172 SUMMARY OF CURKENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



chronic splenic tumours, directing his attention chiefly to the enlarged 

 spleen which must be regarded as the primary locus morbi in Banti's 

 disease. 



Banti's fibro-adenoma, in the opinion of Chiaris, is due chiefly to 

 the growth and thickening of the fibres — i.e. hyperplasia of the reticulo- 

 endothelial cells — though the connective-tissue of the capsule-trabecular 

 system and the separation of its vessels may also have effect. The 

 question of the resulting severe reticulum enlargement is still undecided. 

 The author agrees with Kozumis that the reticulo-endothelial cells, in 

 the production of the reticulum fibres, show large, blistered nuclei, 

 poor in chromatin, with phagocytic power, but shrunken pyknotic nuclei. 

 Banti's fibro-adenoma is, briefly, characterized by marked out-standing 

 of the elastic fibres from the thickened capsule-trabecular system in 

 the pulp ; excessive increase and intrapulpal growth of the periarterial, 

 elastic, collagenic, and interlaced fibres, with partial collagenic meta- 

 plasia and hyalin degeneration ; regular enlargement and thickening 

 of the intersinal reticular cords and the reticulum formation of the 

 ring fibres, with partial coUagenization and sometimes even hyaliniza- 

 tion ; partial strong decrease in the sinus lumina and marked reduc- 

 tion of the free-cell elements ; diminution, atrophy, and fibrous altera- 

 tion of the Malpighian corpuscles by increase and intrafollicular growth 

 of the periarterial, elastic, and collagenic fibres, as well as of the real 

 follicular fibres, with partial collagenic metaplasia and sometimes even 

 hyalin degeneration of the Kosten cell elements. 



The so-called collagenic metaplasia of the interlacing fil^res fre- 

 quently occurs in the spleen in liver cirrhosis, schistosomiasis, and 

 Morbus banti, and has been specially noted in chronic myelocytic leu- 

 kgemia. It is nearly always associated with increase and thickening of 

 the fibres. Elastic necrosis of the capsular system with its hemo- 

 siderin-lime impregnation is very marked in liver cirrhosis, schisto- 

 somiasis, and Morbus banti, and it is interesting to note that elastic 

 fibre increase "occurs in both the capsular and arterial systems together. 

 Its origin appears to be due chiefly to the chemical action of some toxic 

 product ; it is very doubtful whether it can arise from healthy enlarge- 

 ment alone — at any rate, this is of much rarer occurrence. 



The plasma cells in the spleen are so important that it is doubtful 

 if they may be regarded as a pathological appearance as in other organs, 

 for it is quite clear that the spleen as a filter for free and corpuscular 

 degeneration products already contams a relatively stronger physiological 

 stimulus for plasma-cell production. They are scanty in the healthy 

 enlarged spleen and in simple antemia, but are plentiful in syphilis, 

 malaria, abdominal cancer, as well as in chronic and sub-acute infective 

 disease ; are fairly numerous in liver cirrhosis and schistosomiasis ; and 

 are not rare in Morbus banti. J. E. 



Hiwatari, Kazuo. — " Zur Histologic der Gegeud der Corneaspler- 

 algrenze" (Acts Scholar Medicinalis, Kioto, 1919, 3, 277-86). 

 Coloration of the epithelial cells of the conjunctiva corneaUs is of 

 common occurrence in Japanese, though showing many variations, 

 whereas only one-third of the European cases examined were pigmented. 



