ADIPOCERE. 



the primitive membrane, is true. If we ex- 

 amine a fistulous canal which has existed for 

 a certain time, we find it invested by a mem- 

 brane similar in appearance, and performing 

 an analogous function to the primitive mucous 

 membrane, so rapidly does nature under cer- 

 tain circumstances adapt an organ to the per- 

 formance of the function to which it is des- 

 tined. 



As it is therefore upon the organization of 

 this pseudo-membrane that the species of union 

 of which I am treating is dependent, some re- 

 mark upon that subject becomes necessary. It 

 has been maintained by Albers, Suemmering, 

 andLarrey, that these new formations upon mu- 

 cous membranes may become organized. The 

 former of these gentlemen believes that the 

 false membrane of croup is commonly organ- 

 ized. Soemmering, it is said, possessed pre- 

 parations which demonstrated the fact. Cail- 

 leau* supports this opinion, as well as Vil- 

 lermef and Guersent.J I have never seen 

 this membrane present the slightest vestige of 

 organization, nor have I ever found any one, 

 with the exceptions I have named, who has, 

 although, to my knowledge, they have been 

 sought for during many years, by a number 

 of the most competent observers of the present 

 day. And as I believe the investigations of 

 morbid phenomena are more accurately made 

 at present than at any former period, I adhere 

 to the opinion that organization of these mem- 

 branes upon mucous surfaces never occurs; 

 and that union by " the first intention " can 

 never occur in those canals which are invested 

 by mucous membrane. But when the com- 

 position of the mucous membrane becomes 

 destroyed or disorganized by inflammation, and 

 a granular surface is presented, adhesion may 

 be and is frequently produced. 



The epidermis with which the skin is fur- 

 nished forms an inorganic stratum which is 

 opposed to all adhesion; but remove this 

 epidermis, render the surface bleeding, or sup- 

 purating, and adhesion may be produced with 

 the greatest facility. It is against this ten- 

 dency we have constantly to struggle for the 

 purpose of preventing the adhesion of fingers 

 to each other, to the palm of the hand, and 

 so on, so common a consequence of burns. 

 Adhesion may in this tissue occur, therefore, 

 by the development of the fibrino-albuminous 

 medium, or by that of granulations. The 

 synovial membrane of joints may become 

 adherent, constituting a species of ankylosis, 

 which is termed " false." In these cases the 

 secretion of synovia diminishes and ultimately 

 ceases, the contiguous surfaces lose their polish, 

 become rugous, and contract adhesions. (See 

 JOINTS.) In osseous tissues, adhesion may 

 be effected either through the agency of the 

 albumino-fibrinous exhalation already de- 

 scribed, or that of granulations. (See BONE.) 

 In cartilaginous tissues the mechanism of ad- 



* Rapport du Concours sur le Croup. 



t Diet, des Sc. Med. torn, xxxii. p. 260. 



t Diet, de Med art. Croup. 



hesion is different ; and in speaking of the 

 process in these tissues, it is necessary to di- 

 vide the tissue into those which are invested 

 by a more or less dense fibrous perichondrium, 

 and those which are without it. To the first 

 appertain the cartilages of the ribs, of the 

 larynx, and all those which Bichat termed fibro- 

 cartilages. The second class comprehend the 

 diarthrodial. It is in fact, I believe, upon the 

 presence or absence of the perichondrium, that 

 are dependent the principal differences which 

 are presented in the pathological condition of 

 these organs. The non-diarthrodial as well 

 as the fibro-cartilages, when they are ruptured 

 or divided, are not united by a cartilaginous 

 substance. 



In the wounds of cartilages, with loss of 

 substance, there is formed a kind of cellulous 

 matter, which is a secretion from the perichon- 

 drium ; in fact no phenomena of reproduction 

 are observed where this membrane does not 

 exist ; thus it is never observed in diarthrodial 

 cartilages. We may cut and mutilate these 

 latter, and after many days we shall find the 

 wound almost as it was on the first day. 

 When the cartilages of the ribs are ruptured, 

 their union is often effected by an osseous ring 

 which surrounds the two fragments. See the 

 articles ARTERY, ENCEPHALON, NERVE, FI- 

 BROUS TISSUE, MUSCLE, VEIN, for the pheno- 

 mena of adhesion in these structures. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. Freeke, on the art of healing, 

 cicatrising, incarning, &c. 8vo. Lond. 1748. Bezoet, 

 De modo quo natura solutum redintegrat. 4to. 

 Lugd. Batav. 1763. (Rcc. in Sandifort Thes. Diss. 

 vol. iii. p. 147.) Spallanzani, Prodromo, &c. 

 sopra la reproduzione animali, 4to. Modena, 1768. 

 Ejus, Opiiscoli de fisica, &c. 2 vol. 8vo. Modena. 

 1776. Eyting, De consolidatione vulnerum. 4to. 

 Argent. 1770. Moore, On the process of nature in 

 the filling up of cavities, healing wounds, &c. 4to. 

 Lond. 1789. Nannoni, De Similium partium corp. 

 hum. constit. regeneratione. (In Roemeri Delect. 

 Opusc. Ital. vol. i.) Arnemann, Versuche neber 

 die Regeneration an lebenden Thieren. 8vo. Gotting. 

 1782. Murray, De redintegratione partium, &c. 

 8vo. Cassel, 1786. Bell, Discourses on wounds. 

 8vo. Edin. 17951812. Balfour, Obs. on Adhe- 

 sion. 8vo. Lond. 1815. Stoll, Ratio Medendi, pars 

 v. & vii.8vo. Vienna, 1768. Hunter on the Blood, 

 Inflammation, &c. Bichat, Anatomie Gen. Beclard, 

 ditto. Breschet, Diet, de Med. art. Adherence. 

 Cruveilhier, Diet, de Med. et Chir. Prat. art. 

 Adhesions. Laennec, De 1' Auscultation Mediate, 

 torn. ii. pp. 111. et seq. Brande, in Phil. Trans. 

 1818. Gendrin, Hist. Anat. des Infl. passim. 

 2 torn. Paris, 1826. Andral's Pathological Ana- 

 tomy. Home on Ulcers. 8vo. Lond. 1801. 



(Benjamin Phillips,) 



ADIPOCERE, from adeps and cera: a term 

 given to a peculiar fatty matter, somewhat re- 

 sembling spermaceti in appearance, and sup- 

 posed to partake of the properties of fat and 

 wax. In the year 1789, Fourcroy communi- 

 cated to the Royal Academy of Sciences at 

 Paris a curious account of the changes sus- 

 tained by the human bodies interred in the 

 cemetery of the Innocents in that city; some 

 of these had been piled, for a succession of 

 years, closely upon each other, in large cavities 

 containing from one thousand to fifteen hundred 



