Journal of Applied Microscopy. 525 



NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL HISTOLOGY. 



Richard M. Pearce, M. D. 



Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., to whom all books and papers 

 on these subjects should be sent for review. 



CURRENT LITERATURE. 



Strekeisen. Zur Lehre von der Framentatio -pj^g j^g^j-^ muscle was examined in 150 

 Myocardi. Ziegler's Beitriige. 26:105-130. r , ■, r i- 1 • 10 



,899. cases of death from disease, and m 1» 



of death from violence. Fresh razor sections mounted in salt solution and sec- 

 tions stained with carmine or with haematoxylin and eosin after hardening in 

 Miiller's fluid or in Formal-Miiller, were studied. 



Fragmentation occurred most frequently in the papillary muscles and wall of 

 the left ventricle ; next in the inter-ventricular septum, least often in the papil- 

 lary muscles and trabeculae of the right ventricle, and never in the auricles. The 

 break was generally found through the cell body near the nucleus. Sometimes, 

 however, it was through the cement substance. Associated fatty degeneration 

 was seldom found, but pigment atrophy appeared to be a predisposing cause. 

 Haemorrhages were never observed, and the intercellular snbstance showed no 

 abnormal changes. 



In 150 cases, including tuberculosis, carcinoma, pneumonia, acute peritonitis, 

 typhoid fever, and septicaemia, fragmentation occurred in 56.6 per cent. Two cases 

 of tetanus showed very marked fragmentation. 



As the result of his investigation the writer believes that fragmentation occurs 

 just before death and is due to violent contraction of the heart muscle. The 

 frequency of fragmentation in death from asphyxia supports this view. In death 

 from acute infectious diseases, and after great efforts, he believes it very probable 

 that the phenomena of asphyxia come on just before the fatal termination as the 

 result of weakening of the heart and consequent diminished vascular pressure. 



The absence of fragmentation in fatty degeneration of the heart muscle is 

 due to the fact that the heart is so greatly weakened that contraction to the point 

 of rupture and fragmentation of the fibers cannot take place. Pigment atrophy, 

 on the other hand, leads to increased frangibility of the muscle elements. 



The very frequent occurrence of fragmentation in cases of accidental death 

 does not support the theory that a primary weakening of the heart muscle pre- 

 cedes fragmentation. 



Although fragmentation occurs just before death, it is never an immediate 

 cause of death. a. m. 



Mitchell, L. J., and Le Count, E. R. Report of a The patient under observation was 



SSliv,e\'or,l°LtTd¥lXic f-'>-">'ee years old, 162.6 cm. in 



Anatomy. N. Y. Med. Jour., April 15th, height, and weighed 81.1 kilogrammes. 



22d, and 29th, 1899. ^j^g immediate cause of death was 



acute lobar pneumonia. At the post mortem examination the sella turcica was 

 found to be enlarged ; the hypophysis was a greyish red, softened, semi-fluid mass, 

 not easily removed and not larger than normal. The thyroid body weighed 70 



