A PERI NEPHRITIC ABSCESS. 
119 
request, to Dr. Edward K. Dunham, Dept, of Pathology, Med. 
Dept, of New York University, and following is Dr. Dunham’s 
report to Dr. Cronk : 
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY. 
THE UNIVERSITY AND BEELEVUE HOSPITAE MEDICAE COEEEGE. 
DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY. 
Carnegie Laboratory, 338 East 26th Street, New York City. 
New York, January 6, 1900. 
Dear Dr. Cronk : 
Microscopical examinations have been made of (a) the kidney and 
renal pelvis, (b) the walls of the adjacent pus cavit3E constituting the 
specimen from a horse received from you on Nov. 21, 1899. Chemical 
examination of the concretions contained in the pus cavity was also 
made, showing that they consisted almost entirely of calcium carbonate. 
Rejial Pelvis —CEdema of pelvic wall, without evidence of marked 
inflammation—epithelial lining of pelvis intact, save for slight swelling 
of epithelial cells (possibly post-mortem). A little blood and pus, with 
a few, desquamated epithelial cells, were lying in the pelvis. These 
may have come to lie there as the result of opening the renal pelvis at 
the same time that the pus cavity was opened. 
Kidney —Marked congestion ; haemorrhage into renal tubules, de¬ 
generation and desquamation of renal epithelium in some of the tubules. 
A little pus and cellular detritus in a few of the collecting tubules. In 
a few places diplocoeci and short threads of streptococci were present 
in these tubules. 
Wall of Abscess Cavity. —CEdema, purulent infiltration and occasional 
extravasation of blood into the fibrous tissue bounding cavity. Cavity 
filled with pus containing a little fibrin. In the abscess walls a few 
collections of small streptococci forming long chains were found. There 
were no evidences of tuberculosis. The purulent infiltration had, in 
places, extended into the adjacent renal tissue. 
These results point, in my opinion, to a perinephritic abscess, extend¬ 
ing into the kidney and occasioning a haemorrhagic nephritis. It is not 
unlikely that the more acute manifestations are due to a recent infec¬ 
tion with streptococci and that previous to that infection there was an 
abscess of long standing—due to some cause that cannot now be stated 
—and that the concretions were formed a considerable time before the 
infection of recent date. Yours truly, Edward K. Dunham. 
Now, in conclusion, just a few words as to the possible ori¬ 
gin of this condition. I stated in the beginning of this report 
that this animal was what we call a “ mustang ” for want of a 
more proper name. In other words, he was a horse raised wild 
