232 Progress of Rational Pathology. 



and Valentin found the same alteration of the cells as in cir- 

 rhosis.) The fatty degeneration is, however, no more a pecu- 

 liar disease of the liver than diabetes is of the kidneys, but a 

 symptom of a diseased state of the blood, the excess of fat in 

 which the liver cells have to separate. According to Roki- 

 tansky, the parenchyma of the liver granules in cirrhosis may 

 be of very various structure, either quite normal, or as it is 

 found in the fatty, atrophic and nutmeg liver, so that the 

 cirrhosis is an accidental combination : the new fibrous tissue 

 is the really important degeneration, and probably the result 

 of inflammatory exsudation. Exsudation may, according to 

 Becquerel, be the result of venous congestion and stagnation 

 of the blood, from excessive extension of the secreting canals, 

 in consequence of blocking up of the secretions. Bright's 

 disease which often occurs along with cirrhosis, arises proba- 

 bly from the same cause, namely heart or lung disease. Pain 

 is a rare symptom in this disease as is icterus, but cedema of 

 the feet and dropsy of the belly are seldom absent. As to 

 shades of color in the liver, Henle says, that the division of 

 the liver into red and yellow substance does not correspond 

 with any actual difference in tissue, and least of all that of in- 

 vesting capsule and acini*. It arises solely from a peculiar di- 

 vision of the blood vessels. In the axis of each lobule of the liver 

 there is a venous twig, (of the vena Hepatica) : at its periphery 

 these are arterial twigs, (which accompany the vena ports) com- 

 municating with each other by capillary vessels, which per- 

 vade the lobule, and are wider towards the axis than towards 

 the periphery. According then as the blood is uniformly 

 diffused, or retained more in the venous or in the arterial 

 parts, so is the colour of the liver uniform, or marked by yel- 

 low and red spots. As the blood usually at death passes from 

 the arteries into the veins, the centres of the lobules are 

 commonly red, the periphery yellow, but the reverse may also 

 be the case. 



* This is merely Kiernan's account.— Tr. 



