22 ALBUMINURIA. 



the obstruction to the circulation through the kidney 

 and the consequent accumulation of blood in its 

 vessels less intense in degree but longer-continued, 

 then the increased size of the organ would be more 

 permanent, and this would seem to occur in cases in 

 which chronic nephritis has commenced as the 

 primary disease ; whilst atrophy and diminution, 

 as in the left kidney of the case just quoted, seems 

 more rapidly to follow acute congestion. And the 

 reason of this is tolerably evident ; for the ob- 

 struction to the circulation being more complete in 

 acute inflammation, coagulation takes place more 

 quickly in the minute vessels of the part, which are 

 thus, to a certain extent, obliterated and rendered 

 incapable of receiving the fresh arterial blood neces- 

 sary for nutrition ; whilst in chronic inflammation 

 the coagulation of the blood in the relaxed capillaries 

 goes on very slowly; and it is, therefore, evident 

 that the filling up or occupation of the dilated 

 capillaries by fibrinous coagula must then neces- 

 sarily cause an increase in the bulk of any organ 

 which is mainly composed of these vessels. 



