10 s. E. Henschen\ 



The nerve bundles and fibres in the grey substance are otherwise, 

 with the exception of those in the immediate neighbourhoud of the cavity, 

 well preserved and normal and as numerous in the left as in the right half. 



The left lateral pyramid column lying nearest the cyste correspon- 

 ding with the greatest size of the cavity is partly degenerated, whilst 

 the right one is not. 



Cut 2 — 3 cm. above the point of the cauda. 



Already on a section 3 cm. above the cauda all signs of destruc- 

 tion in the left grey substance cease; the cornua show their normal con- 

 figuration on both sides, the ganglion cells in general have no processes 

 but have sharp outlines and distinct nuclei. Otherwise there is no di- 

 stinct degeneration in the white substance. 



The peripheral nerves. For the examination of the peripheral ner- 

 ves unfortunately the peripheral parts as well as muscles were missing, 

 not having been preserved by the pathologist who made the post-mortem 

 examination. I have thus been entirely confined to the pieces of spinal 

 nerves which were removed with cord as well as cauda equina. The 

 following nerves were examined: 5*^ cervical nerve, S"" cervical nerve 

 and 3"'' sacral nerve. The following changes were there met with. 



In the .5"' cervical nerve the most nerve-bundles are degenerated; 

 only few nerves are normal and well coloured. 



hi the S"' cervicalnerve the changes varied in different bundles. 

 In some the nerve sheaths of several nerve-fibres were well stained; 

 amongst such normal nerves, however others imperfectly coloured were 

 mixed, and some of the nerve fibres remained almost colourless. These 

 differences were best seen in the longitudinal sections. 



In the 3'''' sacral nerve the condition was also different in different 

 bundles. In some thicker nerve bundles some fibres were intensively 

 coloured in others only certain bundles, whilst others were in advan- 

 ced degeneration, finally in some all the fibres were totally colourless. 

 (Fig. 5, 6.) 



General conclusions. 



Etiology. 



There is no doubt that in the above described case intoxication 

 ■was really caused by arsenic. The whole illness corresponds so minutely 

 with that of similar published cases of poisoning, that it is almost im- 

 possible to doubt the etiology, moreover the symptoms do not correspond 



