STREPTOTHRICOSIS. 459 



NOCARDIA. 



De Toni and Trevisan (Saceardo, 8, 927) introduced Nocardia as the generic 

 name and included as synonyms, Streptothrix Actinomyces, and in part Dis- 

 comyces. The generic diagnosis given by them is as follows : 



"Filamenta tenuissima, evaginata, articulata, Cladotrieis more pseudoramosa, 

 nunc e nucleo flrmo radialiter expansa, nunc varie coalita. Arthrosporae in 

 fllamentis normalibus obvenientes, transformatione cocci singuli ortae. — Est 

 Cladotlirix sine vaginis. 



SPH/EROTILUS. 



Engler (Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien (1907), 5 ed., 5) places all the above- 

 described organisms in the family Chlamydobacteriaceae of the Schizomycetes. 

 He reduces the above-mentioned genera including Actinomyces to Sphaerotilus 

 Kuetz (1833) the generic definition of which as given by De Toni and Trevisan 

 (Saceardo, 8, 926) is as follows: 



"Filamenfa premitus affixa, basi ab apice superior! distincta, initio simplicia, 

 dein Cladotrieis more pseudoramosa a basi ad aj>icem subrequilata, articulata, 

 vagina gelatinosa obducta, in fasciculos crassos floceosos varie divisos consociata. 

 Multiplicatio fragmentis filamentorum secedentibus, quae filamenta et fasciculos 

 novos efficiunt. Arthrosporae numerosissimae, artieulorum divisiones in tres 

 directiones ortse." 



The above review shows the confusion which exists regarding the 

 botany of the group of organisms which are variously recognized as 

 Streptothrix, Cladotlirix, Actinomyces, Nocardia, etc., and this seems 

 to have been still further emphasized by workers in medicine and by 

 other recent writers upon the subject. Some of the more important 

 contributions are as follows : 



Petruschky (Handbuch der Microorganismen, Kolle and Wassermann (1903), 

 2, 832) classifies Actinomyces, Streptothrix, Cladotlirix and Leptothrix as species 

 of Trichomyceta of the hyphomycetes. He recognizes Streptothrix as the generic 

 name of the parasites of mycetoma. 



From the standpoint of an investigator in medicine, whatever may be the 

 criticisms of botanists, the work of L. Gedoelst (Les Champignons parasites de 

 l'homme et des animaux domestique, Paris, 1902) is particularly satisfactorj', 

 because of its simplicity of arrangement and attention to details. His classifi- 

 cation places the organism under discussion among the Fungi imperfecti and in 

 the genus Discomyces Rivolta (1878), with Streptothrix Cohn (1875); Actino- 

 myces Harz (1877); Nocardia Trevisan (1889); Obspora Sauvageau et Radais 

 (1892) and Discomyces Blanchard (1900) as synonyms. 



Foulerton (Allbutt's System of Medicine (1906), 2, pt. 1, 302) who has been 

 interested in this subject and has made many most important contributions to it, 

 maintains Streptothrix Cohn" to be the generic name. Foulerton gives four 

 reasons for using Streptothrix in preference to any of the other terms. 



1. He does not consider that Corda's indefinite use of the term in 1833 should 

 make Streptothrix Cohn (1875) untenable. 



2. This being acceptable, Streptothrix becomes the correct botanical name by 

 priority of description. 



3. Streptothrix was adopted by the committee of the Pathological Society. 



4. It is by far the most generally used name. 



