Journal of Applied Microscopy. 527 



bearing branches. The spores developed into unbranched germ tubes, and also 

 into the branched mycelial forms. 



Experiments upon dogs and mice proved the pathogenicity of the organism. 



J. H. p. 



^n'^ci?: ^iwF^'^f''^l''^M^/f''''^''i?°'' The small amount of work which has 

 puscle. Phila. Monthly Med. Jour., 1 : 2. 



1899. been done on the pathology of these 



bodies is shown by the fact that only two references to previous work could be 

 found in the literature. 



The corpuscles studied were principally those found in the mesentery in the 

 region of the pancreas. 



In a case of perforation of the trachea by an oesophageal diverticulum, about 

 250 small hyaline, oval, or slightly flattened bodies, varying from the size of a 

 pinhead to that of a small cherr}^, were found in the mesentery. The majority 

 were transparent, jelly-like, and fluctuating. The larger ones appeared as small 

 cysts with thin capsules. On rupture a thin mucilagenous fluid escaped. Micro- 

 scopically there was seen a mucous-like degeneration of the tunic and core, con- 

 gestion of blood vessels, small haemorrhages, oedema of the capsule, and small 

 cell infiltration in and about the capsule. This the writer believes to be an 

 example of primary inflammation of the Pacinian corpuscle with marked myxo- 

 matous degeneration. 



In a case of chronic parenchymatous nephritis, with general anasarca and 

 marked ascites, hyaline bodies similar to those in the above case were found in 

 the mesentery. Microscopically there was an increase of the inter-lamellar lymph, 

 causing a wide separation of the lamellae and increasing the bulk of the corpus- 

 cle. The tunic was thickened, the capsule and surrounding tissue oedematous ; 

 the capillaries congested. These local oedematous changes are to be considered 

 as part of the general anasarca. 



In two cases of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis, colloid and mucoid changes 

 were found in the Pacinian corpuscles of the fascia about the seminal vesicles. 



In corpuscles about thrombosed femoral vessels were found oedema, increase 

 of interstitial tissue and vacuolization of the tunic, leucocytes in the lymph spaces, 

 and thickening of the capsule. This is believed to be an example of chronic 

 inflammation by direct extension. 



In two cases in which histological examination showed the oviducts and ova- 

 ries removed at operation to be normal, in the Pacinian bodies of the mesentery 

 were found myxomatous and colloid degeneration and deposition of lime salts. 



In a case of haemorrhagic pancreatitis with fat necrosis, the Pacinian bodies 

 about the pancreas showed marked congestion, haemorrhage, small round cell 

 infiltration about nerve trunks, universal increase of leucocytes, and considerable 

 liquefaction-necrosis. Thus the changes in these bodies may be inflammator)' 

 (acute and chronic), circulatory (congestion, oedema, haemorrhage), and degener- 

 ative (mucoid, colloid, hyaline, calcification, necrosis). 



The paper is illustrated by nine photo-micrographs, some of which, however, 

 do not clearly represent the processes described. R. m. p. 



