Anatomical observations / by John Reid ... demonstrator of anatomy.

  • Reid, John, 1809-1849.
Date:
1836
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Anatomical observations / by John Reid ... demonstrator of anatomy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    and smooth. On making a section of the tumour, it was found to consist of a number of concentric lamina?, with a calca- reous deposit in the centre. It was very elastic, and the fresh section was exactly similar to the fibro-cartilage, placed between the bodies of the vertebrae^ with this difference, that the cen- tre of the intervertebral substance is soft and pulpy, wliile the centre of the tumour was occupied by the calcareous deposit.* After a careful examination of all the parts within the abdo- men, the only other morbid appearance that presented itself ■was a cartilaginous deposit on the surface of the spleen. With- in the cavities of the tunicae vnginales of this subject, who hada double hydroqele, wealsofound anumberof cartilaginous- looking bodies, the largest of which were loose and floating in the fluid contained there, while the smaller were connected to the inner surface of the tunica vaginalis by thin membranous pedicles. In making a section of the largest of these, which was oblong, and about the size of afield bean, it differed slight- ly in its structure from that found within the cavity of the pe- ritoneum, in approaching more to the nature of cartilage than to fibro-cartilage. It also contained a calcareous deposit in its centre. Several of these bodies were also found adhering to the inner surface of both pleurae by slender membranous pe- dicles. None of these cartilages presented themselves in the ar- ticulations. I may mention, though no way connected with the object of this communication, that, while taking out the brain of this subject, we observed a very distinct depression in the outer table of the frontal bone below its middle, apparently the effect of an injury. From the inner surface of the internal table, ex- actly opposite to the depression on the outer, a narrow spicula of bone about an inch in length had been thrown out. This spi- cula, in all probability, had made an opening through the mem- branes of the brain, or, at least, these had adhered so firmly to it, as to have been torn in removing the skull-cap. Upon the corresponding portion of the anterior lobe of the brain, there was a depression which might have held a hazel-nut, and which, in all probability, had been partly occupied by some serous fluid, which was observed to escape on removing the skull-cap. The surrounding portion of brain was perfectly healthy. This subject was about eighty ^ears of age, and had been for some time under Dr Smith's care in the City Charity-Work House. He died gradually exhausted from severe asthmatic attacks. • A section of this tumour, with several of the smaller cartilaginous bodies, to be described immediately, were shown at a meeting of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Edinburgh.