MOULDS 20Q 



cultivated which resemble closely the blastomycetes, but Ricketts 

 and Ophiils have placed this organism in the oidium genus. Not 

 only does it cause an infectious dermatitis, but it may invade the 

 deeper tissues and organs. The lungs may be primarily invaded, 

 setting up in them an oidiomycosis that resembles or imitates in its 

 general appearance pulmonary tuberculosis. The oidium may be 

 detected in the sputum, and exhibits budding. It is easily stained. 

 The diseases and organism described by Busse and Gilchrist are 

 probably closely related to Ophiils pictures. There seem to be 

 several species of pathogenic yeasts capable of a variety of influ- 

 ences. It is better to classify them all under Saccharomyces, as 

 there are no fundamental differences between Ophiils oidia and 

 Busse's yeast. The character of the lesions depends upon the point 

 of entry. The yeast in the tissue presents doubly contoured, 

 highly refractive discs from which buds and short mycelia grow. 

 These so-called hyphae may intertwine. They may be obtained in 

 culture by injecting a guinea pig and culturing out. They grow in 

 a white, fluffy mass on agar and gelatine. 



MOULDS OR HYPHOMYCETES 



Aspergillus Niger, A. Fumigatus, and A. Flavus. A poly- 

 cellular mycelial organism which produces spores and branched 

 threads, that are variously named from the macroscopic ap- 

 pearances of the growth. All thrive well as 37 C. and may be 

 cultivated on the usual culture media. In man, the external auditory 

 meatus is often infected with these orgnaisms, causing a trouble- 

 some disease. They may infect the lungs of weak anemic subjects 

 with wasting diseases, and may be pathogenic for cattle, horses, 

 and birds. 



The author has found that the young hyphae, the sporangia, 



and spores of some of these hyphomycetes (moulds) if treated with 



hot or boiling alkaline solution of copper sulphate are stained by the 



copper, which has an affinity for them, and appear a light lilac blue 



14 



