256 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 
the surgical neck of the humerus; and figure 13 the result, probably, 
ot a “green stick” fracture of the same bone in its middle third. 
The adage that nature is a better physician than surgeon is illus- 
trated by a case of fracture of the femur above the condyles (fig. 21). 
The figure shows the posterior aspect of the bone, and it will be ob- 
served that in this instance the lower fragment is displaced forward, 
and the upper backward, contrary to the usual result in such fractures. 
Another femur presents an enlargement on its posterior surface at 
the lower bifurcation of the linea aspera, which appears on section to 
be due to a simple hypertrophy of the compact tissue: the same speci- 
men shows asmall, circumscribed, roughened exostosis on the articular 
surface of the inner condyle near its posterior border, 
The pathological features presented by the tibize, include evidences 
of periostitis, osteitis and osteo-myelitis, in varied combination; as well 
as exostosis, and an obscure form of rarefaction. 
Figure 14 illustrates enlargement and distortion of the tibize follow- 
ing periosteal inflammation ; the evidences of ulceration about the 
lower half of this bone are somewhat suggestive of syphilitic lesions, 
which supposition is further strengthened by the bilateral character of 
the disease, and the presence of several nodular excrescences dis- 
tributed along the crest of the bone. 
Figure 15 also illustrates bi-lateral disease with enlargement and 
distortion of the general contour of the bone, probably the result of 
osteitis; in this case a cross section shows almost complete obliter- 
ation of the medullary cavity by extensive deposit of cancellous bone, 
as well as considerable increase in the density and thickness of the 
compact tissue,—conditions characterized by the term osteo-sclerosis. 
Figure L6 represents one tibia of a skeleton exhumed during the ex- 
cursion of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 
on August 22, 1881. It is remarkable for the extreme rarefaction of 
the bone, the compact tissue being reduced to a mere shell, and the 
medullary cavity almost filled with an abundant deposit of spongy 
cancellous tissue. Its fracture was post-mortem, due to carelessness 
of a member of the audience. The disease is bi-lateral, limited to 
the tibiw, and resembles what is known as rarefying osteitis. The 
subject was a very old person. 
Unilateral disease of the tibia resulting in hyperostosis, is shown in 
figure 17. 
Osteitis, involving the tibia, and fibula, and resulting in an extensively 
diffused new bony deposit is illustrated by figs. 18 and 19. Both tibiz — 
and fibule were similarly affected. 
