﻿ETIOLOGY OF MYCETOMA. 491 



of cases of the disease" including fifteen more of the melanoid type. The authors 

 "bring forward reasons for believing that there are at least two distinct fungi — 

 one, a very highly organized species, the other a very delicate and lowly organized 

 type, presenting very many of the characters of Actinomyces." 



By the use of sodium hypochlorite as a clearing agent in the case of the 

 black granules, and logwood as a stain, they very clearly showed the fungus 

 nature of the granules and their illustrations are very clear. They write, while 

 discussing the granules of the ochroid variety, that whereas in some respects 

 these granules resemble those of actinomycosis "it would be rash to state that 

 the white particles are always actinomycotic." Boyce and Surveyor failed to 

 grow the parasite upon artificial media. Their article is interesting and valuable 

 and may be commended to anyone who wishes to review the subject. 



In 1894 Boyce states that the organism of the black variety is a 

 richly growing fungus, which is rendered more visible by solutions of 

 sodium hypochlorite; that of the Avhite one is a more delicate organism, 

 closely resembling that of actinomycosis. This author had secured ad- 

 ditional data by means of cultures of the parasite. Agar tubes, in- 

 oculated by friends in India and forwarded to him, were usually con- 

 taminated by other organisms, but one tube which contained the white 

 variety was, upon its receipt by the author, free from them. 



Microscopic examination of this culture showed colonies of a thick mycelium, 

 firm and difficult to tear apart ; the mycelium contained vacuoles, and its 

 membrane was very thin. Club-shaped forms were not found and dichotomous 

 branching was present. Subcultures were secured on grape sugar, agar and 

 glycerin agar at 35° to 37°. Growth was very slow, much more so than in the 

 case of Actinomyces. Colonies having a peculiar appearance slowly developed. 

 These colonies had odd markings. At first quadrates appeared, following them 

 there were more divisions, until finally they were separated into many segments, 

 no fusion of the colonies being apparent. Growth is almost entirely inhibited on 

 potato or on acid or alkaline bouillon. There was no formation of pigment on 

 potato or agar, the growth therefore differed from Actinom.yces. A comparison 

 between the cultures and particles taken directly from the foot showed great 

 similarity. 



The author conducted a number of experiments with animals and 

 demonstrated that subcutaneous inoculations of rabbits, guinea pigs, 

 monkeys and rats always gave a local reaction which took the form of 

 a tumor, increasing in size during two or three weeks, after which time 

 it became smaller and harder. Boyce concluded that the fungus which 

 he described was a new variety causing the white type of Madura foot. 

 Boyce and Surveyor (1894) in a third article, continue their discussion 

 of the cultivation of the parasite of Madura foot. Their material was 

 inoculated into culture media in India and forwarded to them in 

 England. The following quotation from their later work has an im- 

 portant bearing on the history of the subject : 



"This organism grows slowly on most of the nutrient media we have tried. 

 In gelatin and broth it does not seem to grow at all, but cultures taken from 

 these media begin to grow when transferred to potato or glycerin-sugar-agar. 

 On these media the growth does not appear to make any progress for about a 



