1. Salisbury, Two newly discovered skin diseases. 209 



uo age is exempt. It resembles closely the Trichosis felinis of 

 kittens, but appears to differ from it in this particular, to wit — 

 that the fungus appears more luxuriant, large and is more con- 

 fined to its filamentous stage of development. It attacks less 

 the hair follicles than the Felinis, — and extends more generally 

 to all parts of the epidermic cell surfaces. These diseases may 

 however be both produced by the same specific cause, — the diffe- 

 rence arising from the difference in the animal cell surfaces in 

 which they are developed. I have however designated these two 

 diseases by distinct names. The development of these two 

 growths, to this stage of fruiting will alone settle the question as 

 to the identity or difference of the cause in these two diseases. 

 This part of the investigation is now in progress and I hope to 

 soon be able to say positively whether there is or is not a 

 difference. 



This disease is trausmissable to the human subject; but so 

 far as investigations have at present gone, it is much less readily 

 communicable than \}i\.^ Tricliosis felinis. It is much more readily 

 transplanted upon children than upon the mature and old. It 

 attacks all parts of the body alike readily. It usually, however, 

 first attacks the face, hands and arms; other parts of the body 

 being more or less protected by the clothing. 



Pathology. The cells of the epidermis, — deprived of their 

 normal nourishment, — become shrivelled, dry and smaller in 

 size, — and separate from each other to a greater or less degree. 

 This dying and separation of the cells, causes the diseased sur- 

 faces to rise above the surrounding healthy parts, — the dead, 

 dried and curled -up cells, separate and fall off, presenting 

 a braw-like appearance. The cells of the hair follicles are 

 affected in the same way as the plane surfaces; the hairs sicken, 

 become small and shrivelled, die, and fall from their follicles, 

 having the surface bare and inflamed. 



Cause. This is a parasitic fungus, — developing among the 

 cells of the Epidermic layer of the skin. The Mycelium is found 

 developing more aboundantly than the spores. The Mycelium 

 sends out branching filaments in all directions forming a close net 

 work in the Epidermic layer. As the fungoid filaments extend in 

 all directions from the starting point ; the disease extends. 



