PART II.] Conclusions, 383 



as descriptions and illustrations go, we fail to see that they did so ; more than all, 

 they occurred indifferently as developments in cultivations where the materials had 

 been subjected to prolonged preservation in spirit, and in others in which no 

 preservative agent had been employed. 



It has been denied that there is any evidence that spores, or other fungal elements, 

 may not retain their vitality and power of germination in spite of prolonged exposure 

 to the influence of alcohol. In spite of the weight justly attached to the opinion of 

 those holding such views, we would inquire whether there be any evidence showing 

 that they are endowed with any such faculty ? We are not aware of any ; and 

 although by no means wishing to found any sweeping generalisations on limited 

 data, we can only state that the results of our own observations and experiments 

 have been directly opposed to the assumption of the actual existence of such a 

 resisting power. 



In connection with the cultivations described in the present report, we have tried 

 numerous careful experiments on the effects of alcohol on the spores and mycelium 

 of fungi, and have never observed such bodies show any signs of having retained 

 their vitality after even very short exposure to the re-agent. In regard to cultivations 

 of the morbid products of the disease Mr. Berkeley's experience is strongly in support 

 of this, for he states that he entirely failed in obtaining any development from the 

 preserved specimens which were submitted to him, and only obtained a growth of 

 pink mould when working, not with the original morbid materials, but with rice- 

 paste on which similarly coloured fungi had previously occurred in Bombay. 



Taking everything into consideration, it appears to us that all that has yet been 

 shown by means of cultivations is that fungi and other organisms developed in 

 connection with the morbid products of the " Madura Disease," occasionally present 

 themselves in pink or red coloured varieties; and that this colouring is due to the 

 nature of the material, and not to any specific properties in the organisms. The 

 phenomenon, therefore, is one which cannot be cited as a proof of the fungal origin 

 of the disease or of the presence of fungal elements in materials such as those of the 

 pale variety of the disease, affording no other evidences of their existence. 



CHAPTER X. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



It now only remains for us to summarise the principal points in connection with the 

 peculiar affection of the feet and hands which we have referred to in detail in the 

 preceding pages. It has been seen that the disease appears in two principal forms; 

 that the lesions produced, the particular tissues affected, and the general course of 

 the disease present much in common ; but that the morbid products, whether 

 examined chemically or microscopically, are found to be most dissimilar. 



