A New Fermentation Method for Mycological Identification

Abstract

The increasing importance attached to skin affections caused by Monilia (Candida) confronts the clinician with the necessity of distinguishing accurately between the various species because of their questionable pathogenicity. One of the main methods of identification is to determine sugar fermentation and gas production. The simplest method is to prepare stab cultures on semisolid agar, but although the method is routine in other branches of bacteriology, it cannot be used for the identification of fungi since satisfactory results can only be expected if the quantity of gas generated is sufficiently large. The same is true of the Einhorn tube method. The Dunham method is more suitable for mycological studies although small quantities of gas may here also elude recog-nition. Lindner, in his micro-method, recommends the use of a Tiegham cell filled up to the brim with sugar solution and covered with a cover glass sealed with vaseline. Langeron and Guerra (1938) devised a simple though fairly efficient method, based on similar principles, stoppering inoculated sugar solu-tions by a plug consisting of a paraffin mixture which is bulged or pushed up