388 The Fungus Disease of India. [part ii. 



vascular supply of certain tissues and organs of the body of an animal without 

 injuring the isolated tissue, we should be able within the course of some hours to 

 detect organisms in those parts in the same manner as we had been able to do 

 when an animal had been killed under chloroform and set aside in a warm place. 

 We found that such was the result, and that a kidney, for example, when carefully 

 ligatured without interfering with its position in the abdomen, would be found after 

 some hours to contain precisely similar organisms ; whereas the other kidney — 

 whose circulation had not been interfered with — contained no trace of any vegetation 

 whatever. 



Taking everything into consideration, it seems probable to us that some local 

 degeneration takes place in the Madura-disease, giving rise to a product which is, 

 in one of its varieties, peculiarly adapted to the development ^of.jVegetable organisms. 

 All microscopists know how frequently the most trifling alteration in the composition 

 of a nutritive medium decides the advent of peculiar growths. 



Calcutta, 

 September 1875. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE 



PlatkXXVL— The "Pale" variety of the Fungus-Disease, &c To face 'S89 



XXVIL— The '-Dark" variety of the Fungus-Disease, &c. .......„„ 390 



Fig. 5. — Outline sketch of a specimen of the " pale " variety 346 



6. — Section of a foot affected with the " pale " variety of the disease 847 



7. — A roe-like particle with a fungi of feathery crystals 349 



8. — Various fungoid forms assumed by myeline 354 



9. — Section of a foot showing dark masses in situ 361 



10. — Peculiar distortion of the hand 365 



11. — Encysted masses of altered tissue ... 367 



12. — A fragment of the affected tissue 368 



13. — Fungoid elements and capsules from the dark matter 370 



14. — A new form of growing cell 372 



15. — Organisms found in the tissues of healthy animals a few hours after death . . . . . 386 



