posterior part, adhered to the wall of the chest, and there was nearly half a pint of serum on this side. The left lung was more extensively and firmly adherent to the costal wall, and on attempting to separate it, the fingers suddenly broke into an immense cavern, large enough to contain my closed fist; at the bottom of which, lay a pool of purulent matter. The thickness of the wall of this cavity, where the fingers penetrated, was scarcely greater than that of a card; and a puff of air audibly escaped upon its being opened. The texture lining the interior surface of the cavern, was not visibly of a villous or granulated structure. Nevertheless, when examined with the microscope, it was found to possess the essential characteristic of a corpuscular texture. The blood-vessels ramifying in the walls of the cavern, were in all respects different from those of the healthy lung, and their coats densely clothed with cells. The air-spaces still permeable, were unusually large, and in many parts of the lung, the interlobular areolar texture was injected with air. White purulent mucus escaped copiously from the cut extremities of the air-tubes; and their interior mucous texture was for the most part thickened and red. Transparent gelatinous matter, and semi-transparent miliary granulations were found in the parenchyma; in the interlobular spaces; and in the new fibrous fabrics, constituting the pleuritic adhesions. This remarkable and highly interesting case-using the conventional language of the day-exhibited the anatomical con

ditions of pneumonia, bronchitis, and] pleurisy, coexisting with those of emphysema and phthisis. But, in accordance with the results of our investigations, we would cite it as an example of Retrograde Morphology. Each special structure variously resisting the general type; impressing upon general elements-cells and protoplasma,—many different modifications.

This

An emphysematous condition of the air-spaces of the lung-that is to say, an increase of the area they enclose-has by some persons been thought a safeguard from the ravages of consumption. Before this can be admitted, it must be shown that a largely increased area is compatible with the integrity of the delicate capillary network on the walls of the spaces. has not been done, and therefore we hesitate to admit the propriety of endeavouring to produce an emphysema, with a view to the cure of consumption; the endeavour being grounded simply upon the supposition, that an increased area in the air-spaces, will cause the walls of purulent cavities to colere by pressure. But the walls of phthisical caverns are always surrounded by a belt of hardened texture; whereas, the thin walls of the natural air-spaces are readily compressible. Moreover, the air in the caverns counterbalances the pressure of air in the spaces. Wherefore then, it appears impossible to imagine that pressure, from enlarged air-spaces, can bring the more unyielding walls of caverns into contact, so as to be a means of

promoting their union; such pressure necessarily bearing as much upon the thin walls of the spaces, as upon the thicker walls of the caverns. And the pressure required for the effect under consideration, would infallibly stop the circulation of blood in respiratory capillaries.

CASE IX.-C. C., a young lady aged twenty-six, came under my care for a few weeks early in the summer of 1840. She complained of weakness, indigestion, cold perspirations, and pain at the upper part of the right thigh. The pulse was small, feeble, and thrilling ; she had a slight cough, without any expectoration; was very nervous, and very thin; her hair came out, and she had the appearance of a consumptive patient. I examined the chest carefully by percussion, and the stethoscope, but could not detect any signs to throw light upon the nature of the case. Nor did it appear that the illness was supposed to be connected with any disease in the lungs. The following is the previous history of the patient, as related by her sister.

My sister's first illness commenced in the winter of 1828, and continued through the spring of 1829. Her symptoms were loss of appetite, heat and pain in the head, coldness of the feet, and suspension of the period for many months. The following summer, her health appeared to be completely restored. In 1832,

a second attack of illness occurred, lasting for several months, which gradually subsided as before. In 1833, a third attack of stomach complaint, which lasted through the whole of this winter, and the spring of 1834. Every thing she ate turned acid upon the stomach, and she suffered exceedingly from a sensation of gnawing in the bowels. Dr. Henry of Manchester recommended her a meat diet, but she suffered very much from it, getting hot, and flushed in the face, with cold feet. Mr. Lawrence, of London, and M. Chomel in Paris, where she went in April 1834, ordered her to discontinue meat. She then ate what she liked, and returned from France well. In 1836, she had a fourth attack of the stomach complaint, and in October of that year, first complained of pain at the top of the right thigh, where an abscess formed, and burst, giving vent to a large quantity of unhealthy matter, and a thin watery discharge, with clots, came from the opening for many weeks. In 1838, the abscess formed again; it again burst, and matter was discharged as before. The whole of this summer she suffered from stomach complaints, and disordered bowels-she was weak and emaciated, and had a slight cough, but greatly recovered her health by change of air in the autumn. In 1839, indigestion as before. In October, pain returned in the situation of the abscess, and she continued weak and ill the rest of that year. In January of the present year, (1840,) she had two violent attacks of inflammation in the

bowels, and since then she has been declining in strength."

In explanation of one part of the preceding narrative, I received the following account from her usual medical attendant. The abscess, of which you have

heard, formed in the labium and burst into the vagina. There have been frequent returns of inflammation in the part, particularly about the time of menstruation. She has also had stricture of the rectum, about an inch and a half above the sphincter. During the last winter she had two serious attacks of peritonitis, which called for active treatment, and a few months ago it was ascertained that the uterus was enlarged and tender to the touch both per vaginam et rectum. She has had frequent attacks of irritation of the mucous membrane of the whole alimentary canal, which have subsided after appropriate treatment, but leaving her affected with indigestion. Sir C. Clarke was consulted for the uterine affection, and he ordered leeches to be applied twice during the month."

This patient left Malvern and returned home at the end of August, 1840, but I did not lose sight of so interesting a case, suspecting it might prove to be one of phthisis; and the following communications received from her sister contain an account of the subsequent symptoms and their issue.