VENTRICLES OF THE BRAIN. 
315 
I adopted the usual treatment, such as bleeding, purga- 
tives, blisters, and sinapisms to the head, &c. She quickly 
recovered, so as in three weeks to resume her work, whereat 
she continued for several days, when she relapsed, presenting 
the former train of symptoms. I treated her as heretofore, 
with the same results ; resumed her work a second time for 
two days, when the symptoms again recurred in a modified 
form, and gradually progressed until she died this morning. 
I may mention that I bled twice from the temporal arteries 
to syncope ; but after the second relapse, I said there 
was organic and irremediable disease of the cerebrum . There 
was no disease of the excito-motory or true spinal system, 
as the symptoms during life clearly showed by the absence 
of any paralytic or convulsive muscular action, of either the 
voluntary or involuntary muscles, until two hours before 
death. 
On examining the brain superficially, much congestion 
showed itself. The lateral ventricles, when opened, were 
completely filled with two oblong tumours, as large as hens’ 
eggs, but a little more elongated ; and at either end of both 
was an appendage, formed of delicate reticular tissue, dis- 
tended with serum, on incising which several ounces of fluid 
escaped, causing collapse or shrinking of the tumours (which, 
I imagine, as previously stated, are hypertrophied pineal 
glands,) to one fourth of their original size. They occupied 
the ventricles precisely as does the heart its pericardial sac ; 
and a little serum existed externally to the tumour. 
The appendages appeared to consist of tissue analogous to 
the false-membranous tissue found in cases of chronic 
pleuritic disease ; all the other viscera were in a normal con- 
dition. I instituted the post-mortem in ten minutes after 
death. 
Apologising for soliciting your kind attention to this im- 
perfect detail of a case, which if you think worth inserting in 
your ably- conducted journal, you have my permission to 
do so. 
I have instituted many examinations of diseased encepha- 
lons, but until now never met with such a case as the 
preceding. You will perceive granules of earthy matter 
diffused through the morbid structure, consisting probably 
of the phosphate and carbonate of lime. 
Awaiting your opinion, 
I remain, Sir, your obedient servant. 
Dorchester ; 4th May, 1853. 
