298 



MANUAL OP POISONOUS PLANTS 



covered the cause while Robin named the fungus Microsporon Purfur. Kob- 

 ner, in 1866, made the first inoculation experiments. 



Grawitz, in 1876, first cultivated the organism. His work was followed 

 by that of such other investigators as Sehlen in 1890 and Koltjar in 1892, who 

 succeeded in transmitting the cultivated fungus to guinea pigs and gave it the 

 name Oidium minimum. It has also been named Oidium Purfur. Vuillemin 

 also cultivated the fungus to which he gave the name Malassesia Purfur. Pure 

 cultures of the organism grown on potato were transmitted to man. 



Treatment. The best treatment, as recommended by Hyde and Montgomery 

 is a hot bath, the skin being rubbed with soap; following this the skin is 

 bathed with clean water and sponged with a solution of sodium hyposulfite, 1 

 drachm (4) to the ounce (30). 



Fig. 111. 5rythrasma Fungus. Sporotrichum 

 minutissimum. After Hyde and Montgomery. 



Sporotrichum minutissimum (Burckhardt.) Pammel. Erythrasma 



It begins as small brown or reddish patches which become confluent; these 

 spots may become as large as the palm of a hand and occur in the axial 

 region; the scales contain Leptothrox-like threads which are branched and 

 septate; conidia small, round or angular. It grows well on agar agar, glycerine 

 agar, gelatine, potatoes, and in blood serum. In nutrient media, branching, 

 septate hyphae 0.8-1.3 At in thickness and S-IS m in length are seen; the short 

 hyphae break up into numerous spores. 



This disease was first observed by Burckhardt in 1869 and since has been 

 observed by others. It occurs in the form of roundish or punctiform patches, 

 sharply contrasted with the adjacent tissues. The younger areas are livid 

 red while the older are yellowish or brownish. 



