GENERAL PATHOLOGY. 31 



food, combined with insufficient exercise and fresh air ; or 

 on the other, to increased absorption of fat from rapid 

 wasting of fatty tissues elsewhere. 



Albuminoid, or Lardaceous, or Amyloid Degeneration. — 

 In this form the material which infiltrates the tissues and 

 elements is a peculiar homogeneous, translucent substance 

 called lardacein. It impairs the vitality and functions of 

 the tissues, and alters their appearance. 



Lardacein is essentially a modification of albumen, with 

 a deficiency of potash and phosphoric acid, but with an 

 excess of soda and hydrochloric acid. When treated with 

 a weak solution of iodine, lardacein exhibits a characteristic 

 brown mahogany colour ; but some other forms of altered 

 albumen also exhibit a similar colour when similarly 

 tested. 



Methylaniline violet stains lardaceous substance violet 

 red, the healthy tissue being coloured indigo blue. 



Lardaceous degeneration is almost always of secondary 

 origin, occurring as a sequel of some other disease ; for ex- 

 ample, prolonged suppuration, or marasmus. A case in 

 Avhich it followed strangles is recorded by Williams. Lar- 

 daceous degeneration first appears in the muscular coats 

 of the small arteries, infiltrating the muscle fibre-cells and 

 adjacent coats of the interior, and eventually aff"ecting the 

 other coats. Thence it invades the cells and intercellular 

 substance of the surrounding parts. The affected tissue 

 elements at first enlarge, become smooth and rounded, lose 

 their nuclei, and tend to merge imperceptibly with adjacent 

 cells similarly infiltrated. 



A mass of homogeneous glistening material is thus formed, 

 which is scantily supplied with blood, partly owing to the 

 pressure exerted on the vessels by the swollen tissue, and 

 partly to the narrowing of the chanuels of the small arte- 

 ries by infiltration of their walls. 



