TUMORS. 



[ 658 ] 



TYMPANIS. 



fig. 18) ; again, when the cancer-cells abound 

 in pigment, we have melanotic cancer, &c. 



The diagnosis of a cancerous growth is of 

 great importance, and cannot in general be 

 regarded as a matter of difficulty. It can- 

 not, as was formerly supposed, be based 

 simply upon the characters of the cells ; for 

 cells exhibiting a marked endogenous repro- 

 duction, which is the most striking feature 

 of cancer- cells, are also met with in normal 

 tissues; but when these cells exhibit no 

 tendency to the formation of a definite tis- 

 sue, but retain their cell-form, and contain 

 or are mixed with numerous fat-globules, 

 the whole being loosely imbedded in a serous 

 liquid, the cancerous nature of the morbid 

 product may be considered as certain. 



In regard to cells generally, an insuperable 

 difficulty is met with in discovering the ex- 

 ponent of their power, as it might be termed ; 

 thus, the embryonic cells or corpuscles in an 

 early stage are undistinguishable from each 

 other ; and yet some grow into areolar fibres, 

 others into nerve-tubes, &c. Chemistry 

 lends no aid here, and the difficulty will 

 probably ever remain. 



Cancroid growths. This term has been 

 applied to certain kinds of tumors or growths 

 which somewhat resemble cancerous growths 

 in their course and tendency to recur, yet 

 differ from them in the nature of their mor- 

 phological elements. They consist generally 

 of epithelial formations, or of some kind of 

 fibrous development. As instances, may be 

 mentioned so-called epithelial cancer, as of 

 the lip, and certain forms of fibroid, fibro- 

 plastic, or sarcomatous tumors. 



In epithelial cancer, the general arrange- 

 ment of the elements is not strikingly altered, 

 but the papillae of the skin are hypertrophied, 

 the epithelial cells more numerous than na- 

 tural, sometimes containing many nuclei or 

 secondary cells, and the intercellular juice is 

 more abundant. The flattened epithelial 

 cells are often also arranged around the pa- 

 pillae in the form of concentric rings, resem- 

 bling fibres ; but the cell-structure is at once 

 rendered evident by the addition of solution 

 of potash. 



In the fibroid or fibro-plastic tumors, the 

 arrest of development at the cell-stage is 

 often well shown by the presence of nume- 

 rous nuclei or secondary cells within the pri- 

 mary ones (PL 30. fig. 10). These brood- 

 cells are also met with in obstinate fungous 

 granulations and vegetations. 



Enchondroma, cartilaginous growth or tu- 

 mor. In some kinds of this, the cartilage is 



indistinguishable from normal true carti- 

 iage j in others it exhibits the formation of 

 secondary deposits in the cells, as in imper- 

 fectly formed bone (PI. 30. fig. 19), the 

 cavities of the cartilage-cells being filled up 

 with the exception of the irregularly stellate 

 median portions. 



In the examination of tumors and other 

 morbid growths, sections should be made 

 with a Valentin's knife, the elements being 

 first observed in water, and then in the na- 

 tural fluid. The sections and elements are 

 best preserved in water. 



BIBL. Paget, Lectures on Tumors (1851), 

 and Surgical Pathology ; the Bibl. of TU- 

 BERCLE ; Bennett, on Cancer, and Edinb. 

 Monthly Journal. & viii.; Redfern, ibid, xi.; 

 and the Trans, of Pathol. Soc., passim. 



TYMPANIS, Fr. A genus of Phacidiacei 

 (Ascomycetous Fungi), consisting of horny 

 bodies growing on branches of trees, break- 

 Fig. 776. 



Tympanis conspersa. 



Fig. 776. A collection of perithecia, more or less ma- 

 ture, bursting through the bark. Magnified 1 diameters . 



ing out through the bark. T. conspersa (fig. 



776) grows upon Rosaceous trees, T. s 1 -" 



on the privet. In Y\V. 777. 



the former the perithe- 



cia are collected in 



tufts; they are first 



closed, afterwards 



opening into cups, 



the disk of which is \S / 



occupied by the hy- \ 



menium bearing long H ' : j 



and broad asci, con- Vj$$| / 



taining numerous % 



spores, and, as has Vertical section through a 



Messrs. Berkeley and cup-like perithecia. 



Broome, sometimes Magnified 20 diameters. 



also septate stylospores simultaneously. In 

 T. saligna the perithecia occur only two to 

 four together. Tulasne has shown in addi- 

 tion, that the plants have spermogonia, which 

 are oblong or conical bodies, intermixed with 

 the perithecia, perforated by a terminal pore 

 (resembling perithecia of Sphceria] ; these 

 are lined with delicate branched filaments 



