85 



shown that puerperal fever is often contagious, and the erysipelatous 

 form remarkably so. And that these two diseases have the same 

 origin, one and the same contagion operating in the production of 

 both." 



67. But after stating thus fully the leading views of Dr. Knee- 

 land, in the well written articles from which they have been quoting, 

 the Committee cannot, in fairness, abstain from referring to what 

 they have seen on the other side ; first mentioning that similar views 

 to those of Dr. Kneeland are held by Blackmore, Symonds, Flint, 

 Peddie, &c. In other accounts of epidemics of the disease, no men- 

 tion is made of erysipelatous symptoms. Bidault and Arnold* 

 describe epidemics where examination showed different organic dis- 

 eases ; as the lining membrane and lymphatics of the uterus and 

 appendages — peritoneal inflammation — infiltration of pus into ttfe 

 pelvic cellular tissue, and the blood as in typhus fever. In cases 

 related by Botrel, the lymphatics were diseased, and pus deposits 

 found in the lungs. 



68. It may not be out of place in connection with the subjects 

 just discussed, to mention a new kind of serous inflammation described 

 by Dr. J. Hughes Bennett, f where the membrane presented its usual 

 white, glistening appearance, and nothing could be discovered but 

 a slight effusion of serum, which was at first considered as non- 

 inflammatory, but under the microscope showed pus cells in con- 

 siderable quantity. 



69. Among the diseases which make up the long list of those 

 which, though not tending usually, to a fatal termination, are yet 

 of such serious nature as to attract, in an especial manner, the 

 attention of the physician, perhaps there is none more worthy of espe- 

 cial notice than rheumatism. The morbid anatomy of this disease has 

 been accurately illustrated by Hasse, who found the muscles and 

 subjacent cellular tissue dotted with ecchymoses and delicate vascu- 

 lar ramifications, the latter tissue being more or less infiltrated with 

 a yellowish transparent fluid. On closely examining the car- 

 tilages he says they were of a reddish hue. On the articular 

 surfaces of the bones, scattered red points of different sizes. The 

 foramina of the bones filled with a dirty red pulp, consisting of 



* Gazette Medicale, Ency. des Sci. Med., 1S45. 

 t Monthly Journ. Med. Sci., Aug. 1847. 



