This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
The purpose of this work was to find a simple method by which mold spores contained in scrapings could be identified. Many stains have been used by various authors, but the technic employed either requires too much time or is so complicated that it is of little service to the practitioner.
Under ordinary circumstances, the immersion of the scrapings containing spores in 10 per cent. potassium hydroxid solution, in many instances, is quite sufficient to make a diagnosis. There are, however, cases in which only a few spores are present, and on examination the question arises whether the globules seen are those of degenerated keratin, fatty or protein substances, or the spores themselves. Unfortunately, this method goes no farther in making a differential diagnosis.
In this series of experiments it was originally intended, relying on the density of spores, to precipitate some material in them (by mordant methods or otherwise),