PART II.] Caution necessary in the Interpretation of the Phenomena. 355 



of the fat and connective tissues has coincided with the degeneration. In almost all 

 cases there is an apparent thickening of the affected extremities, which is sometimes 

 real and due to thickening of the masses of connective tissue in some places, and to 

 their being opened out into cavities in others. An apparent thickening may, however, 

 be to a great extent independent of any hypertrophic changes, being in many cases 

 due to a folding or crushing together of the tissues induced by the action of the 

 muscles and tendons on the softened non-resistent bones. In the case of the lower 

 extremity, the mere mechanical weight of the body in many cases contributes to the 

 production of deformity, as may frequently be seen in cases where the calcaneum has 

 been much affected by the degeneration. The precise nature of the deformity is, 

 of course, determined by the degree in which all these factors come into play ; but 

 one of the most common results of their action on the lower extremity (in which 

 the disease most frequently occurs) is an obliteration of the arch of the foot and a 

 turning upwards, or even backwards, of the toes. The latter phenomenon is due to 

 muscular action, and may cause it to appear as though a great amount of thickening 

 of the tissues of the sole had occurred, when in fact little or nothing of the kind 

 has taken place. 



In describing the specimens, reference has been already made to the characters of 

 the various morbid products constituting the ultimate results of the degeneration, and 

 this may suffice in so far as the majority of them are concerned. There are, however, 

 one or two points regarding which somewhat fuller details appear to be necessary. 

 These refer to the ordinary fatty concretions, and specially to the character and nature 

 of the peculiar coloured particles which occurred in such abundance in Specimen VII 

 (page 352). 



In so far as the common fatty concretions are concerned, it is rather a caution 

 as to the interpretation of phenomena connected with them than any further description 

 which we wish to give here. As previously mentioned, these concretions, under the 

 influence of various reagents, very readily give origin to an abundance of that curious 

 and ill-defined substance which Virchow has termed myeline. A development of myeline 

 is specially prone to occur where portions of the fatty matter, roe-like masses, etc., 

 freshly removed from an alcoholic preparation, are subjected to the action of liquor 

 potassse. The multifarious and highly complex forms of tubes, filaments, globules 

 and cysts, which may frequently be observed to become developed — shooting out and, 

 as it were, growing from the globules and aggregations of fatty matter, are wonderful, 

 and such that it would hardly be believed to owe their origin to any such process or 

 material were development not distinctly traceable through all its stages. 



From the extremely organised nature of their appearance, they are, as Fig, 8 on 

 the following page will show, peculiarly liable to be mistaken for fungal growths, especially 

 by those who are unused to the practical study of such bodies' and to the various 

 appearances presented by complex oily compounds" and it is necessary that very great 

 caution should be exercised in the interpretation of such phenomena. Bodies of this 



