224 



LEECHES 



connection a more or less flagellate appearance is given to the 

 fungus, which represents a condition not believed to exist. 



Not infrequently small spherical bodies are found not far 

 from the clubs which take the stain readily and whose size is 

 sufficiently small to admit of the possibility of their being 

 spores. The free ends of many of the clubs point toward the 

 periphery of the nodule, but this is not a constant feature. 



The framework of the nodule stains very slightly or not 

 at all and .shows among the enmeshed corpuscles as a very 

 irregular, distorted and somewhat glistening network. It is 

 this portion of the nodule that gives the hard, gritty feeling, 

 and is probably due to a greater or less deposition of lime salts 

 along the reticulum. It appears that the framework of the 

 nodule is composed of a mycelial net, which in the course of 

 development has become more or less calcified. 



As a result of the treat- 

 ment of the nodules with the 

 lo per cent cold solution of 

 caustic potash, a very profuse 

 and intricately branched fun- 

 gus became apparent. The 

 branching is of an irregular 

 order. In places there is seen 

 in the filament a central axis, 

 which takes the stain, and 

 around this appears a trans- 

 parent or hyaline sheath of 

 varying size. 



In certain of the teased 

 preparations ( Biondi-Ehrlich 

 stain) the wall of the filament, 

 instead of being smooth and 

 homogeneous, appears rough- 

 ened, as if covered with verj' 

 minute but numerous spinous processes. 



In the sections of the tissue in which the fungus appeared 

 the substance of the filament was not uniform. In places it 

 was drawn together in an irregular manner, with intervening 

 clear spaces of greater or less area. 



Fig. 52. The fungus. Toluidin 

 blue preparation. {Fish.) 



