MYCOSIS 



677 



columella, and around every columella a large bristly sporangium is formed 

 (fig. 318 S.). The sporangium opens after the manner of an hinged soap 

 box and sets free the rounded spores contained within it. 



Two cases of human pulmonary mycosis have been attributed to this 

 parasite by Furbinger (but see L. corymbifera). And according to Hess, 

 M. mucedo is the cause of a fatal disease in bees muscardine. [It is also 

 pathogenic for fish. ] On rabbits and guinea-pigs the inoculation of M. mucedo 

 has no effect (Barthelat). 



C- 



FIG. 318. Mucor mucedo. P, pedicel 

 C, columella : S, sporangium. 



FIG. 319. Lichtheimia racemosa. A, raceme- 

 like sporangia. (After Fischer.) B, yeast-like 

 mycelium. 



[SECTION II. THE GENUS LICHTHEIMIA.] 

 1. Lichtheimia racemosa. 



Syn. Mucor racemosus. 



This again is a widely distributed species. The spore-bearing hyphse are 

 straight and irregularly branched, the branches being short, simple and 

 ending in sporangia. L. racemosa is not pathogenic to guinea-pigs or rabbits. 

 Several cases of pulmonary mycosis observed in birds were, however, believed 

 by Bollinger to be due to this organism. 



2. Lichtheimia corymbifera. 



Syn. Mucor corymbifer. 



The pathogenic properties of this fungus are better known than those of 

 the other moulds. Morphologically, it is differentiated from the preceding 

 species by the fact that its flat hyphse are indistinguishable by the naked 

 eye from the thick white mycelium. The hyphse carry several sporangia 

 arranged in a corymb. 



In the majority of the experimental inoculations with the Mucoracidse this 

 has been the species inoculated. It is pathogenic for rabbits (vide ante). 

 It has been found in man in the ear (auricular mucor-mycosis) and in the 

 pharynx (naso-pharyngeal mucor-mycosis) (Siebenham, Hiickel and others). 

 One case of generalized mucor-mycosis in man in which the symptoms were 

 of a typhoid nature was attributed to this parasite (Paltauf) ; and it would 

 seem that the two cases of human mycosis (pulmonary mucor-mycosis) 

 described by Furbinger and referred to above should be attributed to this 



