Progress of Rational Pathology. 231 



fibrous mesh-work, in some places granulations of rather large 

 liver cells with a few drops of oil, in others free fat cells. The 

 fibrous tissue consists partly of closely packed cells, partly of 

 firm thin fibres. The increased quantity of these fibres in 

 cirrhosis accords with the increased quantity of lime in the liver 

 (it contains 5 times as much.) J. Vogel reduces the structural 

 alterations of the parenchyma of the liver to four forms : — 1, 

 deposition of fat ; 2, filling of the cells with deep yellow or saf- 

 fron coloured granules ; 3, deposition of irregular masses of a 

 brown pigment between the liver cells ; 4, deposition of 

 masses of small intensely dark granules (pigment) between 

 them : Henle cannot however regard these alterations as 

 characteristic signs of cirrhosis, (i. e. that condition in which 

 the liver is small, hard, lumpy or granular, and pervaded 

 by a whitish grey cellular tissue in bands :) he thinks that 

 in this affection, the peculiar characteristics of the parenchy- 

 ma, and the formation of the accidental fibrous bands (which 

 he regards as an important point of the disease) ought to be 

 considered separately. In this fibrous tissue, Henle recognizes 

 either cellular tissue, or numerous interlacing layers of flat 

 parallel fibres with granules and granule fibres, (like the fibres 

 of organised muscles, poor in blood vessels, and with a con- 

 stant tendency to contraction.) The yellow granulations are 

 the remains of the substance of the liver : beyond this point, 

 we need microscopic observation to shew the real degree 

 and cause of the alterations in the structure of the liver 

 granules : the glandular cells are rich in fat, and become 

 in part entirely converted into bladders of fat, or new fat 

 cells are developed between them : from them is derived the 

 yellow colour of the liver in cirrhosis. The two actions 

 concerned in the cirrhotic process, deposition of fat in the 

 gland cells, and formation of fibrine do not bear any ne- 

 cessary relation to each other : the deposition of fat at 

 times occurs alone without atrophy, or contraction of the 

 yellow spots, (for instance in the fatty liver in which Hallman 



2 H 



