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fifth REPORT— 1835, 
outline as the vessels which we may see ramifying through 
parts having a more firm and definite texture, as, for example, 
beneath the surface of the serous membranes or in the com¬ 
pletely formed and perfectly cellular membranous adhesions 
which inflammation is apt to superadd to them. In fact the ves¬ 
sels in the mucous membrane of the stomach to which I am alluding 
bear a very close resemblance to the early attempts at organization 
which we may perceive in the recent false membranes upon the 
surface of inflamed serous membranes before they have lost the 
character of coagulable lymph. The cause of the appearance in 
question seems to be the same in both instances. The imper¬ 
fect vessels ramify through a soft and scarcely concrete substance, 
by which they are barely supported. They consequently become 
more dilated than the minute branches from which they proceed. 
The mucous membrane of the stomach, even where not thrown 
into rugae of greater or less extent by the action of what is 
usually called the muscular coat but to which I would give the 
name of contractile fibrous coat, seeing it is not composed of 
strictly muscular tissue*, is not perfectly even and level. When 
placed on a flat surface with its free surface uppermost, we may 
generally perceive very slight undulations of small extent and 
little elevation, such as at times to require a particular direction 
of the light to make them visible. The elevated spots do not ap¬ 
pear to possess a very determinate arrangement. They are gene¬ 
rally of an oblong figure and vary in size from that of linseed 
to that of rice. The intervening depressions are of less extent 
and often seem almost linear. I have been thus particular in at¬ 
tempting to describe the internal surface of the stomach, not 
merely because I shall have occasion to refer to the effects of 
poison on particular parts, but from a belief that some very able 
and laborious pathologists have been’ led to form erroneous 
opinions respecting certain appearances of this surface. This I 
conceive to be particularly the case with respect to the small 
elevations of which I have last spoken. They are much more 
distinct in some stomachs than in others, and when strongly 
marked they appear to constitute that state which Louis desig¬ 
nates mammilloni , and which he regards as an advanced stage of 
inflammation. I had long been familiar with this appearance 
without knowing what precise value to assign to it, yet strongly 
doubting its necessarily inflammatory origin. I am now satisfied 
that it depends on the natural structure of this part of the organ ; 
and that according to circumstances, of which it is important to 
* See the Appendix to the translation of Edwards on the Influence of Physical 
Agents on Life, by Dr. Hodgkin and Dr. Fisher. 
