On mycetoma, or the fungus disease of India / by H. Vandyke Carter.

  • Henry Vandyke Carter
Date:
1874
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On mycetoma, or the fungus disease of India / by H. Vandyke Carter. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    actual observation, except that tbe red mould {C. C.) may appear, and tbe same mould did grow luxuriantly upon the rare pathological specimen, presenting these undoubted fungus- particles. Lastly, on the hypothesis mentioned below, it is possible to understand the correlations of these growths with the others. The second remarkable case is that from Madura recorded at page 9. There was, apparently, no reason to suppose that this instance was an exceptional one; yet the like does not seem to have been noticed before. Here the new growth was in the form of small, pink particles, in resemblance comparable to the grains of red or Cayenne pepper, or to a red dust scattered amidst the diseased tissues ; but when more minutely examined these bodies are found to be either globular, ovoid, bi-partite or even quadrate in form, as if undergoing regular segmentation. Clusters of such particles may be found, but no trace of crystalline envelope to any of them. The larger ones show a tendency to crack or break up into segments, which are not without an aspect of regularity; and the exposed interior is then seen to be colourless, or nearly so, with a distinct semblance of minutely granular structure. There were no signs of origin, or intermediate stages of formation of these particles, and hence from their structure and general appearance only, can a conception be formed of their nature. Respecting this point I have failed to obtain assistance from even experienced observers.^ My notes show that the bright pink colour was evanescent; and that on its change to a yellowish tint, some of the particles then resembled the ordinary ochroid variety referred to below. This aptitude to fade is, be it said, noticed in the globular, pink-tinted bodies ivhich appear in the final stages of growth of Bacterium rubescens; and, on the whole, one might not without reason compare the particles in question with these last-named, normal bodies. As the fatty crj^stalline fringe was wanting, I supposed that no degeneration of structure had commenced in the patho- logical pink particles : their artificial cultivation was, unfortunateljq not attempted. I now come to the consideration of structures which are, perhaps, of most frequent occurrence; but which do not, in any given locality, happen to the exclusion of either black or pink-tinted forms. Having already described these very characteristic, ])alc, soft particles, I here note that their real nature has been a puzzle to all observers from Professors Queckett and Ballingall (1854) to the Rev. Mr Berkeley and Professor Cohn,^ at the present moment. ‘ I Lave again Lad recourse to tLe valued opinion of Berkeley, wLo observes “ tlie fat-globules tinged with pink and fat crystals ai-e sufficiently clear, but wLat are the bright red bodies sometimes cpiaternate P TLe ques- tion is whether these are fungi at all ? May they not be abnormal development of cellular tissue ? At any rate I know of nothing in Fungi like them. The nearest approach is Sarcina which I could never get to germi- nate ; and the iiingal nature of which is doubtful.” “ The minute pink bodies in your drawing (see Plate X, fig. 2) remind one of that peculiar state of some moulds which occurs in decaying vegetable substances, and which Stevens seems to have traced to a higher form of development in ‘ Annals of Nat. Hist.’ ” In the xx voh, 1857, of the ‘ Annals,’ I find Mr H. O. Stephens describes a Sarcina ossium, occui'ring upon the calcined bones of oxen, forming part of the cargo of a vessel ladened with bones and hides, from South America; the growth having here a cinnabar or orange-red colour, and assuming the form of patches or dots, which consist of numerous quadrangular cells a little rounded at the angles, and united in fours or groups of fours; but very minute in size (■0002—3 in,). A white fungus occurs simultane- ously with these patches, but is said to be distinct from them. No new light appears hence; and I am the more disposed to regard these coloured Malacotia, as having immediate Bacteria-relations, although now existing only as masses of almost stmctureless protoplasm. ^ By the kindness of Dr B. Sanderson some of these pale, soft, roe-like particles (Malacotia) characteristic of the second or Ochroid variety of Mycetoma, have quite recently been submitted for opinion to Professor F. Cohn of Breslau, who writes as follows:—“ I have exauiined Dr Carter’s pi’eparation, but have not as yet come to any decided conclusion as to its nature. I find in the roe-like masses oval, sharply defined bodies, which