REPORTS OF CASES. 
627 
An exploring needle could easily be pushed through the 
bones, but all that could be found in it was a little blood. I 
considered the case molletes ossium. This morning I tre¬ 
phined under the right eye and got the specimen sent. The 
large disc is from the outside. Under it was a smooth bony 
surface which I cut out with a scalpel; this is the smaller 
disc; under that was a kind of osseous carnifted substance, an 
irregularly-shaped piece of which I cut out and put in the 
bottle with the other two pieces. 
Percussion over these regions elicits a sound like that 
given out on tapping a piece of wood with dry rot. 
Treatment so far has consisted in giving quinine and iron, 
under which the appetite has improved ; also injections of the 
nostrils with oleaginous solution of iodoform. There is a 
discharge from both nostrils and slightly obstructed breath¬ 
ing. 
If you will kindly give me your opinion as to the nature 
of the trouble, prognosis and treatment you will do me a 
great favor. I am at work on a report of a few cases for the 
Review. 
New York, Dec. 13, 1895. 
Dr . Liautard: 
Some time since Dr. Gottheil gave me some specimens 
and the enclosed letter from Dr. Kinnell to yourself, request¬ 
ing me to examine the specimens at my convenience and make 
a short report to you. Press of other work has prevented 
my doing so until now. I return Dr. K’s letter so you may 
have the full history of the case. 
The three specimens sent presented similar characteristics. 
They were firm and bony, but a needle could be readily in¬ 
troduced into their substance. 
Microscopically the following conditions obtained : 
The tissue consists of normal bone structure interspersed 
by irregular masses of hyaline cartilage. Along the outer 
border of these deposits of cartilage are numerous osteo¬ 
blasts, and in some places the formation of new bone may be 
observed. The connective tissue contains numerous spindle 
• and round cells. 
