BLASTOMYCOSIS 559 



In addition to reproduction by gemmation, the Saccharomyce- 

 tacese are also distinguished from the Bacteria by their larger 

 size, by having a cellulose cell-wall, and in those forms in which 

 endospores occur by the spores being multiple and not single in 

 each cell. From the Hyphomycetes, or moulds, the Saccharomy- 

 cetacese are distinguished by being unicellular, and by the repro- 

 duction being generally asexual. The Saccharomycetaceae, 

 however, are probably much more nearly allied to the Hyphomy- 

 cetes than are the Bacteria, for many of the moulds have a stage in 

 which the mycelium (see next chapter) resembles an aggregation 

 of yeast-cells, and the yeasts in old cultures form films in which 

 the cells become much elongated, like those in the mycelium of a 

 mould. Jorgensen and others have attempted to show that some 

 of the yeasts are stages in the development of a fungus, but it 

 cannot be said that this has yet been satisfactorily demonstrated. 



Pathogenic Yeasts and Blastomycosis * 



Organisms apparently belonging to the Saccharomyce- 

 tacese and termed Blastomycetes have been isolated from 

 certain tumours, and have been regarded as having an 

 etiological significance in connection with malignant 

 disease. Sanfelice cultivated yeast forms from fermenting 

 fruits, which, on inoculation into guinea-pigs, produced 

 death in about a month with the formation of a tumour 

 at the seat of inoculation and embolic growths in the 

 spleen and liver. He also obtained a similar yeast from 

 an ox affected with carcinoma, which on subcutaneous 

 inoculation killed guinea-pigs in about two months, and 

 inoculated into the peritoneum in a month, with multiple 

 embolic growths in the lungs, spleen and mesenteric 

 glands. A good deal of calcification was present in the 

 growths, from which fact Sanfelice named this yeast 

 Saccharomyces litogenes. Rabinowitch and also Foulerton 2 



1 See Le Count and Myers, Journ. of Infectious Diseases, vol. iv, 1907, 

 p. 187. 



2 Journ. Path, and Bact., vol. vi, 1899, p. 37. 



