PKOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 119 



felt in the groin, as well as deeply beneath the muscles of the thigh. 

 The patient eventually died from chest complication, frequent haemop- 

 tysis being a leading symptom at the post mortem. The growth on 

 the leg was found, as diagnosed, to be osteo sarcoma, while similar 

 growi;hs were found on various parts of the body, and especially in 

 the lungs. Microscopically, the growth on the tibia, which was sub- 

 periosteal, had the characters of true osteo sarcoma ; but elsewhere only 

 calcareous material was found instead of bone with lacunae. 



Specimens and drawings illustrative of the case were exhibited. 

 The case will be published fully elsewhere. 



Mr. Golding Bird objected to the term osteo sarcoma, since cal- 

 careous deposit in lieu of bone was found except in one place. He 

 considered the earthy deposit as accidental rather than essential to 

 the growth, and as indicating degeneration. 



Dr. Pritchard did not consider calcification in all cases a degene- 

 ration : from its early appearance at times in morbid tissues, he con- 

 sidered it as much a part of the growth in which it occurred as was 

 true bone in an osteo sarcoma. 



Mr. Needham, in reply, agi-eed with Dr. Pritchard in not consider- 

 ing the calcification as degenerative ; and was willing to confine the 

 term osteo sarcoma to the parts of the growth only where osseous 

 tissue with lacunae could be found. 



Imbedding in Elder Pith. — Mr. Golding Bird read a paper on the 

 method adopted abroad of cutting sections of tissues imbedded in elder 

 pith and packed in a microtome especially adapted for the purpose. 

 The various steps in the operation were exhibited and explained at 

 the same time. The principle on which the process depends is the 

 expansion of the dried elder pith on the addition of water, so that if 

 packed in the tube of the microtome in the dried state, and then 

 allowed to imbibe moisture, anything previously imbedded in it is 

 firmly gripped. 



In the discussion that followed, — • 



Mr. Needham thought the pith would not give sufficient support 

 on all sides. 



Mr. Groves approved of the combined use of pith and wax in the 

 way that had been shown as overcoming many difiiculties in the use of 

 wax for imbedding in a microtome, and as rendering the pith more 

 efficient in some cases. Did not prefer a microtome that had to be 

 held in the hand. 



Mr. Giles thought the small size of the bore of the instrument 

 might be at times objectionable. Suggested the use of dried carrot if 

 pith could not be obtained : it would swell and soften, on the addition 

 of water, like pith. 



The Chairman objected to the pith packing in the case of diseased 

 spinal cord, though in a healthy specimen the pressure exerted might 

 not be deleterious. On the whole he thought the method described 

 simple, quick, and one giving comparatively no trouble ; while the 

 microtome being held in the hand was for some reasons an advantage. 

 He should certainly adopt the pith process in future. 



Mr. Golding Bird, in reply, stated, that if properly arranged equal 



