out the fact that we are not dealing' with capilhu-ie;^ whieh have 

 been changed into eosin-staining cords, but with vessels obliterated 

 by a material which has all the morphologic and tinctorial prop- 

 erties of fibrin. Whenever these thrombi are not exceedingly 

 dense and solid, it is easy to demonstrate vessel walls in tliin 

 sections which to all appearances are morphologically intact. It is 

 generally also very easy to demonstrate this fact with reference 

 to all vessels of the cortex, which are of a somewhat larger size, as 

 well as to those of the medulla. 



Duerck has just published an extensive contribution to the patho- 

 logic anatomy and histopatholog}^ of plague. In his summary of 

 the microscopic changes he does not mention the thrombotic ones 

 under discussion, but simply makes the following statement : 



The so-called parenchymatous organs, the liver and the kidneys, in all 

 cases, even in those in which the disease has lasted a few days only, show 

 those profound degenerative changes which are found also in other infec- 

 tious diseases aft^r a fatal issue. We see all degrees of cloudy swelling and 

 beginning fatty degeneration. * * * In the kidneys, aside from the 

 general toxic efifect, the glomeruli appear to be the points especially 

 vulnerable to the attacks of the plague virus. Even macroscopically one 

 recognizes their enlargement and the great injection of the loops. Micro- 

 scopic examination shows blood extravasation and epithelial desquamation, 

 as well as the invasion of luimerous plague bacilli. In six cases examined 

 for this purpose the invasion of the glomeruli by plague bacilli was 

 demonstrable. Occasionally this invasion leads to inflammatory changes 

 combined with profound degeneration and hemorrhages, which produce, in 

 the glomeruli especially, changes as we only find them in the most dele- 

 terious forms of post-scarlatinal or septic nephritis. (Table XV, figs. 29, 

 30, 31.) 



The illustrations to which the author calls attention show hemor- 

 rhagic glomerulo-nephritis, but without any thrombosis. However, 

 thrombotic processes are referred to in the description of case 

 Xo. 14 in the following words : 



Almost all of the glomeruli are much enlarged, the capsules of Howman 

 dilated; the capillary loops, however, only partially fill the capsular .si)ace; 

 they are generally reduced in size and partially obliterated by hyaline or 

 leucocytic thrombi. Besides the loops in the capsular space, are found 

 numerous red-blood corpuscles, mixed with desquamated capsular and 

 reflected epithelia. « * * Homogeneous exudates are occasionally 

 found in the capsules. 



The preceding very recent contribution to tiie histopathology of 

 plague does not do Justice to the important thrombotic processes in 



