132 Veterinaiy Medicine. 



While this has properties resenibling albumen it is distinguished 

 by the fact that the precipitate thrown down in it b}' alcohol is 

 softened and redissolved on the addition of water. The precipi- 

 tate thrown down in an albuminous liquid is insoluble in water. 



The formation of this mucous exudate is liable to be followed 

 by fat so that Virchow considered it as antecedent to fat forma- 

 tion. This is especially noticeable in the early stages of the 

 cholesteatomata of the choroid plexus of the horse, in which, as 

 observed by Flirstenberg, Lassaigne, and Verheyen, the new for- 

 mation is at first a myxoma, which later becomes filled up with 

 cholesterine. 



Recent observations tend to discredit the alleged distinctive 

 character of myxoma. The meshes of all connective tissue con- 

 tain a perceptible amount of mucin. CBdematous subcutaneous 

 connective tissue contains this mucin in greater proportion and 

 approximates to the condition of mucous ti.ssue. The umbilical 

 cord, which has been long advanced as the physiological type of 

 mucous tissue, has been shown to consist of ordinary connective 

 tissue with an abundance of fluid in its meshes. 



Koster denies that the myxoma is a special type of tumor, and 

 holds that it is only a condition that may arise in any tumor 

 which contains connective tissue. In other words, myxoma is 

 only an oedematous condition of the connective tissue neoplasm — 

 fibroma, sarcoma, carcinoma, etc. — due to passive congestion or 

 other circulatory disturbance. 



As seen in the brain of the horse the formation is usually of the 

 nature of a myxo-lipoma, as the final outcome is usually the 

 cholesterine bearing niass.^ In other cases the connective tissue 

 spaces become further distended with the vi.scous, gelatinoid 

 liquid and form veritable cysts — myxoma-cystoides. 



In tumors of this kind affecting the choroid plexus the chain 

 of symptoms is e.ssentially the same as given under cholesteatoma 

 and the prognosis is nearly equally grave. It need only be .said 

 that in recent cases in which there is as yet little permanent 

 tissue, measures may sometimes be hopefully adopted, to secure 

 the reabsorption of liquid constituents, and even perchance to re- 

 move .some obvious cause of passive congestion upon which the 

 effusion depends. 



