294 TRANSACTIONS OF THE PATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 



volume we fear the officers of the Society have scarcely availed 

 themselves sufficiently of this wholesome surveillance of 

 referees. 



Beginning with the diseases of the nervous system, with 

 which the present volume of the Transactions of the Patho- 

 logical Society commences, we observe an interesting account 

 of neuromatous tumours on the posterior tibial nerve, by Dr. 

 Van der Byl, the structure of which was investigated by 

 Dr. Snow Beck, who comes to the following conclusions, 

 based upon a careful microscopical scrutiny : — 



" 1. That neuroma originates in an individual fasciculus, and is confined 

 to the fasciculus in which it commences. 



" 2. That the adjoining fasciculi become altered hy the pressure of the 

 tumour, hut more especially hy the constriction of the cellular tissue of 

 the neurilemma. 



" 3. That these tumours originate in a deposit within the memhrane 

 surrounding the nervous tiibules. 



" 4. That the individual tubules in the fasciculus become altered, from 

 the pressure of the deposit which has taken place amongst them. 



" 5. That this deposit becomes organized, subsequently grows, and 

 finally obliterates all appearance of the nervous structures amongst which 

 it originates." 



Among the " Diseases of the Organs of Circulation," we 

 find an account, by Dr. Wilks, of a very curious disease of the 

 heart, consisting of cysts adherent to the outer surface of the 

 organ, and composed principally of a fibrous tissue, displaying 

 great peculiarities of structure. 



The walls of these cysts were composed of interlacing 

 fibres, many of which hung by free extremities into the cavities 

 of the cysts, and " to them are attached a number of earthy 

 bodies, of a round form, semi-transparent, yellowish, very 

 hard, and each of about the size of a pin's head." The fibres 

 themselves "have a beaded, nodulated, or varicose form; that 

 is, they consist of a slender stalk, which swells out at intervals 

 into oval or rounded dilatations, and passing continuously 

 through them, Avithout much variation of outline, appears as a 

 firm fibrous band." These oval nodes on the fibres have a 

 central band passing through them, and appear like beads on 

 a string. Some of these nodules overlap each other, others 

 being widely separated ; others again are faintly marked on 

 their surface by two concentric rings. 



Of the real nature of this specimen, Dr. Wilks does not 

 venture to hazard an opinion. The structure is certainly very 

 remarkable, and we do not remember that anything exactly 

 similar has been recorded. 



Another interesting communication relative to a morbid 

 condition we have not previously described, also from the pen 



