﻿ETIOLOGY OF MYCETOMA. 493 



"In ordinary gelatin the Streptothrix madurce only exhibits a weak growth 

 of white colonies along the inoculative puncture on the surface. Vincent considers 

 that the best solid nutritive soil is 100 cubic centimeters of an infusion of 

 hay or potatoes, with the addition of 9 grams of gelatin. 4 grams of glycerin, 

 and 4 grams of glucose, neutralized and sterilized in the usual manner. The 

 Streptothrix does not liquefy the gelatin. On this soil fine, luxuriant, round, 

 glazed colonies of a white or pale yellow color are obtained, which later on 

 often assume a pink or even red color. If very many colonies form on the gelatin 

 they remain small, but if fewer are present they attain almost the size of a pea. 

 They then resemble an inoculation pustule sunk in the middle, and are of a 

 white color, the margins assuming a red tint. Old cultures fade and become dull 

 white. The colonies are of a horny consistency, and cling very firmly to the 

 nutritive media. 



"The parasite grows fairly well on milk without coagulating it, though it 

 becomes slowly peptonized. On eggs and serum, however, it does not flourish 

 at all. 



"On potatoes, from the fifth day, and at 37°. small, uncolored, or whitish 

 prominences are seen, which assume a. pale, reddish color after a month. This 

 gradually deepens and becomes sometimes a bright pink, sometimes orange-color 

 or red, sometimes a fine, dark red. This occurs particularly when the potatoes 

 have a strong acid reaction, whereas on some potatoes there is no coloring at all. 

 On carrot media the red coloring is more pronounced than on potato. 



"Some colonies are covered by a fine, white dust which consists of spores. 



"The parasite is aerobic. The parasite stains well with basic aniline stains, 

 more faintly with safranin and eosin. It can also be stained according to the 

 methods of Gram and Weigert. A solution of iodine stains it yellowish-brown, 

 while hematoxylin causes it to assume a violet color. 



"The fungoid filaments are finer in the cultures than in the little bodies de- 

 scribed above ; their breadth does not exceed 1 /x. The irregular swellings and 

 contractions observed in the little bodies are not observed in the cultures, which, 

 however, when two weeks old often exhibit a series of spores at the end of the 

 filaments. They are ovoid, light refracting and about 1.5 /t in breadth and 2 

 H in length. They stain well with aniline dyes and according to Gram's method. 

 They exhibit very little resistence to heat; they are killed in three minutes at 85°, 

 and in five minutes at 75°. The cultures that do not carry spores die in three 

 to five minutes at 60°. 



"The formation of spores takes place best where the mycelium comes into 

 contact with the air, and this is the case in fluid mutritive media as well as on 

 potato. Cultures with hay broth are the most suitable for this purpose. 



"One may actually see the spores develop in fresh broth and in suspended drops. 



"The cultures are very resistant to desiccation; even after a period of twenty- 

 one months they exhibited a capacity for development. 



"The Streptothrix madurce does not prove pathogenic to animals (rabbits, 

 guinea pigs, mice, cats). Bocarro's experimental transmissions with fresh 

 material of both varieties were negative in rabbits as well as in dogs. Nocard 

 also inoculated with cultures guinea pigs, rabbits, pigeons, hens, dogs and sheep, 

 by intravenous, subcutaneous and intraperitoneal inoculations, with negative 

 results in every case. 



"By means of parallel cultures arranged and kept under exactly the same 

 conditions, Vincent confirmed the difference between the Streptothrix madurw 

 and the actinomyces, as shown on the table. 



"Boyce and Surveyor likewise succeeded in cultivating a streptothrix in a case 

 62668 2 



