18 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [January, 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETIES. 



Essex County, N. J.— F. Vanderpoel, Secy. 



October ./, 1888. — A meeting was held at the office of Dr. Brown. 

 Two new members were elected. The subject for the meeting was 

 " k Pus," and was illustrated by slides prepared by Drs. Ay res and Brown. 

 Pus from a suppurating wound on the hand was examined under differ- 

 ent microscopes and with different powers. A case of acute Nephritis 

 furnished material for one of the slides. There was an animated dis- 

 cussion as to the true nature of pus, authorities differing on this subject. 

 The following were Dr. M. W. Ayres' remarks : — ■ 



The question of the origin of pus will be one to engage the atten- 

 tion of pathologists for some years to come, judging the coming experi- 

 ence by the past. 



The thraldom of authority is shown in the acceptance of the view 

 brought prominently forward by Cohnheim, in effect that the migration 

 and degeneration of leucocytes is the sole element in the formation of pus. 



Granting that leucocytes are present, what will account for the im- 

 mense majority of white over red, in pus, when in the interior of the 

 vessels the case is reversed, the ratio being 1 to 500? 



What special reason can be found for the diapedesis of a large cell in' 

 such immense quantities, when a relatively smaller and much more 

 numerous cell must remain within the capillary walls? 



In the inflammatory process there is a purpose to be accomplished, 

 viz., the removal of something from the individual, whatever may have 

 been the cause of the initial irritation. 



To best subserve the interest of the past, and the individual in gen- 

 eral, the efforts of the tissues are to isolate the infected district by cut- 

 ting oft' communication with the surrounding territory, and gradually 

 exfoliating or throwing off the now dying mass. Cut off from the cir- 

 culation, the cellular elements break down into pus, or a degenerated 

 mass of proliferated tissue-cells, the debris of blood, lymph, water, 

 salts, and gases. 



What, then, is the origin of this mass of exuded material? 



Without necessarily any blood supply of sufficiently large character 

 to warrant the assertion that nothing but leucocytes are present, the for- 

 mation of pus continues and will go on indefinitely, through the lique- 

 faction of material adjacent to the centre of irritation. 



Hence it will be found that the connective tissue corpuscle is the 

 prime seat of origin of the puriform mass, the corpuscles swelling, di- 

 viding, and throwing out rounded granulations and pus cells. 



October 18. — The meeting was held at the office of Dr. Brown. 

 The subject for the evening was l ' Blood," and the members brought a 

 variety of slides and specimens. 



Dr. Ayres brought some of the blood of a bitch which was reported 

 to have died of rabies. When mounted, the specimen was a very in- 

 teresting one. 



Other slides were shown, containing, respectively, blood from am- 

 phiuma, catfish, beaver, mouse, meadow-lark, horse, frog, and man. 



Mr. Carter had a slide containing some blood corpuscles, uncovered, 

 eleven years old. They were in a remarkable state of preservation. 



Mr. Woolman exhibited a photograph of blood plaques made by 



