NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 163 



nective tissue. The vessels of the membranes sliow a general con- 

 gestion and a few minute haemorrhages are present, but no cellu- 

 lar exudation or other evidence of acute inflammatory processes 

 is present, except for a considerable amount of clear serous effu- 

 sion between the membranes. The walls of the meningeal ves- 

 sels, in some cases, show a moderate degree of hyaline degenera- 

 tion. 



Cervical Cord. — The general structure shows no change but 

 the lymphatic spaces are much distended, particularly about the 

 vessels and the larger ganglion cells. The blood vessels show a 

 very general periarteritis, the hyperplastic tissue of the adventitia 

 being highh cellular. The intima in most instances is also thick- 

 ened and a few of the vessels show proliferation of the endo- 

 thelium. Occasional areas of granular necrosis are present, most 

 commonly about the larger lymph spaces and afifecting both gray 

 and Vvhite matter. The ganglion cells of the anterior horns show 

 degenerative alterations, the most frequent of which is eccen- 

 tricity of the nucleus with granular degeneration of the cytoplasm. 

 Other cells appear perfectly normal, while some are atrophied 

 and distorted. A good many cells contain many perinuclear gran- 

 ules which stain black with osmic acid. Sections prepared by the 

 osmic acid method show degenerated fibers in large numbers in 

 the posterior columns, mostly in the column of Goll, in the per- 

 ipheral portions of the lateral columns and in small numbers in 

 the cross pyramidal, direct pyramidal and the anterior ground 

 bundle. Degenerated fibers are also demonstrable in the pos- 

 terior nerve roots in very small numbers, but none can be found 

 in the anterior nerve roots in these levels. 



Dorsal Cord. — The alterations are like those of the cervical 

 cord, but the degenerated fibers occupy a relatively larger part 

 of the posterior columns and the anterior and lateral portions of 

 these levels are much less affected, while the (legeneratcd fibers 

 are more widely separated. 



Lmnhar and Sacral Cord. — Changes like those described above 

 are present throughout, but relatively fewer fibers are degenerated, 

 and those found are chiefly demonstrable in the lateral columns 

 and in the outer parts of the ])osterior tracts. 



Bone. — Bodv of dorsal vertebra. The block required but very 

 slight decalcification and could be easily cut with an nnlinary 

 scalpel before this was done. 



The periostium shows a general thickening in adult fibers and 

 the connective tissue cells are abnoriually numerous, but it docs 

 not present the picture of an active proliferative process. Xo 



