6S 



CHAPTER IV. 



(65) 



HYPERTROPHY. 



We uncLerstancL by the term Hypertrophy , an abnormal pro- 

 cess o£ growth, which, with an exMusion of cell-division, 

 leads to the formation of abnormally ?_arge cells « "Hyper- 

 trophy'^ to my mind", says Mrchow-L, "v/ould be the case where 

 single elements take up 'a considerable amount of material - 

 thereby becoming larger, and also where, by the simultan- 

 eous enlargement of many elements, a vifhole organ finally 

 becomes distended." In the following description cases will 

 also come under discussion, on the one hand, where only 

 single cells hypertrophy, on the other hand, those in which 

 all the elements of extensive cell groups enlarge and there- 

 by bring about an hypertrophy of the tissue. The absorption 

 of material mentioned by Virchow, has been left out of the 

 question purposely in our definition. While in animal cells 

 in an overwhelming majority of cases, cell gro\7th is assoc- 

 iated \7ith an increase of the living cytoplasmic contents, 

 and usually is identical with it, in plant cells, the ab- 

 sorption of v/ater,- united with stirface grov'th of the cellu- 

 lose wall plays a prominent role as a phenomenon of growth. 

 Since it is difficult to decide in many cases, whether the 

 grov/th of the cells is associated with an abnormal ab- 

 sorption of material or not, we \7ill designate as hyper- 

 trophy only' the abnormal increase in volume of the cells ,- 

 no matter if "over-nourishment' of the cells concerned pre- 

 cedes the abnormal growth, or only an abundant absorption 

 of water. 



It is evident that, by the word "hypertrophy", a process 

 is to be designated. Nevertheless, v;e will take the liberty 

 follov/ing the usuage of pathologists of- calling hypertro- 

 phies, the abnormally enlarged cells themselves and the 

 tissues altered by the cell grovfth. The same word may serve 

 to denote the process of growth and its tangible products. 



As "hsrpertrophy in a wider sense of the word," many 

 pathologists designate also the growth in amount duetto an 

 (65) increased nmaber of the single elements. "^^ I prefer oo di- 

 vide them more strictly and to designate all changes as 

 hyi^erplasia. (Compare Chapter Y) v/hich are allied T/xth pro- 

 cesses of division. 



In the anatomical investigation of hrpertrophies in 

 the plant world, different ontogenstic and histologxcal 



1. Cellularpathologie , 1853, p. 58. 



2. Compare for instance, Ziegler. Allgem. Pathologie, 

 10, Augl,, 1901, p. 274. 



