SCROFULOUS OSTITIS. 161 



herent to the subcutaneous tissue, and intimately blended with 

 it. The subcutaneous substance consisted of an inflammatory 

 exudate of considerable thickness, having a pale bluish appear- 

 ance, a vitreous character, and quite structureless ; it was so 

 intimately infiltrated within the textures of the tendons and 

 ligaments beneath, that it was with difficulty detached from 

 them. 



Throughout this exudate were a number of sinuses of various 

 sizes and figures, containing a yellow semi-fluid, granular-look- 

 ing substance, which, on examination with the microscope, pre- 

 sented all the characteristic appearances of tubercular pus, and 

 a very few tubercle corpuscles mixed with it. 



The cavities in which the substance was contained varied in 

 size from a pin-head to that of a bean, the smaller ones being for 

 the most part circular in figure, while the larger ones varied very 

 much, their form and outline making it evident that their en- 

 largement was due to the confluence of two or more smaller 

 ones. Notwithstanding the number of these little cavities, there 

 was very little of that apparent inflammation in the immediately 

 surrounding textures which we invariably find in the formation 

 of an ordinary abscess. 



On making a longitudinal section of the bones, I found in the 

 first or upper phalanges not only the medullary canal filled with 

 lymphoid material, but the whole of the cancellated tissue en- 

 tirely replaced by that substance. The bones of the second or 

 middle phalanx also contained a considerable quantity of it, but 

 there was no ulceration of the articular extremities. There was 

 a slight calcareous-looking deposit on the bones of the first 

 phalanx, but on examination it had no bony structure. 



The old writers described this disease as "joint-ill," and 

 ascribed it to rheumatism. I am of opinion that they were 

 wrong, as in its progress it differs most materially from rheuma- 

 tism. If the patient be under three or even four weeks old, the 

 first noticeable sign of the disease is a dribbling of urine from 

 the umbilical cord. In fact, the urachus has again become per- 

 vious, and allows the urine to escape, although the urethra is 

 quite in a normal condition, the animal having been seen to 

 urinate in a proper manner. Concomitant with this unnatural 

 flow of urine, the patient will be found stiff and lame in one, two, 

 or more of its limbs or joints ; the affected parts are swollen, 

 M 



