198 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



bacilli. This was done,* and the nature of the lesions 

 then became apparent. They were evidently tubercular, 

 and the whole was a spreading infection of the integu- 

 ment forming lesions, most of which were in the process 

 of healing. 



" Fig. 1, PI. II, represents a section through one 

 of the smaller nodules which had been stained with 

 methyl -blue-eosin. It includes a part of the normal 

 integument on the right-hand side, where a scale is 

 shown cut in section. The epidermis has disappeared 

 everywhere, but the loose areolar connective tissue lying 

 beneath it is shown. Beneath the scale is a thick layer 

 of coarse connective tissue fibres, and beneath this again 

 loose areolar tissue; none of the underlying systemic 

 muscles are shown. 



It will be seen that the lesion involves only the 

 integument, and that it is the thick layer of coarse 

 connective tissue fibres that has been affected. Under 

 the surface of the nodule this has almost entirely 

 disappeared, though in the sections which have been 

 Mallory-stained little groups of these fibres or isolated 

 fibres can be seen, owing to their peculiar staining 

 reaction. The characteristic structures displayed by the 

 sections are, however, the parts which are darkly 

 stippled in the drawing. These stain deeply with 



* Staining reactions. Sections fixed on the slide were stained for five 

 minutes in the Ziehl-carbol-basic-fuchsin liquid, the latter being hot : 

 some were also stained in the cold for 24 hours. They were decolourised 

 with 20 % sulphuric acid for at least ten minutes, when the stain remained 

 in the bacilli. Sections were stained in the hot liquid for ten minutes, 

 and in the cold liquid for 24 hours, and then placed in 25 % sulphuric 

 acid for 24 hours, washed, cleared and mounted in balsam : in these 

 also the bacilli retained the stain. In these latter preparations the 

 beaded appearance of the bacilli was not evident. Smears made from the 

 substance of the nodules were stained and decolourised as above, but the 

 bacilli could not always be seen. Sections were stained in carbol-thionin 

 for a few minutes and then treated with Gram solution in the usual way : 

 the bacilli did not retain the stain. Smears and sections were stained in 

 carbol-gentian -violet and in thionin in the cold for a few minutes : the 

 bacilli did not stain. 



