104 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



The important fact, however, is that appearances just like those 

 described above may be found in the normal omentum, viz. evidences 

 of cell proliferation, many nucleated or giant cells and masses of ade- 

 noid tissue. It appears then that the morbid changes that accompany 

 inflammation (as well as the formation of tubercle) are not only essen- 

 tially alike, but are identical with processes that are always going on 

 in the omentum, and not indicative of any special disease. 



The inflammatory changes or those of specific diseases differ from 

 the normal chiefly in their greater abundance and activity, and are 

 doubtless simply due to hypersemia and consequent increased nutri- 

 tion. It is probable that appearances, which are strictly normal, 

 have sometimes been described as those of disease. 



In consequence of the late hour no discussion followed. 



The President, having announced the next meeting for June 20th, 

 at 8 P.M., the meeting resolved itself into a conversazione. 



The sixth ordinary meeting of the above Society was held at the 

 Eoyal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital, on June 19th, at 8 p.m. — 

 Jabez Hogg, Esq., President, in the chair. 



The minutes of the last meeting having been read, the President 

 read a paper on the "Histological Difference between Croup and 

 Diphtheria." The paper is published in full at p. 78. 



In the discussion that followed. Dr. Pritchard considered that the 

 presence of the Oidium albicans in diphtheritic membrane indicated 

 only a deteriorated condition of the blood, as it was to be found at 

 times in cases of blood poisoning. He also thought that inclusion of 

 the nerve fibrils in a mass of inflammatory tissue scarcely sufficient to 

 explain the paralysis of diphtheria. 



Dr. Bruce, in cases of croup that he had examined, had never 

 found epithelium in the membranous exudation, as Mr. Hogg had 

 described ; but had observed infiltration of the sub-mucous connective 

 tissue with exudation cells. 



Mr. Golding Bird agreed with the last speaker as to the presence 

 of exudation cells (white blood corpuscles) in the croup membrane ; 

 and these he had noticed arranged in a linear manner of two or three 

 deep between the corrugations of the apparently structureless mem- 

 brane. He had never noticed epithelium. 



The President, in reply, stated that his specimens had been chiefly 

 obtained from patients by means of emetics, and was almost inclined 

 to agree with a member who had stated that another epidemic of 

 diphtheria was needed before the histological differences between 

 croup and diphtheria were fully understood. He thought the para- 

 lysis of the latter affection owing to disintcgi'ation of the nerve fibrils, 

 and not to pressure. 



The meeting then resolved itself into a conversazione. The Pre- 

 sident exhibited specimens of croup and diphtheritic membranes, 

 illustrative of his jiaper. 



