PART II.] Cultivation-Experiments with the Morbid Products. 375 



stated to have been originally observed in a maceration of a specimen of the disease, we 

 tried numerous experiments with a view of ascertaining whether any such development 

 would occur in the instance of the materials at our disposal. A portion of cancellous 

 bone, containing characteristic black masses, was removed from a foot preserved in spirit 

 and set in water in the month of April. The water was at first, on several successive 

 days, poured off and renewed with a view to get rid of the spirit, and when this had 

 been apparently thoroughly accomplished, the maceration was allowed to go on con- 

 tinuously. The specimen was kept under observation for several weeks. No fungi were 

 developed in connection with it, but an abundance of active and still bacterial elements 

 soon made their appearance, and these, together with some maggots which subsequently 

 aided them, rapidly removed all the soft tissues and oily matter connected with the bone, 

 and left the latter and the masses of black matter behind. The black matter never 

 showed any tendency to germinate or to be altered in any way, and on microscopic 

 examination at the close of the experiment, presented all its characteristic features 

 entirely unchanged. 



Cultivation IV. — This was precisely similar in its nature to the previous cultivation, 

 and was carried on at the same time of year. 



In this case also an abundant development of Bacteria occurred. The soft tissues of 

 the specimen became gradually disintegrated, and a film of a yellowish colour and 

 considerable density formed on the surface of the fluid. This was found to consist of a 

 dense layer of Bacteria and granular matter, with innumerable active and encysted 

 specimens of several forms of ciliated infusoria. A few colourless, slender mycelial 

 filaments were also present, and here and there were lumps or concretions of fatty 

 matter of a distinctly pinkish tint. There were however no evidences of the presence of 

 any peculiar algoid or fungoid organisms, and the black masses remained seemingly 

 quite unaltered during the entire course of the experiment. 



Numerous other experiments of a like nature, conducted at the same and at other 

 seasons of the year, and with materials derived from different specimens obtained from 

 different localities, gave similar negative results. There was a uniform and entire 

 absence of evidence in favour of the presence of any growth of the elements contained 

 in the black matter or of any other signs of vitality in them, and the only remarkable 

 feature presented by the material in this, as in the former series of experiments, was its 

 extreme persistence and apparent resistance to disintegrative changes. 



Whilst, however, these experiments not only entirely failed to demonstrate the 

 existence of any living fungoid organisms in the black matter of the disease, but even 

 seemed to indicate that it did not form a favourable basis for the growth of extrinsic 

 fungi, we have on other occasions frequently observed specimens of the masses become 

 mouldy. This has occurred after the rains have fairly set in, and during periods of very 

 damp weather. At such times there is frequently a development of a white mould on 

 the surface of dried specimens of the material ; but as this is due to the growth of the 

 common Aspergillus on the surface, and not to any germination of the elements of the 



