646 



THE TEETH. 



formed. Where these masses had fallen out, an empty, fibrous sac is left 

 behind. (See Fig. 282.) I am unable to observe any positive connection 

 between the blood-vessels and the calcified masses; though sometimes a 

 capillary blood-vessel maybe attached to the capsule ensheathing the calcified 

 mass, or it may occur that a capillary vessel is dilated like a small aneurism, 

 and contains a calcified mass. 



A peculiar change of the pulp-tissue, which I have observed both with and 

 without calcifications, is much rarer. It consists of a transformation of the 

 myxomatous tissue into a shining, nearly homogeneous, mass, devoid of a dis- 

 tinct demarcation toward the unchanged tissue of the pulp. In this homoge- 

 neous mass, which may vary greatly in extent, we recognize granular, stringy 

 formations, and sometimes smaller bundles of nerve-fibers, not noticeably 

 changed in their structure. In some instances, the nerve-fibers within such 

 fields were dark and coarsely granular, as if composed of crumbs. 



FIG. 282. CALCIFICATION OF PULP. 



C, calcareous depositions in fields corresponding to former medullary corpuscles ; M, med- 

 ullary corpuscle not infiltrated with lime-salts ; f, plastid in the middle of the calcified mass ; 

 F, capsule of fibrous connective tissue. Magnified 500 diameters. 



All I can say as to the re-agents applied is that the homogeneous mass 

 stains readily with carmine. 



Changes of tissues of this character are common in different organs, espe- 

 cially in the spleen, the liver, and the kidneys. They always indicate a low 

 degree of nutrition, and are said to be especially caused by syphilis. This 

 change bears the name of " amyloid or waxy degeneration." Its nature, how- 

 ever, is far from being known. 



Dcntinification, Eburnification, and Ossification. It was necessary to offer 

 new terms for the designation of a process which, although known for many 

 years, never has been fully understood. I refer to the new formations of den- 



