134 SYPHILIS. 



deposit of newly-formed connective tissue ; this is the specific 

 tumour of syphilis, the ^Hophus" or "gumma syphiliticum." 

 The complete absorption of recent gummata may be effected by 

 suitable medication. At a later period, the nodule becomes 

 cheesy and the surroundino; connective tissue is converted into 

 a tough, fibroid cicatrix, which may occasion the most extreme 

 distortions of the affected organ by its subsequent contraction 

 (fig. 41). 



Whether we are justified in calling the induration of the 

 primary chancre gummatous I will not take upon me to say. 

 The appearances presented (fig. 42) are those of an infiltration 

 of the connective tissue with small cells, an infiltration distin- 

 guished not so much by the number of the infiltrated cells as 

 by the fact that these cells are very uniformly packed into all 

 the interstices between the vessels on the one hand, and the fibres 

 of the connective tissue on the other. This causes an elastic 



fe;^^.^s. 





Syphilitic induration, a. Vessels ; hi. and tlie other parts lefc 

 unshaded are bundles of connective tissue which are dis- 

 sociated by a uniform infiltration with small cells. ^. 



tension, giving the finger a sense of hardness, while the vessel* 

 remain pervious and the nutrition of the parts is not interfered 

 with. This invariable arrest of the cellular infiltration at a 

 certain stage has undoubtedly something peculiar about it, and 

 reminds us of gummatous tissue ; but whether similar indura- 



