1 62 On Injur tes of th$ Brain, 



It is necessary to observe, that the substance of I he brairt 

 was of a very soft consistence, whereas in the case related 

 by Mr. T. it was of a pecuhar hardness. I do not imagine 

 that this softness arose from the mental derangement; as it 

 has occurred to my lot to examine the brain of many per- 

 sons who have died insane, where this organ has been of 

 Sts nsual texture, and sometimes unusually firm. ^^ 



Many other diseased appearances were observed during 

 the dissection, but which are generally attendant in cases 

 of mania; such as water in the ventricles, opacity of the 

 septum lucidum, bloody points in the medullary substance 

 of the brain, &c. besides opakencss of the tunica arachnoides, 

 and turgescence of the vessels of the pia mater before men- 

 tioned. 



The whole of the nerves arising from the brain were un- 

 commonly firm, and the olfactory (as in the instance re- 

 corded by Mr. T.) were in appearance similar to a piece of 

 narrow tape, adhering strongly to the crihriform process of 

 the ethmoidal bone^ and aflbrded some Httle resistance to 

 the knife. 



Mr. T.'s case appears to establish the fact, of the brain, 

 the most delicate organ in t4ie whole structure of man, be- 

 ing capable of accommodating itself to an extraneous sub- 

 stance without producing any visible alteration in the ope- 

 rations of the mental faculties. The question which seems 

 naturally to arise from this circumstance is : Whether the 

 substance of the brain was not absorbed in proportion to 

 the quantity of deposition secreted by the arteries? — andj 

 Whether this could be effected sufficiently gradually, iiot 

 to" impede the functions of that wonderful and anomalous 

 organ*? placed (as Harwood elegantly expresses it) on the 

 doubtful confines of the material and spiritual worlds ! 



That the brain may become absorbed in proportion to 

 the growth of the tumours, appears to me highly probable ^ 

 and that these tumours (in Mr. T.'s case at least, if not in 

 mine) were in the first instance exudations of lymph, which 

 in course of lime became organized. It is an interesting 

 subject, and 1 hope will be considered by more able ana- 

 tomists and physiologists than mvself. 



Wuh respect to the abdominal viscera : — That the pan- 

 creas as well as many other of the organs contained in the 

 abdomen may he diseased and not suspected, I have wit- 

 nessed in several instances. I have in a number of case§ 



*.That the artefies perfofmed this secretion In a very slow manner must 

 ^e obvious, as no symptoms of compression were present during life. 



after 



