DROPSY, HYPERTROPHY AND DEGENERATION. 71 



•imperfect nutrition; (2) inflammation; (3) high fever; (4) 

 poisons Hke phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, etc. 



Calcareous degeneration and infiltration are marked by de- 

 posit of lime salts into or between the tissue elements and may 

 be caused by anything that results in imperfect nutrition and 

 .lessened vitality. These conditions occur more frequently in the 

 tissues of older people or animals. The muscular coat of the 

 arteries sometimes becomes calcified and brittle in old people and 

 -may even break under some unusual strain. 



There are various other degenerations and infiltrations be- 

 sides these two named ; but in each case there occurs the deposit 

 •of some inferior tissue into or between the proper elements of 

 the organ. 



Collapse. — The symptoms are : temperature below normal ; 

 ■surface of body cold ; respirations very shallow and slow ; pulse 

 feeble and very slow or very fast. 



Collapse may be the result of (a) a very high fever, (b) 

 poison, (c) suppression of secretion or excretion, (d) rupture 

 •of internal organs, (e) excessive haemorrhages, (f) decomposi- 

 tion of the blood. 



Syncope is nearly the same as collapse, except more sudden 

 and the symptoms are very brief. 



Death begins at heart, lungs or brain. Heart failure (syn- 

 cope) is very sudden. Lung failure results in sufifocation or 

 .asphyxia. Brain failures develop slow symptoms, stupor being 

 present. When death occurs because the blood is altered, the 

 3ieart first ceases action. 



