222 REPORT OF THE HARVARD AFRICAN EXPEDITION 
trates both the macroscopic and microscopic appearance of the typical fibrotic 
nodules with central arterioles in one type of splenomegaly. He points out that 
he has confirmed the presence of abundant calcium in the nodules in addition to 
iron, and believes that what has been described by others as ‘‘fructification 
organs”’ of the fungus are simply small round, often double-contoured masses of 
calcium exactly similar to those often seen histologically in chronic inflammatory 
or fibrotic lesions elsewhere. 
He also refers especially to the peculiar light green or almost colorless crystals 
which are seen in the center of the nodules and which were first observed by 
Gandy. These vary greatly in width, and both large and small crystals are 
joined together in a way resembling the segments of bamboo canes. ‘They are 
often incrusted with pigment giving an intense haemosiderin reaction and they 
remain quite unstained after the application of ferrocyanide of potassium and 
hydrochloric acid to the sections. He says it would certainly not be difficult to 
mistake the smaller and more slender crystals, placed together as they often are 
in an apparently branched formation, for a fungus. The exact chemical com- 
position of these crystals is not quite certain, but the view is favored that they 
are composed of phosphate of iron. The fine filaments which form a branching 
and felted network throughout the nodules and which are always colored an in- 
tense blue in sections stained for iron, are in his opinion, undoubtedly degener- 
ated fibers, both of fibrous and elastic connective tissue and cannot possibly be a 
streptothrix or a fungus. 
With reference to the question of the presence of a streptothrix or Aspergillus- 
like organism in the nodules, he is of the opinion that all the evidence based 
on histological examination and on methods of staining mycelium must be dis- 
counted, since the degenerate elastic and other fibers and branching crystals and 
the calcification are such obvious sources of error. He has made cultures from 
eleven of his cases of splenomegaly chiefly on Sabourraud’s medium using as a 
rule actual nodules torn out from the spleen, but except for a few obvious con- 
taminations, no results have been obtained. A streptothrix actually was grown 
in culture from one spleen in the collection but from a case placed provisionally 
in his Group IV of the splenomegalies in which neither nodules nor perivascular 
haemorrhage were found. A culture of this organism produced no important 
changes when injected into the splenic vein of a cat. For the present, therefore, 
MeNee is compelled as a result of his own observations to leave the question of 
the mycotic infection in this group of splenomegaly entirely sub judice. 
Through the kindness of Professor Brumpt, Director of the Laboratory of 
Parasitology of Paris, we were furnished with a number of sections of the spleen 
from one of these cases which was thought might be mycotic splenomegaly and 
was so reported by Dr. Emile-Weil. These sections, since our return to the United 
States, have been stained with Giemsa’s solution, methylene blue and eosin and 
hematoxylin and eosin and subsequently studied. However, we have been un- 
able to detect the presence of mycotic elements in these sections of the spleen.! 
1 Professor Brumpt in a recent letter to the author has informed him that these sections came from 
the case ‘‘Lenoire” of Dr. Emile-Weil. Professor Langeron (Ann. Parasit. Humaine et Comparée [1928], 
VI, 211) has also reported upon the negative examination of this case as regards the presence of fungi. 
