Scalp Products and Hair Before Puberty as Culture Medium for Certain Pathogenic Fungi

Abstract

A study of the growth of pathogenic fungi on a mixture of barber shop hair and scalp products of adults was reported. 1 In this paper the results of a study of the growth of pathogenic fungi on the hair and scalp products of children under 12 years, before and after extraction with ether, are reported.

The hair was divided into 2 portions and one portion was extracted with ether for 24 hours in a Soxhlet. Portions of the material were placed in test tubes, moistened with distilled water and autoclaved. Plants were made on the extracted and unextracted hair and Sabourauds'proof medium with the following pathogenic fungi and saprophytes, Lichtheimia sp. and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis; Achorion schoenleinii, Acladium castellani, Candida candida, Endodermophyton tropicale, Endomyces capsulatus, Endomyces dermatidus, Epidermophyton inguinale, Glenospora gammeli, Geotrichum bachmann, Indiella americana, Monilia albicans, Microsporon apiospermum, Microsporon audouini, Oöspora humi, Trichophyton crateriforme, Trichophyton granulosum, Trichophyton japonicum, Trichophyton interdigitale, Willia anomala.

The results of the observations over a period of 30 days were as follows: Growth on Sabouraud's occurred in all instances within 3 days. Growth on extracted hair occurred in all instances with the exception of Endomyces capsulatus, while growth on plain hair was absent only in the case of Achorion schoenleinii. Growth was much more pronounced on extracted hair with Glenospora gammeli, Indiella americana, Microsporon apiospermum, Microsporon audouini, Monilia albicans, Trichophyton interdigitale. Growth occurred as early as the third day on both extracted and unextracted hair with Acladium castellani, Candida candida, Geotrichum bachmanni, Indiella americana, Lichthiemia sp., Microsporon apiospermum, Monilia albicans, Oöspora humi, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Trichophyton crateriforme, Trichophyton granulosum, Trichophyton interdigitale, Trichophyton japonicum.