MORBID ANATOMY. 209 



black, and in many cases the parenchyma so much softened 

 that the entire organ resembles nothing more than a quantity 

 of tar enclosed in a membrane. Over the surface, in par- 

 ticular cases, nodulation, or moderate elevations, may exist, over 

 which the investing membrane has in some cases been found 

 ruptured. 



The condition of the liver and kidneys is very similar to 

 that of the spleen — in neither, however, do we ever see the 

 retained blood so dark and tarry-looking ; and although the 

 friabihty of the liver is often very marked, it is rarely of that 

 perfectly diffluent character we so often encounter in the 

 splenic pulp. The membrane in the pelvis of the kidney may 

 be ecchymosed, as also that lining the bladder, which often 

 contains a moderate amount of bloody coloured urine. 



The lesions of the brain partake much of the same character 

 a,s those of the parts described ; thus we may have congestion 

 of cerebral and meningeal vessels, and effusion of the peculiar 

 material into the cavities and substance. The pia mater, velum 

 interpositum, and choroid plexus especially present this tur- 

 gescence with dark- coloured blood. The spinal cord and the 

 theca vertebralis present similar conditions. The nasal cavities, 

 the pituitary membrane, the structures about the eyes, the mam- 

 mary gland, the scrotum, indeed every region and organ, may 

 be the seat of its attack. 



Besides these obvious physical and chemical changes which 

 the blood has undergone in anthrax, and the important part it 

 plays in the existence of the characteristic exudations and 

 extravasations, together with its tendency, and all connected 

 with it, to rapidly undergo further changes, there are, when we 

 examine it more closely, marked alterations which have 

 occurred to it ; and although all these may not be special to 

 the disease, there exists, at least, a close relation between them 

 and the production of the phenomena we have been describing. 

 In addition to the alteration in colour so obvious, we find, on 

 examination, the blood has somewhat increased in density 

 from loss of its more fluid portions ; there is also a marked 

 decrease in its fibrine-producing elements, which in a large 

 measure accounts for the want of power shown by anthrax 

 blood to coagulate. 



In the formed materials of the blood we also notice a 



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