292 
TRANSMISSIBILITY OF TINEA TONSURANS. 
penicillium and its allies—mere form goes for nothing as a 
differential test of fungi—and I gave figures in my work on 
f Parasitic Diseases of the Skin; 5 but Hallier, that most in¬ 
ventive of fungological nomenclaturists—I suppose, because 
he is a foreigner with a taking name—has got the credit 
which belongs to myself. 55 
In his subsequent remarks on these cases, Dr. Fox states 
that he does not think it needful to attempt any elaborate 
proof of the conveyance of the disease from the horse to the 
men. Ringworm of the hairy parts, tinea tonsurans, he says, 
gives rise, when it infects the non-hairy parts, to tinea 
circinata, or so-called herpes circinata: the two diseases 
are the same, the difference of aspect being due to the 
presence of hairs in the one case and their absence in the 
other. The* ringworm in hairy animals, according to him, 
must of course assume the aspect of tinea tonsurans. “We 
should expect, 55 he says, “ that tinea tonsurans of animals, if 
communicated to man, would produce tinea circinata of the 
non-hairy parts, and not tinea tonsurans of the scalp ; for the 
latter is practically unknown in the human adult, whereas 
tinea circinata is abundantly common. But in the present 
instances the disease was at once and directly inoculated into 
the forearms and hands: hence the explanation of its occur¬ 
rence there. Whether, if the hairy scalp had come into 
contact with the coat of the diseased pony tinea tonsurans 
would have resulted, is an interesting speculation. I doubt 
it. But, in reference to the question of age, it is interest¬ 
ing to note, that whereas in the human adult tinea tonsurans 
is infinitely rare, and may be regarded as unknown in old 
age, this does not seem to hold good with regard to the 
horse, for our pony is a very old one. 55 
Dr. Fox remarks, in addition, that the production of para¬ 
sitic sycosis in one of the men is very interesting, and 
furnishes one more strong fact in proof of what has been held 
of late by many—the identity, making allowance for difference 
of seat—of tinea tonsurans, tinea circinata, and tinea sycosis. 
Ringworm of the surface varies much in aspect, from a mere 
erythematous desquamating patch (so-called parasitic pty- 
riasis) to a pustulating surface simulating an ekzema; the 
two extremes being connected by transitional phases, repre¬ 
sented by an abortive herpes, a well-marked herpes, or a 
desquamating circle with a fairly-marked herpetic edge, the 
occurrence of herpetic vesicles being dependent upon the 
production by the parasite of a certain degree of irritation: 
hence the term “ herpes circinatus 55 is an objectionable one 
for parasitic disease of the surface. “ I trust that the term 
