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

Date:
1874
Catalogue details

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 Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    INTEODUCTION I PEOPOSE in this place to mention the Classification and Definitions which it will be useful hereafter to employ. By the term 'Mycetoma,'^ is meant a tumour or swelling, which results from the growth within the textures of the human body, of a simply organized vegetable parasite. Such tumours (which commonly implicate the foot or hand), while presenting in all cases certain uniform external signs, yet differ materially as to their contents; and it therefore becomes necessary to discriminate the several forms which have already been made out. Since the colour of the parasitic elements is, at first view, perhaps their most striking- character, I propose to make use of the terms ' Melanoid ' ^ and ' Ochroid' ^ as indicative of the two chief varieties of Mycetoma; and to distinguish the particles themselves which appertain to each variety, by the respective names—'Sclerotia'* and ' Malacotia,' as expressive of such differences in consistence as also point to significant distinctive characters. The proposed arrangement is the following :— Classification accoeding to Chaeactees of Paeasitic Elements Vaeiett or THE Disease Chauactees of the Fungus Particles Colour:—hlacJc or dark brown. Size:—from a pin's head, or less, to a bullet. Fo7in :—spheroidal (the larger); or compressed and peduncu- lated (the smaller). Surface:—nodular or mulberry-hke; or botryoidal. Consistence :—hard and friable; or, rarely, softer and like rotting wood. The particles may be named Sclei'otia. Colour :—more or less pale ; pink, brown, or yellowish. Size :—from a minute speck to a dried pea. Form:—more or less globular; or ovoid. Surface :—bossed or botryoidal. Consistence :—caseous or soft; rarely firm. These particles 1^ may be named Malacotia. 1. Melanoid 2. Ochroid Mycetoma—from MYKHS, jjtoc; fungus: tlie termi- nation (from O'iSrjfia) is that common to many surgical tumours. - Melanoid—from ii'tXag, of black colour . 7 ' Ochroid—fi-om i>xpoz, of pale colour. Sclerotium—from cr/cXj/poe, of hard consistence. * Malacotium—from fiaXaicoe, of soft consistence.