17 



In no case ^Yas mycosis induced by tlie injections. The results 

 obtained corroborate Ihe fact that high optimum temperature of a 

 mould is no indication of its pathogenity. 



Sopp (60) bas recently called attention to certain species of 

 Penicillium e. g. P. virescens, which thrives at bodj^-tem perature and 

 which therefore is by him suspected to cause mycosis. He even 

 endeavors lo explain Grawitz's acclimatization experiments with 

 ^Penicillium glauciim» and its supposed pathogenity, so emphatically 

 propounded by this author [Grawitz (8)], on the basis of impurity 

 of the cultures used, due to contamination b}^ some such form as 

 Penicillium virescens. It is doubtful whether such a view is warranted 

 before any injection experiments have been made with spores of 

 these thermophilous penicillia. 



The injections made and recorded in the above, show that not 

 only Penicillium divaricahim with an optimum of 37*^ C. is without 

 mj^cotic effects, but also ' Åspergillus terreus and A. umbrinus both 

 having their optima at about 37^ C. However, this shall not be 

 laken to mean that moulds are without any toxic effect as long as 

 they do not vegetate within the body. On the contrary, it will be 

 shown in the following that the toxicity of moulds to man and 

 other animals does not necessarily depend on intrabodily growth. 



8. Feeding Experiments on Rabbits with Moulds from 

 Human and Animal Faeces. 



Microscopic examinations of human faeces undertaken with the 

 hope of finding mycelium gave invariably negative results. Even 

 samples with a high percentage of fungous spores were found to 

 be absolutely free from mycelium. It seems therefore reasonabh' 

 certain, that germination and growth of pathogenic moulds does 

 not take place in the digestive tract of healthy persons. The 

 statement of Geni (see Otto 46) that spores of Åspergillus fumigatus 

 and A. flainis are able to penetrate the intestinal wall, thereby 

 galning access to organs more suitable for the growth of these 

 fungi, evidently refers to already diseased individuals. Through 

 the works of Opitz (45) and Schott (56) it is fairl}^ well established 

 that bacteria are unable to migrate through the intestinal wall, and 

 there is no positive evidence for the belief that moulds are able to 

 accomplish such penetration. 



Svensk Botanisk Tidskrift 1916. 2 



