CHAPTER LI. 

 PAEASITES OF THE FAMILY PERISPORACID.E. 



Introduction. General methods of examination, cultivation, etc. 

 Section I. The genus Aspergillus, p. 695. 



1. Aspergillus glaucus, p. 695. 2. Aspergillus repens, p. 695. 3. Aspergillus 

 malignus, p. 695. 4. Aspergillus fumigatus, p. 695. 5. Aspergillus pictor, p. 698. 

 Section II. The genus Sterygmatocystis, p. 699. 



1. Sterygmatocystis nidulans, p. 699. 2. Sterygmatocystis nigra, p. 699. 

 Section III. The genus Penicillum, p. 700. 



1. Pfnicillum glaucum, p. 700. 2. Penicillum minimum, p. 700. 

 Section IV. The parasite of Tinea imbricata, p. 700. 



THE family of the Perisporacidse comprises numerous saprophytic species 

 some of which may become parasitic. They are characterized by their septate 

 mycelium, their conidial apparatus and by their asci surrounded by a complete 

 perithecium. 



General methods. 



1. Microscopical examination, (a) Of cultures. Crookshank recommends 

 the following method : 



Place a drop of glycerin on a slide and a drop of alcohol on a cover-glass, 

 introduce the fragments of the fungus into the alcohol, invert the cover-glass 

 on to the slide and heat the latter over a small flame until bubbles just begin 

 to appear, allow to cool and lute the edges of the cover-glass with paraffin. 

 To make a permanent preparation of an hanging-drop culture, after examining 

 it in the fresh condition replace the drop of culture fluid with a drop of acetic 

 acid, blot up the acid with a piece of filter paper, stain with a 1 per cent, 

 solution of safranin or eosin and mount in glycerin (also p. 676). 



(ft) Of infected tissues, i. Films. Films of pus, sputum, etc. should be 

 fixed in alcohol and stained with a 1 per cent, solution of safranin or with 

 carbol-thionin. 



ii. Sections. Stain sections by the method described at p. 675. 



The method of Renon is useful for species which do not stain well by Gram's 

 method. Stain for several minutes with carbol-thionin, wash quickly in 

 distilled water, then in absolute alcohol, pass through oil of cloves and xylol 

 and mount in balsam. 



Gaucher and Sergent stain these parasites in Ehrlich's violet for 24 hours 

 then in Gram's iodine solution for 5 minutes, decolourize rapidly in absolute 

 alcohol, aniline oil, wash in xylol and mount in balsam. 



2. Cultures. The Perisporacidse grow best on media of an acid reaction 

 and on media containing sugars. They are aerobic organisms. The optimum 



