NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 161 



tion and a few of them are surrounded by an area in which the 

 neurogha is somewhat thickened. A few of the larger l\-mph 

 spaces are surrounded by narrow zones in which a granular 

 necrosis is present. The ganglion cells of the anterior horns show 

 many evidences of degeneration, some of them are atrophic and 

 more or less distorted, others show a simple deposition of coarse 

 granules in their cytoplasm, while still others show only slight 

 disintegration of the chromophilic plaques, no constant alteration 

 is present, and doubtless at least a part of the changes are of post- 

 mortem origin. Sections stained by the modified Marchii method 

 show many degenerated fibers in the posterior columns, particu- 

 larly in the column of GoU, in the anterior ground bundle and a 

 few isolated degenerated fibers in the direct pyramidal tracts. 



Dorsal Cord. — Changes exactly similar to those described in 

 the cervical cord are present, except that the column of Burdach 

 is more involved in these levels and that relatively fewer degen- 

 erated fibers are seen in the anterior pyramids. 



Lumbar and Sacral Cord. — General alterations like those of the 

 upper segments are demonstrable, but degenerated fibers are rela- 

 tively infrequent in the small posterior columns and are found 

 only widely separated and in small number in the anterior col- 

 umns. 



Cauda Equina. — The vessels of these nerve trunks show quite 

 extensive hyaline degeneration and some of the trunks show an 

 increase in the amount of endoneurium. Degenerated fibers are 

 scattered throughout in small numbers, and are not confined to 

 any particular trunks, they are not so numerous as in the trunks 

 surrounding the lower dorsal segments, where many degenerated 

 fibers were demonstrated. 



Bones. — Sections taken through the head of the greatly soft- 

 ened femur show remarkable alterations. The layer of hyaline 

 cartilage surrounding the bone is thickened and is found to be 

 very highly cellular, much more so than normal except in the 

 early stage of cartilage formation. As many as twelve cells may 

 be found in a single lacuna and the arrangement into columns is 

 disrupted. The blending into osseous tissue takes place in a very 

 irregular line and at a generally deeper level than in the normal 

 bone, and, even in the centers of the bony islands, areas of carti- 

 laginous metaplasia are shown, while the borders of the bony 

 spicules are blended with mucoid or cartilaginous tissue and occa- 

 sional osteoclasts are scattered along them. In the greater part 

 of the head of the bone, circular or oval areas of chondrification 

 are found, the outer borders of which present radiating columns 



