( 200 ) 

 PKOGEESS OF MICEOSCOPICAL SCIENCE. 



The Histology of Leucocythcemia. — In Vircliow's ' ArcLiv ' * 

 occurs au admirable i)apor by Professor Bolliuger, of Zurich, which 

 has been fully translated by the ' Medical Record ' (June 3rd), and 

 which we give here in part. He says that in the spleens of dogs 

 there occur with unusual frequency — according to his observations, 

 made alike on healthy and on diseased animals, in at least 10 per 

 cent, of all dogs — true lymi^homata. It is extremely probable that 

 tbese form the starting point of leucocythfemia : in the case already 

 related the splenic nodules were certainly present at the beginning of 

 the disease. In confirmation of this assumption, he can bring forward 

 a case observed in a dog, affording an instance of leucocythaimia in 

 the incipient stage, which rarely comes under observation. 



A very large old male dog was brought to the veterinary school in 

 this place to be killed. It did not show any special signs of disease, 

 and shortly before death ate abundantly with good appetite. The 

 body was examined on May 6, 1871. 



There were splenic leucocythfemia, and a large lymphoma of the 

 sjileen. The relation of the white to the red blood-corj)uscles in the 

 general circulation was 1 to 30 or 40; in the blood of the splenic 

 vein, 1 to 10 or 15. 



The animal was rather thin. The lungs were of normal extent, 

 rather emphysematous, and strongly pigmented. On the left side 

 were some subpleural hard bodies as large as pins' heads, which on 

 microscopic examination were found to be bony deposits. The air- 

 passages were normal. There was no remarkable change in the heart. 

 Above the aortic valves, near the mouth of the coronary arteries, 

 there was a prominence of the size of a lentil, with a rough surface, 

 and mostly calcified : around it was distinct atheromatous thickening 

 of the inner coat. On opening the abdominal cavity, a tumour nearly 

 as large as a child's head was observed ; it was covered by the great 

 omentum, lay in front of the left kidney, and proceeded from the 

 posterior surface of the upper part of the spleen. While the spleen 

 itself was in other i:)arts normal, containing little blood, of a i^ale 

 flesh-red colour, and moderately firm, the tumour was of soft elastic 

 consistence, of a shining dark-violet aspect, with the peritoneal invest- 

 ment much distended and at several points closely adherent to tlie 

 omentum. On section, the tumour was found to consist of a spleni- 

 form dark brown-red tissue of slight consistence, having imbedded in 

 it numerous deposits, mostly miliary, partly whitish, partly grey and 

 diaphanous ; they differed in no respect from the normal Malpighian 

 bodies. In some parts towards the interior, these greyish-white de- 

 posits predominated so much over the remaining tissue as to become 

 confluent. On microscopic examination, the whole tumour showed all 

 the elements of the normal spleen ; but in place of the fine Malpighian 



* Baud lis., Hcfte 3 aud 4. 



