Abstract
Adequate scientific proof of the existence of Trichophyton interdigitale (organism of “Athlete's Foot”) outside the body seems lacking. Statements in the literature, however, would lead one to judge otherwise. The U. S. Public Health Service states 1 : “Bath mats are justly blamed and it is probable that ringworm can be acquired from them just as warts on the soles of the feet can be . . . . . it can also originate in hotels and from the use of infected towels or soap.” The Public Health Engineering Section of the American Public Health Association 2 states: “Most if not all of these foot diseases are caused by a fungus which is spread by infection of the floors of dressing rooms, etc., at pools, bath houses, gymnasiums, and other places where persons go barefoot.” While these inferences may be true they are unaccompanied by cultural proof.
Bonar and Dryer 3 made 30–40 plants of scrapings of floors, hair, etc., in cracks in the floor and traps on the drains from showers. They were troubled by excessive overgrowth with other organisms. They failed to recover the Trichophyton interdigitale.
Because of scarcity of cultural work we felt such a study of showers, boat houses and gymnasia would be valuable.
Cotton applicators were moistened with normal saline, placed in test tubes which were plugged with cotton and autoclaved. The applicators were used to mop the area to be studied. They were then cut near the cotton end with a flamed scissors and this portion allowed to drop into a sterile petri dish. Melted Sabouraud's proof medium was poured over the swab and the medium agitated by sliding the dish back and forth on the table. In this manner an even distribution of colonies was obtained. The petri dishes were observed over a period of a month and transplants made on Sabouraud's proof slants of colonies which appeared the least suspicious.
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