MADURELLA 459 



thrix which have produced their pigment. Microscopically, this 

 organism (Streptothrix madurce, Nocardia madurce) is identical with 

 the Actinomyces. Musgrave and Clegg in a case of the white 

 variety isolated a streptothrix (S. freeri) differing from the S. 

 madurce, but identical with the S. Eppingeri (Nocardia asteroides). 



The relation of the black to the white variety of madura disease 

 has been somewhat debated. Kanthack x described the black 

 variety as being probably a late stage of the white. It seems, 

 however, that the co -existence of the two conditions in the same 

 specimen is very rare, and Boyce and Surveyor, 2 after a critical 

 examination of a large number of specimens, came to the conclusion 

 that the black variety is a distinct disease, and due to an organism 

 belonging to the group of the higher fungi, the black particles or 

 masses being the lignified mycelium or " sclerotium " such as is 

 met with in ergot. 



Pinoy regards the white variety as an Actinomycosis, the black 

 variety as a Mycetoma. 



It is difficult experimentally to reproduce mycetoma in animals, 

 but Pinoy has succeeded in doing so with an Aspergillus, and 

 Xicolle with Madurella tozeuri (North Africa), both in pigeons. 



By planting out the granules from an early case of the black 

 variety Wright succeeded in cultivating a hyphomycete. 3 It 

 formed long branching hyphse, but no spore-bearing organs were 

 produced, and inoculation experiments on animals were negative. 

 It grew on potato as a dense, widely spreading, coherent, velvety 

 membrane, in colour pale brown with white periphery. Small 

 drops of brown, coffee-coloured fluid appeared on the surface, and 

 the potato became brown throughout. On agar the growth formed 

 a meshwork of widely spreading greyish filaments ; in old cultures 

 (also in potato infusion) black hard granules, or " sclerotia," were 

 observed. In broth little balls of radiating filaments developed. 



It would seem that there are several conditions, both in actino- 

 mycosis and in mycetoma, having a general resemblance but 

 differing slightly, and dependent upon different species of parasitic 

 organism. 



According to Pinoy (loc. cit.}, the Mycetomata are caused by fungi 

 belonging to the genera Madurella, Aspergillus, and Sterigmato- 

 cystis. The common form in the Indian and African Mycetoma is 

 Madurella mycetomi (Laveran). 



1 Journ. Path, and Bact., 1892. 



2 Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond.. 1893, and Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Land. 



3 Journ. Exp. Med., vol. iii, 1898, p. 421. 



