IN VITRO STUDIES OF MICROSPORON AUDOUINI INFECTION OF THE HAIR

Abstract

IN RECENT years the attention of physicians in the United States, particularly in the eastern half of the country, has been focused on an epidemic of ringworm of the scalp in school children. The reports indicate that the organism responsible for the disease in the majority of the cases has been Microsporon audouini. In 1822 Wilkinson¹ reported an epidemic in England, and in 1843 Gruby² discovered one of the causative organisms, which he named Audouini. In 1894 Sabouraud³ succeeded in growing this organism in pure culture on artificial mediums. In 1925 Margarot and Deveze⁴ described the use of Wood's light as an aid in the diagnosis of tinea capitis. The interest in fungous disease antedates these discoveries by many centuries. Horsfall⁵ stated that Homer, in 1000 B.C., mentioned the use of sulfur in the treatment of fungous disease and in 100 A.D. a Greek physician,