Sarcoma of the Spine. 537 



are fused at their anterior margins. The lower vertebrae are 

 greatly broken, and there are large spaces in the position of the 

 intervertebral discs. This is probably an instance of arthritis 

 deformans, vnih. post-mortem injury of the bone. 



W. C. H. 50. 



IV. NEW GROWTH AFFECTING THE SPINE. 



7. 266. Sarcoma affecting- the Spine.— Section of the lumbar 



portion of the spine of a young person — in spirit, illustrating 

 the above. 



William A., a weakly-looking boy, aged 10 years, was admitted to 

 Ward 10 in December 1892 under the care of Mr Duncan, complaining 

 of loss of power in both lower extremities. His lower limbs were almost 

 entirely paralysed, but lie could turn himself on to his face. Sensation 

 in his legs was dulled, but not entirely lost ; he could localise touches with 

 the fingers, but could not say with how many fingers he was touched. 

 A rounded swelling apparently connected with the bone could be felt over 

 the head and upper part of the left fibula. There was a slight deforinity 

 of the spine in the lower dorsal and upper lumbar regions. Patient 

 showed great tendency to the formation of bedsores, and required constant 

 change of position. His feet became very cedematous, and large blebs formed 

 on them, which were prevented from breaking by the application of wool 

 and collodion. His prepuce was also very cedematous, and rendered the 

 passage of a catheter difficult. 



The patient had been sent into the Infirmary as a case of Potts' 

 disease. From the anomalous character of some of the symptoms, this 

 diagnosis was considered doubtful, but a plaster jacket was applied, and 

 he was kept in bed. 



Not long afterwards, however, the jacket had to be removed on 

 account of a swelling of his abdomen. Towards the end of December he had 

 retention of urine, and this was shortly followed by incontinence of both 

 urine and ffeces. About the beginning of January a hard swelling 

 appeared above the pubes, and rapidly increased in size. On 10th 

 January there was ptosis of the left eyelid, and shortly after that jjtosis 

 of the right also, with internal strabismus as well. The patient got 

 gradually weaker, and died on 24th January, having sufi'ered very little 

 pain from first to last. 



At the post-mortem examination, within the thorax there was found 

 a large tumour about the size of a hen's egg in the upper dorsal region, 

 and also a "warty" tumour all along the right side of the vertebral 

 column. A tumour was present on the posterior surface of the right 

 lung. 



