ANATOMY OF CIRRHOSIS. 101 



More recent writers, such as Gubler, Budd, Heiiocb, 

 Bamberger, and otbers refer cirrhosis to a chronic inflam- 

 mation of the liver. 



The French pathologists already referred to arrived 

 at no clear or definite results, because they all proceeded 

 upon in distinct views of the microscopical anatomy and 

 structure of the hepatic organ ; and it was left to the 

 brilliant investigations of our own Carswell, and more 

 particularly to the late Dr. Kiernan to point out to the 

 present and future generations the true nature of cir- 

 rhosis, and designated by them " Atrophy of the liver." 



ANATOMICALLY. The cirrhosis of Laennec is one of the 

 most important forms of atrophy of the liver which 

 comes under the notice of the physicians. In it we find 

 the organ is diminished to one-half, or even to one-third 

 of its normal bulk : and how are we able to account for 

 all this ? Let us see. One seldom has an opportunity of 

 tracing the development of induration of the liver 

 during life, or of examining anatomically the early 

 stages of the various morbid tissues ; for as a rule the 

 disease only comes under notice when it is more or less 

 developed, and when the consecutive disorders draw 

 attention to the organ primarily affected. Hence in the 

 majority of cases the GIN-DRINKER'S liver can only be 

 inferred during life by tracing backwards the clinical 

 history of such cases, where these morbid changes are 

 found after death. 



The liver, "as we have already pointed out in 

 another part of this Essay," is constructed of certain 

 blood-vessels, lymphatics, nerves, lobules, and bile- 

 ducts, which are supported and welded together ly 

 a framework of connective (areolar) tissue, which per- 



