DR. BEALE, ON THE TISSUES, 263 



accumiilates in the liver, and in other tissues of the body, in 

 an insolrible form. It is probable, however, that tliis amyloid 

 materia] is act alone produced in the liver, for in disqaige it is 

 found in connexion with almost all the tissues, especially in 

 the coats of the arteries. 



Busk and Bonders stated that the so-called amyloid bodies 

 in the brain, and other parts of the nervous system, were 

 actually composed of starch. Mr. Busk described their con- 

 centric laminte, and stated that they behaved towards polar- 

 ized light and iodine just as starch does. Of late, however, 

 doubt has been thrown upon many of these statements by 

 the detection of starch almost everywhere, and it has been 

 hinted, or actually asserted, that in many cases in which 

 starch had been detected it had an extraneous origin. Un- 

 questionablj^ there are cases in which this mistake has been 

 made. Several have come under my own observation ; but I 

 feel sure that Busk and Donders were quite alive to the 

 possibility of such an origin of the starch, and Virchow has 

 especially cautioned observers against mistaking starch and 

 cellulose accidentally present for the substances actually 

 formed in the living animal tissue. 



It seems a pity that anyone should record negative results 

 in an examination like the present, especially as, where is well 

 known, there is some difficulty in obtaining a uniform action 

 from the test, unless he has devoted considerable time to all 

 the little niceties which experience proves to be necessary in 

 employing chemical tests in minute investigations. 



Within the last few days Dr. Beale had received a specimen 

 of a cancerous liver, which weighed upwards of thirteen 

 pounds, containing numerous bodies exactly resembling starch- 

 granules. These bodies exhibited the concentric layers, and 

 were coloured dark blue by iodine and sulphuric acid. The 

 evidence here against the accidental presence of starch is 

 most positive. — 1. From the testimony of Dr. Webb, of 

 Wicksworth, by whom the specimen was sent for examination. 

 2. From the fact that these bodies were found in sections 

 cut from the very centre of the mass. 3. That the starch 

 bodies may be seen in the specimens actually imbedded in 

 the tissue, and they may be removed with fragments of the 

 tissue of the liver adherent to them. 



The specimens have been preserved ; and it is believed they 

 will keep for years. 



Under certain circumstances, then, it appears that the 

 formed material produced by the germinal matter of certain 

 elementary parts, both in vegetables and animals, may become 

 resolved into starchy and other substances. The starchy 



VOL. 1. NEW SEK. T 



