194 
ANALYSIS OF CONTINENTAL JOURNALS. 
red, but not paintul pimple (bouion), which itched a good 
deal, and was about the size of a grain of wheat; it had all 
the characters of a somewhat large papule, and might have 
been taken for one of those nondescript pimples, without any 
pathological signification, that are termed “heat lumps ” 
(boutons de chaleur ). 
The succeeding days the elevation of this pimple above the 
surrounding skin sensibly diminished, but the redness ex¬ 
tended; and instead of a papule there was a small erythema¬ 
tous patch, as large as a five-franc gold piece, of a bright red 
colour, circular in outline, very slightly raised above the 
healthy parts, and very pruriginous, but not yielding any 
discharge. 
Gradually this patch increased in size, attaining the dimen¬ 
sions of a gold ten-franc piece, then a silver franc: which 
latter it even finally exceeded. At the same time the cir¬ 
cular form of the lesion became altered; the centre grew a 
little pale, but the periphery preserved a very marked bright- 
red tint, and on the border was a circle of very small trans¬ 
parent vesicles, filled with a limpid serosity; these vesicles 
w T ere easily broken, when their contents escaped and dried in 
the form of yellow crusts. At the surface of these patches 
there was not the least appearance of those little depressions 
like miniature cups which L had observed in my own case, 
but only some epidermic debris that became detached in some¬ 
what large yellow scales. 
Such was the state of the disease on the 19th of July. 
A microscopical examination of the crusts or debris re¬ 
moved from the surface of the patches was made every day. 
For some time nothing but the remains of the epidermis and 
some leucocytes were noted; but, finally, after several attempts, 
especially on the 14th, 15th, and 17th, the elements were 
fuund, which left no doubt as to the parasitic nature of the 
malady. Sometimes well-formed, round, or slightly elliptical 
spores were noticed ; at other times spores articulated end 
to end, in the form of chaplets; and now and then easily re¬ 
cognisable mycelium tubes. A comparison of these various 
elements with those derived from the well-authenticated favi 
of the mice and the rabbit, dispelled all doubts as to their 
identity, and enabled me, without the slightest hesitation, to 
consider the eruption observed on M. Maherault as para¬ 
sitic in its nature, and caused by the vegetating of the 
Achorion Schonleinii. It must be mentioned, however, that 
these characteristic elements were not abundant in this in¬ 
stance, and were mixed with a very large number of epithe¬ 
lial cells and leucocytes, which rendered observation difficult; 
