Amyloid Infiltration. 207 



of the body, but results from some disturbance of metabolism. It 

 woud appear that a hyaline, which either does not respond to 

 the above reactions at all or only partially, is a precursor of 

 amyloid. 



Amvloid degeneration occurs especially after protracted sup- 

 purations ; this, and the fact that its deposition mainly takes place 

 in the connective tissue structures of blood vessels make it 

 plausible that some unused albuminate passes from the local sup- 

 purative areas into the blood and is deposited by the latter in 

 the tissues, where by the combination with the chondritin-sulphuric 

 acid it is changed into amyloid matter (Ribbert). Experimental 

 production of amyloid change lends some weight to this idea ; 

 abscesses have been produced in animals by injection with 

 pyogenic bacteria and predisposing chemicals (oil of turpen- 

 tine), and amyloid matter found in various organs after the 

 abscesses have existed for a long time (Ribbert). However, not 

 everv suppurative process results in amyloid change ; special 

 nutritive disturbances are also required for its production. 



The process is far more commonly seen in man than in 

 animals. In man it is an ordinary accompaniment of advanced 

 tuberculosis, aside from its occurrence in chronic suppurations ; 

 but it is usually absent in this connection in animals, although it 

 has been observed as a degenerative accompaniment of tuber- 

 culosis in birds (Leisering. Roll, personal observations). In 

 horses it has been encountered a number of times, especially in 

 the liver b}- Rabe. 



Organs, the seat of amyloid infiltration, become considerably 

 enlarged : their consistence is changed, becoming dense and 

 inelastic and more or less wax-like ; in section the tissue is 

 somewhat transparent and homogeneous, and is pale from an 

 anaemia. In man amyloid livers are suggestive of such names as 

 hacon-likc livers, zvaxy livers or zcooden livers: in the domestic 

 animals amyloid livers have a somewdiat different consistence, 

 the decidedly enlarged organ ( in the horse reaching eight to 

 fourteen kilograms in weight) becoming friable, and therefore 

 having a tendency to rupture. In the spleen, both in man and 

 animals (hog. dog), the process occurs either as a diffuse firm 

 enlargement of the organs with a translucent red or grayish red, 

 homogeneous appearance of the whole substance suggesting an 

 analogy to smoked salmon or bacon (ham spleen, bacon spleen), 

 or as a change limited to the splenic follicles, which in this case 



