ARTERY, PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF. 243 



appears as a patch, slightly elevated, of a red tumour before removal. If it be cut away 

 or purple colour, being generally of a brighter close to its defined edge, and without the ex- 

 hue on the face or breast, and darker on those tirpation of the zone of small vessels already 

 parts usually kept covered. The colour of the described, the bleeding is frightful, and in very 

 nasvus also seems to depend on the quality of young children may be fatal, evidently shewing 

 the blood with which it is altogether or prin- that these vessels are not endowed with con- 

 cipally supplied, as sometimes tumours are met tractility, and are a diseased and a new forma- 

 with which might be termed venous aneurisms tion. If a nsevus is injected, it only affords a 

 of this description, consisting evidently of swollen and unshapely mass of whatever ma- 

 veins indurated, knotted, and contorted on terial had been used, and throws no light what- 

 each other, increasing gradually, and never pul- ever on the real pathology of the disease. Here, 

 satile; these frequently occur in different parts then, in the absence of demonstration, theory 

 of the body of the same individual, and are always and conjecture are permitted, and all that is 

 attended more or less with pain. The arterial known, or supposed to be known, is only the 

 naevus is, however, most intimately connected fruit of speculation. 



with the present subject. It sometimes pre- Bell supposed the tumour to consist of a 

 sents an appearance as if irregularly granulated; congeries of cells, into each of which an artery 

 more frequently is it smooth and velvety. The and vein opened ; that these cells increased 

 deep stain possesses a sharp and circumscribed both in number and in size with the growth of 

 edge, yet a net-work of minute vessels may be the patient, until they became immense reser- 

 seen like an areola around it, conveying blood voirs of blood ; and, finally, that they became 

 to nourish the tumour, and therefore forming so distended as to burst and destroy life, as any 

 an important part of the diseased structure, other aneurism would, by a profuse discharge 

 The tumour is increased in size and intensity of of blood. But still this explanation is defec- 

 colour by every thing that accelerates the circu- tive, as showing nothing of the nature of the 

 lation by exercise, intemperance, paroxysms cells themselves, or why blood poured out into 

 of passion, and even by an elevation of tern- them should not coagulate as it would in any 

 perature, and hence the supposed marks of other cellular structure. It remained for Du- 

 currants and other fruits are said to grow red puytren to offer an ingenious and extremely 

 and ripen at the proper season. Its feel is probable hypothesis relative to these points, 

 doughy, and communicates a sensation as if it and he conceived the aneurism by anastomosis 

 contained a jelly. It sinks, and is diminished to be a " tissu erectile," analogous to that 

 by pressure on its surface, but immediately the naturally found in many parts of the body.* 

 pressure is removed it recovers its former level. In the penis of man, and in the clitoris 

 It may be stationary for years, but the contrary and mamella of woman, there is a particular 

 is generally observed ; its growth, however, is structure, capable of receiving, retaining in a 

 always irregular, being more rapid at one period fluid state, and afterwards returning a given 

 than another. 3. The distinguishing charac- quantity of blood. These organs are provided 

 teristic of the third form of naevus is its pulsa- with strong fibrous sheaths, that prevent their 

 tility. It beats synchronously with the heart distension beyond a certain size, and are fur- 

 and arteries. When wounded, blood of a nished with a number of nerves that preside 

 bright red colour flows from it, often in such over the circulation through them, and deter- 

 abundance as to occasion syncope or even more mine their conditions of erection and col- 

 dangerous consequences. As it grows larger, lapse. The abnormal " tissu erectile" consists 

 the skin gradually becomes thin ; it bursts and of a cellulated structure, in itself of the same 

 bleeds.; masses of coagula lie upon its surface, or a similar structure, but not being invested 

 putrefying and occasioning the most unsightly by a fibrous sheath or capsule, its growth is 

 appearance and most offensive odour. This unrestrained, and the size to which it may 

 is a condition that cannot endure long, the attain has no limit; and as it has not a similar 

 patient soon becomes irritable and weak, and distribution of nerves, there is nothing to occa- 

 falls a victim to that irregular, ill-formed hectic sion either unwonted distension or collapse, and 

 which is seen in every disease accompanied by it is left solely under the influence of those 

 extensive haemorrhages. It is manifest that the causes that act upon the circulation. (See 

 distinctions between these latter forms of naevi 



are merely artificial ; the second can be made , The , ate Mr Shekelton of Dllblin injected one 



to pulsate and to increase by heat or intern- of these tumours with wax from a large artery in 



perance,'the third can often be restrained by cold, its vicinity, and corroded away the animal matter 



by abstinence, and other means that debilitate by immersing it in a weak acid solution, by which 



the circulation. it was shewn to consist of a congeries of vessels 



The external appearances, however, yield no arranged in a retiform manner, dilated at some 



. f {... V points and contracted at others. An able and m- 



mformation as to the condition of the parts [ eresting paper was read on this subject, and on 



within, or the nature of this newly-formed struc- the tortuosity of arteries generally, to the medical 



ture; and on this subject anatomical investiga- section of the British Association, which lately 



tion affords but little satisfactory knowledge, met at Dublin. The great attainments of its author 



When a nsavus is extirpated, it seems to consist ,( M , r - Adams) in pathological science lead us to 



f r 11 look, not without some degree of impatience, lor 



of a mass of cellular tissue, collapsed and the f ull pub ii cation of the paper, of which but an 



flaccid, which cannot be unravelled, and seems imperfect report has appeared in the Dublin Medical 



to bear no proportion in size to that of the Journal for September 1835. ED. 



R 2 



