 

 aspergillus and eurotium are on the other hand entirely 

 without effect, even when injected in large quantities. 



It is not only by artificial infection that growth 

 of these aspergillus forms is observed in the animal 

 body, a natural infection seems to occur not uncommonly. 

 Mycotic diseases have been known for a long time to 

 occur in the ear passages of birds ; in these cases 

 we have to do with the growth of aspergilli. Schiitz 

 has recently demonstrated by exact experiments that 

 the spores of these mould fungi can as a matter of fact 

 set up severe pneumonic affections. If healthy pigeons, 

 geese, and smaller birds were exposed for only a few 

 minutes to air containing numerous spores of Asp. 

 fumigatus the animals died of pneumonia as late as the 

 fifth day afterwards. Numerous mycelial threads were 

 then found in the bronchi, and in the cases where the 

 disease had lasted longest extensive necrosis was present. 



