BLASTOMYCOSIS OP THE SKIN. 401 



contour is then fully brought out and this, with buds, makes identification 

 certain. In type C they are found more deeply in the section, but 

 always among the epithelial elements. 



Scales from type A failed to yield a culture although when incubated for a 

 week and examined they showed a great increase, with elongation and segmen- 

 tation of the organisms which approached the cultural forms seen in fig. 12. 

 Scales from type B were washed in water, soaked in absolute alcohol one hour, 

 washed in salt solution and put on plates and slants of maltose and glucose 

 agar. Many remained sterile, a few showed a subtilis-like organism ; one on 

 glucose agar, after four days' incubation, gave a filamentous growth in pure 

 culture. This culture on being transplanted grew more readily on sugar media 

 and potato, but showed only a slight filamentous growth on plain and glycerin 

 agar either at room or body temperatures. 



The organism grows on potato, at room temperature, in prominent, light 

 brown folds (fig. 10). At body temperature the folds are black. Microscop- 

 ically (fig. 11) the growth consists of short, blunt branching and segmented 

 processes and in round forms, 20 to 30,a in diameter filled with a number of small, 

 round spores. 



The growth on glucose-agar is abundant, forming brown folds in the center 

 and lighter filamentous processes at the edges. No aerial spore-bearing hyphse 

 are seen. Microscopically (fig. 13) the processes are longer, more slender and 

 no sporulating forms are seen. 



The development on maltose-agar is less marked and consists of a brown film 

 on the surface and a white growth penetrating deeply into the medium (fig. 13). 



In glucose-bouillon a floeulent white ball is found at the bottom of the tube; 

 the fluid above is clear. A slight liquefication occurs in gelatin. Milk is coag- 

 ulated, but not acidified. No fermentation takes place in lactose, glucose and 

 maltose tubes. 



No marked difference in the growth appears at room and body temperatures, 

 except in its color on potato which is noted above. 



This organism when injected subcutaneously in guinea pigs, produces 

 a small nodule which soon disappears; double contoured budding bodies 

 are found in the substance of the nodule. On injection into the perito- 

 neum similar nodules are found in the omentum which contain round 

 forms and remains of the filamentous growth injected. 



A growth was obtained from type C in the same way, although most 

 of the tubes remained sterile. This growth shows a preponderance of 

 yeast-like forms in the center of the culture with filaments at the edges ; 

 the center often retains Gram's stain, while the margin stains brown. 



On agar a brownish-black, pasty growth with lighter colored filamentous 

 borders appears along the track of the needle. Growth is not abundant (fig. 14) . 



Glucose-bouillon gives numerous filamentous islands of growth in the body 

 of the tube with a brown film at the surface. Glucose, lactose and maltose are 

 not fermented. There is no change with milk. Potato gives a pasty black 

 growth with folds. Glucose and maltose show an abundant, brownish-black, 

 pasty growth with lighter colored filamentous edges. Injections into the peritoneal 

 cavity of guinea-pigs were negative. 



