2054 



TROPICAL DERMATOMYCOSES 



These researches naturally aroused much interest, and in 1855 

 Heymann showed that the disease existed in the East Indies, but 

 it is noticeable that he makes no mention of observing a parasite in 

 the affection. 



In 1874 Blanc described the occurrence of the disease in Abyssinia, 

 where Merab states that it is very common, and where it is treated 

 by the juice from the fruits and leaves of Bryonia deoica and by 

 tobacco powder, as well as by sulphur ointment. 



In 1872 the Army Sanitation Commission induced the British 

 Government to instruct Tilbury Fox and Farquhar to obtain a 

 better knowledge of the endemic skin diseases of India, and to bring 

 about an agreement between the profession in India and England as 

 to nomenclature, typical characters, varieties, and probable causes 

 of these diseases. Thanks to the interest of Lord Granville, Lord 

 Kimberley, and Sir Alexander Armstrong, this inquiry was extended 

 to China, Japan, Egypt, Algeria, the West Indies, and Honolulu, 

 and the finished report was published in 1876. 



The net result of this inquiry as far as ringworm was concerned 

 was unfortunate, as it led to the dogmatic assertion that the ring- 

 worm of the body in the tropics was the same as that of temperate 

 climes. 



In 1873 van Leent drew attention to the large number of cases of 

 ringworm of the head in Chinese in the island of Banka, in 

 Malaysia. 



In 1878 Corre gave a description of the disease and its parasite 

 as seen in Nossi-Be. 



From 1890 the possibility of plurality in the species of Tricho- 

 phyton was raised, but it was not until Sabouraud in 1892 began 

 those brilliant researches which he has carried on to the present day 

 that this was definitely established. In this year he showed that 

 ringworm of the scalp could be divided into two main groups — viz., 

 those with small spores belonging to the genus Microsporum Gruby, 

 1843, and those with large spores belonging to the genus Tricho- 

 phyton Malmsten, 1848. The large-spored fungi of the scalp he 

 divided into five species, which were afterwards named Trichophyton 

 crateriforme = T. tonsurans, T. acuminatum = T. sahouraudi, T. gyp- 

 seum, T. violaceum, and T. rosaceum. 



In 1893 he further divided the Trichophytons into two groups, 

 which he named Endothrix and Ecto-Endothrix (Ectothrix), and 

 which corresponded with Gruby' s two divisions. His researches 

 were speedily confirmed by many observers, among whom may be 

 mentioned Adamson, Colcott Fox, Malcolm Morris, White, and 

 Mibelli. 



In 1900 Matruchot and Dassonville showed that the Trichophytons 

 were closely allied to the Gymnoascacese, and that Ctenomyces 

 serrata Eidam, 1880, when injected into animals produced a Tricho- 

 phyton-like mycelium and eruption. 



The further history may perhaps be better discussed according 

 to the countries. 



