252 ON THE CHANGES OCCURRING IN 



lying in contact with the intestines and other contents 

 of the abdomen. The probable cause of this variation 

 will hereafter be illustrated by an experiment. 



3. In other observations I have found the kidney 

 which had undergone congestion also unsurrounded 

 by a cyst, but shrivelled, indurated, and paler than 

 natural, thus exhibiting merely atrophy or contraction 

 with induration. 



4. In experiments where the kidney is found thus 

 atrophied from obstructed circulation, as well as in 

 those observations in which it undergoes slow lique- 

 faction within a cyst, fat-globules can be detected in 

 unusual quantity, showing a tendency to fatty dege- 

 neration. 



5. I have lastly observed incipient calcareous de- 

 generation to occur as the effect of the stoppage of 

 the circulation in the kidney by ligature of the renal 

 artery and vein. And as this is, as far as I know, 

 a new fact in pathology, I may be allowed to relate 

 the observation at length. 



Exp. --On March 5th, 1853, the left renal vein 

 and artery of a healthy young rabbit were closed 

 by a tight ligature, which was allowed to remain ; 

 the cavity of the peritoneum was not opened, and 

 the wound in the integuments being closed by 

 sutures, very soon healed. On June 3rd, three 

 months afterwards, the animal was in good con- 

 dition ; it had grown very much, and no abscess or 

 other inconvenience had followed from the retention 

 of the ligature. It was then killed. On opening 

 the abdomen, the left kidney was seen of a pale 



