386 



TJie Fungus Disease of India. 



[part II. 



We have already given full particulars regarding the microscopical and chemical 

 properties of the fungal elements associated with the pigment; they resist the 

 action of weak acids and strong alkalis, and manifest all the properties of ordinary 

 fimgal forms except vitality; and we believe that it will be generally conceded that 

 it has been shown that on no single occasion has any one been able to coax the 

 fungoid elements in this substance to germinate, much less to develop anything 

 approaching to mature fruit ; hence any propositions which may have been advanced 

 with regard to the causation of the Madura-disease on the grounds that a new or 

 peculiar fungus has been developed from the morbid products amongst the tissue are, 

 apparently, without good foundation, and must be carefully considered in the light 

 of the facts now adduced. It is for botanists to decide whether the " Ghionyphe 

 Garteri " is what is termed a " good species " or not ; all we have to do with it is 

 restricted to its purely pathological significance, and, in connection with that, we 



Fig. 1"). — Organisms found in the tissues of healthy animals a few hours after death x 1,500. 



unhesitatingly expre^s our convictions that not only does it not cause the disease, 

 but that it cannot be developed from the fungoid elements contained in the morbid 

 product. 



Although we have failed in producing these fungoid elements to grow, it does 

 not follow on that account that they are not, and never have been, vitalised. It is 

 true that a great many purely physical products are found which so closely resemble 

 those which have been moulded under the influence of vitality as not to be dis- 

 tinguishable or only distinguishable with difficulty; such, for example, as the 

 concretions of Mr. Eainey — the calcospherites of Professor Harting — the myeline of 

 Virchow and the amylaceous corpuscles known to all microscopists ; still the optical 

 and physical characters of the filaments and capsules seem to us to agree so perfectly 

 with what we have seen in undoubted fungi that we look upon them as such until 

 the contrary can be demonstrated. 



To account for their presence in the tissues — deeply imbedded and far removed 



