510 CANCER OF THE SPINE. 



made nearly equal ravages, extending into the foramen at the base of 

 the odontoid process. Immediately above the transverse process, on 

 the same side, the destruction of bone extended from an inch and a 

 half upwards and backwards, invading a nearly circular portion, and 

 removing a large part of the articulation formed by the left half of the 

 spinous process of the dentata and the anterior articular process of the 

 third vertebra. At the antero-inferior part of the body of the bone the 

 disease had established a complete communication nearly an inch 

 in diameter with the spinal canal, but the dura mater was not de- 

 stroyed. 



" In all the affected portions there was a considerable quantity of 

 bony material removed, forming large cavities, which were filled with a 

 reddish-looking mass, and presenting precisely the same appearances as 

 those of the lumbar spine. In the third and fourth vertebrae the 

 lesions were less extensive, but showed the same characteristic appear- 

 ances." 



In a letter addressed by me to Mr Hunting in the 

 month of March 1863, I gave the following description 

 of the morbid appearances : 



" The kidney is greatly enlarged, weighing thirty-six ounces, flabby, 

 of normal colour throughout, and its pelvis contains a large quantity of 

 epithelium in a scanty fluid. 



" Connected with the posterior part of the kidney is a portion of 

 aorta, around which the cellular tissue forms circumscribed cysts by its 

 condensation, and is infiltrated with pus. The pus is homogeneous, 

 creamy, strongly charged with corpuscles, whether nucleated or simply 

 granular, and not mixed with heterologous productions. I have failed 

 to determine any relation between the abscesses in question and the 

 lumbar glands ; though, on cutting into the mass at first, a gelatinous 

 infiltration caused me to suspect I had to deal with suppurating lym- 

 phatic glands. 



" With reference to the portion of spine consisting of five lumbar 

 vertebrae, the bodies of two contiguous ones are broken down and de- 

 stroyed : they are perforated from side to side, and the cavities formed 

 contain bony spicula, in great part held together by the inferior verte- 

 bral ligament, and imbedded in a violet-red pultaceous mass of the 

 consistence of brain substance. The spinous processes of the first two 

 appear healthy ; the second slightly hypertrophied at its base. On the 



