THE MORBID CHANGES. 195 



lectures — vol. ii., art. viii. A similar obelisk, without 

 auy device, stands side by side with Goodsir's, and 

 bears — "Edward Forbes, Naturalist, born February 12, 

 1815; died November 18, 1854." 



The autopsy and the microscopic examination of 

 the spinal cord were made by his assistants Dr. Chiene 

 and Mr. Stirling. 



The brain weighed 57-J- ounces avoirdupois, and 

 was rich in convolutions ; it was anaemic, but otherwise 

 apparently healthy. The cord was removed below the 

 third cervical vertebra, and weighed, together with the 

 membranes and nerve roots, 3 ounces. The mem- 

 branes were thickened and opaque, more especially on 

 the posterior surface, the opacity of the arachnoid pre- 

 vented the observer from seeing the condition of the 

 cord until that membrane was removed. There was no 

 appearance of recent inflammatory formation. The 

 posterior roots and their ganglia were congested. The 

 cord was greatly atrophied, and the cervical and lumbar 

 enlargements were no longer recognisable : a common 

 drawing pencil flattened on two of its surfaces may 

 give an idea of its circumference. After hardening in 

 chromic acid, it was found impossible to make perfect 

 sections, either transversely or longitudinally, as the 

 columnar part of the cord, more especially posteriorly, 

 broke away from the grey matter. These sections 

 were not so distinctly coloured with carmine as in a 

 healthy cord The grey matter examined with a power 

 of 300 diameters presented large and distincl multi- 

 polar nerve cells in the anterior born of the lumbar 



