Scalp Products and Hair as a Culture Medium for Certain Pathogenic Fungi

Abstract

In the present work observations were made of the growth of certain pathogenic fungi on hair. Bonar and Dreyer 1 used bundles of hair inoculated with trichophyton interdigitale to test antiseptic properties of solutions. Tona 2 observed the growth of trichophyton on hair in the test tube. The growth of the various pathogenic fungi (dermatophytes) on a medium of scalp products and hair seems to have received little attention.

The medium used consisted of barber shop hair cleansed with water, placed in petri dishes and test tubes and autoclaved. It was found necessary to keep the medium moist with distilled water by adding an amount sufficient to cover the mat of hair. Growth on this medium was compared with that on conservation Sabouraud's. Sabouraud's conservation medium was chosen as a standard because of its simplicity. Bacto products were used in making the media.

Transplants were made from 30-day-old growths of the organisms on Sabouraud's proof agar incubated at room temperature.

Approximate time of growth of the following pathogenic fungi and the 2 saprophytes, Lichtheimia sp. and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis were noted: Achorion schoenleinii, Acladium castellcmi, Candida Candida, Endodermophyton tropicale, Endomyces capsultus, Endomyces dermatitidus, Epidermophyton inguinale, Glenospora gammeli, Geotrichum baehmann, Indieila americana, Monilia albicans, Microsporon apiospermum, Microsporon audouini, Oöspora humi, Trichophyton crateriforme, Trichophyton granulosus, Trichophyton japonicum, Trichophyton interdigitate, Willia anomala. Observations were limited to 30 days. Nine organisms which grew well on Sabouraud's medium showed no growth on water hair; Achorion schoenleini, Acladium castellani, Candida Candida, Endomyces dermatitidus, Epidermophyton inguinale, Glenospora gammeli, Microsporon audouini, Oöspora humi, and Willia anomala. Since the pathogenicity of the Microsporon audouini manifests itself before, puberty its growth was observed on a medium of child's hair.