Bingworm Fungus. Bij M. Morris <& G. C. Henderson. 383 



These spores in size and appearance resemble those of ring- 

 worm. 



In some instances the filament ends in a single chain of spores 

 instead of the usual brush. 



K. Second generation. — Spores taken from the fructifying 

 growth of the first generation, when placed in fresh cells, swelled 

 and grew in exactly the same way as those derived from ringworm 

 patches. Spores, when removed from the fructification of the 

 second generation, produced, when planted on the human skin, a 

 typical patch of ringworm. 



Bemarlcs. — One of the main difficulties which previous ob- 

 servers have had to contend with in their attempts to determine the 

 botanical position of the ringworm fungus, has been the frequent 

 development" of adventitious fungi on and in the medium used for 

 the cultivations. 



In order, therefore, to obviate this difficulty it appeared to us 

 necessary that the medium used for cultivation should possess the 

 two following properties : — 1. Perfect sterilization. 2. Sufficient 

 consistence to retain spores in a fixed position for continuous 

 observation. 



1. The gelatine peptone was sterilized by boiling it ten minutes 

 daily for a week. The cells and cover-glasses were heated in the 

 flame of a spirit-lamp to dull redness. The forceps, needles, &c., 

 were heated also. The only opportunity for accidental entry of 

 germs was during the brief interval of transferriog to the cells the 

 gelatine and ringworm spores from the closed tubes in which they 

 were kept. 



In our earlier experiments with aqueous and vitreous humours 

 we found, like other observers, that the growth of the fungus -v^as 

 interfered with by the presence and rapid development of micrococci 

 and bacteria. We therefore discarded these media for the gelatine 

 peptone, which could be more easily and thoroughly sterilized. 



2. In our next experiments with spores placed on the surface 

 of gelatine peptone, we were unable to exclurle the possibihty of the 

 simultaneous deposition of spores from the air in which the jelly was 

 exposed, nor could we follow the growth of individual spores after 

 about 48 hours. However, by growing the spores entirely imbedded 

 in the substance of the jelly, we were able to watch from day to 

 day the gradual alteration in the shape of the spores, and the subse- 

 quent growth of mycelium from them. In fluids, on the other hand, 

 the difi'usion which takes place causes a complete intermixtm-e of 

 the accidentally introduced fungi with the growth derived from the 

 spores implanted, while in the jelly the growth from each centre 

 retains a fixed position. If, then, the original spore was a ring- 

 worm spore, the growth which we have traced from it to fructifica- 

 tion must belong to the same plant as that causing the disease. 



