LIVERPOOL MEDICAL INSTITUTION. 209 



vessels taking on a cancerous growth. The liver cells appear to 

 take no part in the formation of cancer, but are stretched by the 

 growth taking place in the vessels, and ultimately disappear. 

 On examining livers affected with primary cancer, Dr. Davidson 

 observed their connective tissue to be greatly increased both in 

 the portal canals and between the rows of liver cells; while at 

 intervals are seen groups of liver and other cells enclosed by the 

 bands of newly formed connective tissue, so that it is very difSc-ult 

 to say whether in these cases the liver cells do not by degrees 

 pass into cancer cells. 



At the same meeting Mr. Newton exhibited a specimen showing 

 " seeds of a foreign fruit, uric acid crystals, very large crystals 

 of the triple phosphates, and mannite," which had been passed 

 per rectum by a patient presenting the symptoms of passing gall- 

 stones. In the discussion which followed several gentlemen 

 mentioned instances of patients passing phosphatie and uric acid 

 crystals, for several days in succession, along with the fasces. 

 The meeting was brought to a close by the members proceeding 

 to examine the specimens placed under about a score of micro- 

 scopes, and illustrative of the paper and communication for the 

 evening. 



The third meeting was held on December 12th, 1873. The 

 paper read on this occasion by Mr. D. J. Hamilton on " The 

 Morbid Anatomy of Epilepsy" was very exhaustive and replete 

 with original research. At the author's request we refrain from 

 further notice of it, as he intends ere long to publish it in extenso. 

 Mr. D. J. Hamilton illustrated his paper by numerous sections 

 of the spinal cord from epileptics ; and exhibited also a section of 

 an hypertrophied lymphatic gland. 



The fourth meeting was held on January 30tb, 1874, when 

 Mr. Eushton Parker read a paper on " The Development and 

 Growth of the Mammary Gland, and its Minute Anatomy in 

 Health and Disease." Developed from the outermost laver of 

 the blastoderm, the mammary gland is first recognisable in the 

 foetus of the tliird month as a series of single tubes converging to 

 a central point and which afterwards extend beneath the skin by 

 a budding and lengthening of themselves and their offshoots ; 

 the nipple being substituted at this date by a depression. At 

 birth the gland consists of a number of tubes radiating from the 

 nipples, lined with columnar epithelium, and ending blindly at 

 the tip of each ray. At puberty in the female these blind tips of 

 the gland ducts grow out into vesicles (termed acini) lined by 

 spherical epithelial cells which under the influence of mutual 

 pressure become polyhedral and slightly angular. The acini next 

 multiply, form clusters like grapes, and are surrounded by an 

 abundance of connective tissue. When the first pregnancy takes 

 place the acini become further multiplied, each mammary lobe 

 enlarges, more blood passes through, and the connective tissue 

 gets succulent. Each acinus acquires an increased epithelial area, 

 new cells forming rapidly and becoming insinuated between 



