Through want of cleanliness and pro fuse sweating, the epidermal surface be comes rough or excoriated, redness and hypermmia occur, and a suitable soil for micro-organisms is afforded. A causative germ, the microeoccus intertriginis, pene trates into the deeper layers of the skin, exciting an irritating, cheesy material, which may cause suppuration and ulcera tion. Cultivations from the cheesy spots produced colonies of spherical micro organisms, light yellow in color, with finely-serrated margins. The gelatin was liquefied, forming first a shallow depres sion, which gradually grew funnel shaped, leaving in its concavity the lique fied gelatin, which, mingled with the colo nies, now gave off a disagreeable odor like that of rotten cheese. Stab cultures grew similarly, but sent out threads penetrating the medium in all directions. On agar the cultures only grew on the surface in colonies of a light-yellow color. In serum the growth was rapid and formed a light-yellow membrane. On po tatoes a yellowish-brown spot appeared, from which the colonies spread, the mar gins being of a lighter color than the centre. Milk was not coagulated or acidified, and the indol reaction was not observed. The organism was a micro coccus of from 0.5 to 0.9 micromillimetre in diameter, without flagella or spores. It is aerobic, and in the hanging drop it does not reveal any independent move ment. It stains well with the aqueous aniline dyes, and decolorizes with Gram's method. The disease could be reproduced in animals in forty-eight hours, and cultures from the seat of inoculation re produced the same germs. These were found to be virulent even down to the tenth generation. They grew best at the body-temperature, and at temperatures above 70° C. and below 10° C. they were destroyed. A solution of for maldehyde was found most efficacious in killing them. Max Meyer (N. Y. Med. Jour., Dec. 10, '99).
Treatment.—As a rule, little or no
treatment is required. Removal of the cause will usually end in early recovery. Inattention to the parts may allow the case to proceed to a high grade of inflam mation. The first indication is to re move, by means of some bland soap— Castile or glycerin soap—and water, the foreign elements acting as irritating fac tors, and immediately afterward dry with a soft towel. An odor may require the addition of a slight quantity of carbolic acid or thymol. Bland dusting-powders are very useful; but if allowed to remain and absorb the discharges they induce an aggravation. Boric acid, talc, ful lers' earth, lycopodium, or starch in im palpable powder relieves both pain and irritation. Solutions are often more grateful, but must be applied almost con tinuously to obtain good effects. Boric acid in saturated solution is one of the best agents. Sulphite and hyposulphite of sodium in water in the strength of from V, to 1 drachm to the ounce are often beneficial. Astringent washes give excellent results. Acetate of lead (3 to 5 grains to the ounce of water), sulphate of zinc (1 or more grains to ounce of water), acetate of zinc (in similar pro portions), bichloride of mercury (1 to 2 grains to 1000 parts of water), calomel (3 to 5 grains to the ounce of lime-water —lotto nigra) are all efficacious. A use ful method is to apply one of the above lotions for a period of fifteen minutes, then to thoroughly dry the parts by mop ping them; and to follow this by one of the dusting-powders. This should be carried out three or more times during each half of the twenty-four hours. In addition to the remedial measures the parts must be kept apart by means of medicated lint or cotton: a procedure which suffices in some of the cases ob served. In obstinate cases it may be ad visable to place the patient in bed to keep the limbs apart until the acute phase of the trouble disappears.