SPOROTRICHOSIS 473 



vomicge. Occasionally, however, a pneumono-mycosis 

 has been met with, the mycelium of the fungus ramifying 

 in the lung tissue and setting up irritative and other 

 changes. " Pneumono-mycosis " or " pulmonary asper- 

 gillosis " is especially a trade disease among bird-rearers. 

 Grain is taken into the mouth and the bird is fed with it, 

 and in the course of this operation the mould spores are 

 inhaled. The course of the disease is much like chronic 

 bronchitis or pulmonary tuberculosis. The species met 

 with in this condition seems generally to have been the 

 Aspergillus fumigatus. 



The black variety of madura disease, as already stated 

 (p. 459), is due to a fungus form, and varieties of mycetoma 

 may be caused by fungi belonging to Aspergillus. 



Sporotrichosis l 



A rare disease clinically resembling syphilis or tuber- 

 culosis, characterised by indurated granulomata like 

 gummata, which subsequently break down, suppurate and 

 ulcerate. Potassium iodide has a curative action on the 

 condition. 



In the pus of the lesions large ovoid refractile bodies 

 suggestive of yeasts or of large spores may be detected, 

 but no mycelium. 



Cultures are best obtained on maltose agar (p. 477) 

 from non-ulcerated lesions ; agar and potato may also 

 yield growths. The organism (Sporotrichon Beurmanni) 

 grows as small raised woolly colonies,, at first white, after- 

 wards becoming brown. The growths consist of a felted 

 mycelium of filaments with spores and yeast-like cells. 

 It produces granulomata in inoculated mice. The botanical 

 position of the organism is uncertain ; by some it is regarded 



1 See Walker and Ritchie, Brit. Med. Journ., 1911, vol. ii, p. 1 ; 

 Gougerot, Journ. of State Med., xxi, 1913, p. 614 et seq. 



