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are likewise indicated in the scheme, in the first place, because 

 it is possible that someother, perhaps hereditary, abnormality of 

 the skeleton was present, and in tlie second place, because perhaps 

 the occurrence of severe rachitis point to an heriditary inferiority 

 of the skeleton. 



Now it appears that all the congenital defects in this family 

 relate to products of the mesenchyme. There are however some 

 mesenchyme-derivations, where about we did not yet speak. These 

 are the spleen, the lymph-glands and -vessels, the conjunctive 

 cellular tissue and the involuntary muscles. Were these groups of 

 organs perhaps not defect in design ? In order to find an answer 

 to this question we must consider the following: 



We still know so little about the physiology of the spleen that we 

 cannot be astonished, if an inferiority of this organ, which we can 

 miss entirely even without any disturbance worth mentioning, does 

 not come to expression in a clinical respect. But moreover and 

 especially, it is very doubtful whether the spleen originates in the 

 mesenchyme. 



As to the lymph-glands and -vessels we are struck by the fact 

 that so much lymph-gland-tuberculosis occurs in this family, whereas 

 the relation of frequency between tuberculosis of the lymph-glands 

 on the one hand and that of other organs on the other hand is very 

 large. Perhaps we may see in this fact a proof of inferiority 

 expressing itself in a diminished resistance of the lymph-apparatus 

 against infection with the bacilli of tuberculosis. 



With regard to the three latter groups: conjunctive cellular tissue, 

 ligaments and involuntary muscles it must be boru in mind, that 

 the physiological signification of this tissues, hidden in the body, 

 is only of a secondary vital interest. And if we consider now, 

 that the blue sclerotics are only recognised as such, thanks to 

 their superficial situation, we need not be astonished that a less 

 strong design and a decreased power of resistance of these tissues 

 needs not come to expression in a clinical respect. We still remark 

 moreover that many women of this family and even men showed 

 the type of the ''habitus atonicus sive asthenicus" ; 1 leave undecided 

 however, whether this should be considered as a proof of a con- 

 genital inferiority of the ligaments. 



Taking all in all it is not doubtful, but the results of the 

 scrutinous examination of these three patients and of the other 

 members of the family form a strong support for the hypothesis 

 stated above. 



There is however more. Whilst the three patients showed us an 



