442 BONE, PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF. 



organized vascular partis diminished, but their ossification is suspended in some part or limb, 



oily animal matter is increased. We have seen two instances of this : the most 



Mollifies ossium is a disease, the phenomena remarkable occurred in a poor man forty years 

 of which are directly the reverse of those we of age, whose right arm was perfectly flexible, 

 have just considered. In fragilitas the bone and of course powerless. He stated that he 

 snaps across from the most trifling causes : in had been so from birth, but in every other re- 

 mollities it is flexible, bends in every direction, sped had enjoyed the very best health; he earned 

 and, of course, is useless for the purposes of his livelihood with the other arm, with which 

 support or motion. The morbid condition he had become wonderfully dextrous. On 

 seems to arise from a want of accordance be- the nature of the cause that could suspend a 

 tween the secreting and absorbing vessels of particular process of nutrition in one limb, the 

 the bones affected : if the earthy material is remainder of the body being perfectly healthy, 

 not secreted at all or in insufficient quantity, it would be useless to speculate at present. 

 or if it is absorbed too rapidly, mollities will The most extraordinary instance of mollities 

 be the consequence, and we may presume that ossium on record is that of Madame Supiot. 

 there will be variety in the rate of its progress It may be found at length detailed by Brom- 

 and in the intensity of its symptoms, according field, to whom it was communicated by M. 

 to the degree of derangement of function ex- Supe, surgeon to the hospital of La Charite.* 

 isting at different times. It may thus be easily This woman appears to have been an in- 

 comprehended how fragility of bone may be valid for fifteen years, during the first five of 

 an early symptom of mollities, at a period which she suffered from great weakness in her 

 when the earthy material has been removed to loins and lower extremities, accompanied by 

 an extent which renders the bone completely great pain, which, however, did not prevent 

 flexible. her giving birth to two children within the 



Of the causes that produce this curious dis- time. When M. Supe saw her, " the trunk 



ease, or of the change of structure that occurs was extremely shortened, and did not exceed 



at an early period, nothing is certainly known, twenty-three inches in length. The thorax 



indeed, it is so rare an affection that little oppor- was exceedingly ill-formed, and the bones of 



tunity for anatomical or chemical examination the upper extremity were greatly distorted ; 



in any of its stages has occurred. Boyer those of the lower were very much bent ; and 



seems to regret our deficiency in this branch of the thigh-bones became so extremely pliable 



pathological knowledge, and doubts that there as to permit the legs to be turned upwards, 



are a sufficient number of authentic cases to insomuch that her feet lay on each side of her 



establish such a difference between the fragility head. The softness of her bones daily in- 



and the softness of bone as to authorize them creased to the hour of her death." It is unne- 



being considered distinct diseases. There can cessary to dwell on the symptoms under which 



be no doubt that in the cases of cancer, &c. she laboured, as it must be obvious that no 



which have occasioned, or been attended by, a one viscus could perform its function properly 



softening of the bones, the symptom of fra- in such an extraordinary mass of deformity as 



gility has been observed at one period or she eventually became. On dissection, M. 



another, and perhaps there is no such thing as Supe says, " the bones, one may truly say, 



a softening of the bones independent of some had arrived at the utmost degree of softness, 



malignant taint in the constitution. " There as we have not heard of any observations 



is scarcely any case," observes the author just similar to this case. In effect we have, now 



quoted, " of a pure and simple softening and then, remarked that bones become mem- 



(ramollissement) of the bones:" not one (we branous and of the consistence of flesh, but I 



believe) in which they have been found merely believe there never was before seen an instance 



deprived of their earthy constituent, leaving of the osseous particles in the great bones of 



the animal material healthy and unaltered, the extremities being so totally dissolved, leav- 



like a bone that had been prepared by macera- ing no more than the form of a cylinder by 



tion in muriatic acid ; whilst all the dissections the periosteum remaining unhurt." 

 of mollities exhibit such decided alterations of Mr. Goochf relates a case which lasted five 



structure as to justify an opinion of the exis- years, and which at an early period exhibited 



tence of some malignant disposition in the the symptoms of fragility, the patient having- 



entire system. This view of the case ought to broken her leg as she was* walking from the bed 



remove the disease from the position it holds to her chair and heard the bones snap. The 



in our classification, and place it among the winter after breaking her leg, she had symptoms 



derangements of structure, only that there is of scurvy, and bled much at the gums, and 



some reason for supposing that the first and throughout her illness her legs and thighs were 



early stages may be accompanied with the cedematous, and subject to excoriate, discharg- 



absorption of the phosphate of lime, and it ing a thin yellow ichor. From the commence- 



must therefore signify little where we place an ment of the attack the bones continued to grow 



affection, of the nature of which we are con- softer, and a year before her death " she 



fessedly so ignorant. breathed with difficulty, and the thorax ap- 



There is, however, a softness and pliability peared so much straitened as necessarily to 

 of bone (we use the word softness in opposi- 

 tion to softening) in which there is no malig- 

 nant tendency whatever. It is original and , vS^u^SSlf^/, \ '?' if' 



., J . P i-ii r l " e knirurgical Works of Benjamin Gooch, 



congenital, that is, from birth the process of vol. ii. p. 393. 



