BLASTOMYCOSIS 



547 



etc., granulomatous lesions identical with, those of the natural 

 disease being produced. 



Sporotrichosis in man has probably often been confused with 

 the manifestations of syphilis, as the condition readily yields to 

 the administration of potassium iodide. In horses, certain cases 

 presenting the characters of epizootic lymphangitis have been 

 found to be associated with 

 an organism indistinguish- 

 able from the Sporotrichon 

 beurmanni. 



Blastomycosis. 



In pathological literature 

 there are recorded a very 

 large number of usually 

 isolated cases presenting the 

 characters of granulomata 

 or of chronic suppurations, 

 in connection with which 

 the presence of yeast-like 

 bodies has been observed, 

 and from which cultures of 

 these have been obtained. 

 The relation of the organ- 

 ism isolated to the known 

 types of fungi is largely 

 undetermined. In the tissues 

 the organisms usually appear 

 as single double-contoured 

 cells which multiply by 

 budding or by a process 

 resembling endogenous 

 sporulation, while in artificial cultures, although similar ap- 

 pearances may be seen, a tendency to mycelium formation 

 is [frequently observed. The term blastomyces, which may 

 be taken as synonymous with yeast, finds no place nor has 

 it any specific significance in modern descriptive fungology, 

 for in vastly differing species yeast'-like elements occur repre- 

 senting stages in development. From their tendency to produce 

 mycelia, the organisms concerned in the so-called blastomycosis 

 probably approach most nearly to the oidia (oospora), so that 

 oidiomycosis might be a more scientific denomination of the 

 diseases in question. 



Fig. 171. — Film from agar culture of 

 Sporotrichon beurmanni grown at 

 37° C. for ten days. Gram's stain. 

 X 1025. Note large circular bodies with 

 spores sprouting off; also a few sausage- 

 shaped-elements. 



