378 TUMOTTKS OF THE HEART. 



sents tnat of the distended auricle, and on superficial exa- 

 mination of its pedicle, it appears to have an extensive 

 attachment to the wall of the auricle, the endocardium seem- 

 ing to extend over the mass. The tumour has a decidedly 

 elastic feel, and in some parts the recoil on pressure is 

 such as almost to resemble fluctuation. 



" Before proceeding with the description of the internal 

 aspect and structure of the tumour, I must mention that the 

 auricle appears healthy throughout, and its lining membrane 

 smooth, except approaching the mitral valve, the flaps of 

 which have a shrunken appearance, and a decidedly uneven 

 upper surface. The left flap is perforated in its centre by 

 five holes, the membrane of the flap, especially around one of 

 these, being decidedly attenuated. Another hole, consider- 

 ably to the right, is much larger and jagged. The right flap 

 is thickened in some parts, attenuated in others like the left, 

 but only perforated by a few minute holes near its free edge. 

 The chordae tendinese are healthy, the papillary muscles well 

 developed, the ventricle presenting no morbid characters. 

 In order to examine the structure of the tumour, a clean 

 section was made through its middle, dividing it and its 

 pedicle very nearly in hal The feel imparted by the knife 

 resembled that of cutting through soft cheese, with the ex- 

 ception of the peduncle, which was tough and fibrous. Each 

 cut surface showed the bluish-red structure of the peduncle, 

 ramifying from its base into the tumour, extending from 

 right to left, but sending out broad processes into a strati- 

 fied mass of pinkish-yellow fibrine, the outer layer of which 

 circumscribing the whole, appeared the toughest. This 

 fibrine exactly resembled that found in the sac of an old 

 aneurism. No juice could be squeezed from the cut sur- 

 faces. 



" Measurement of Tumour. Greatest length is in trans- 



