The Fungus Foot of India. 249 



sketches, and I am therefore in a condition to lay before the 

 reader of this Journal, so far as it may be interesting to the 

 non-medical world, a summary of a most curious matter, and 

 one which at the same time is peculiarly suggestive. 



As the fungous matter assumes various forms, it will be 

 well, in order to avoid confusion, to notice the most prominent 

 separately, taking the most t3^pical first. 



1. The first case, then, is that in which the bones of the 

 foot and the base of the leg bones just above the ankle, for the 

 disease never ascends higher, are perforated in every direction 

 with roundish cavities, varying in size from that of a pea to that 

 of a nut or pistol bullet, the cavities being filled up with 

 a dense fungous mass of a sienna red within, but externally 

 black and resembling a small dark truffle. From these cavi- 

 ties, canals lead to the surface, from which a purulent foetid 

 discharge is poured out, often accompanied by little pieces 

 of the fungus. The masses and granules are imbedded in 

 a whitish semi-opaque glairy substance of homogeneous con- 

 sistence, while the walls of the canals have an opaque yel- 

 low tint, and are readily torn. The whole of the surrounding- 

 softer parts are converted into a gelatiniform substance, 

 taking the place of the muscles, the tendinous and fatty struc- 

 tures being less readily changed. The foot presents externally 

 the peculiar turgid appearance which it so often assumes in 

 bad cases of scrofula. Besides the canals, pink stains or streaks 

 are observable on the skin, and penetrating the subjacent tis- 

 sues, filled with spherical or ovate groups of minute bright 

 orange coloured particles, and containing occasionally a few 

 larger cells, the nature of which has not at present been ascer- 

 tained, though it is conjectured that they present the earliest 

 appearance assumed by new attacks of the disease. 



Of the structure of the large truffle-like bodies I am enabled 

 to give an excellent figure made by Dr. H. J. Carter, from a 

 case which he examined immediately after amputation, and 

 which is of course far better and more satisfactory than any 

 which could be made from the preserved specimens. The 

 parts in which the structure is most visible present precisely 

 the characters of a true Oidium, such as 0. fuluum (fig- a, 

 p. 255). Short beaded tawny threads arise from a common 

 base, consisting of cylindrical articulated filaments, having- at 

 their tips large spore-like cells. These, however, do not appear 

 to germinate in situ, but to become enormously dilated, their 

 albuminous contents assuming at length a resinous consistence, 

 while many of them burst, and nothing remains except frag- 

 ments of the old cell walls. The resinous matter is inflammable, 

 but its exact chemical nature has not yet been ascertained. 



If, however, these large terminal cells be a form of fruit, 



VOL. II. — NO. IV. t 



