MEL ANEMIA. 
289 
numerous melanotic growths, some of which are of the size of a 
ladies’ apple. The large mesentery presents the most handsome 
appearance; it is a mass of melanotic balls of different size, 
counted by hundreds, hanging here and there in the whole extent 
of that peritoneal surface, and presenting, by their black promi¬ 
nent color, a very peculiar aspect, contrasting considerably with 
the color of the serous layer and its adjacent fatty deposits. The 
spleen is somewhat large, but apparently healthy, as well as the 
liver. The left kidney is almost entirely enveloped by an enor¬ 
mous melanotic mass, weighing 37 ounces, through which large 
blood vessels are found, which are coming from the posterior 
aorta. This presents little grape-like masses, which run through 
the inter costal spaces and extend in the muscles of the back. 
The other kidney, as well as the other organs of the abdomen, 
are healthy. The thorax is also the seat of extensive disease. 
There we find three large melanotic tumors, one at the base of 
the heart near the concavity of the aorta, which weighs 18 
ounces; another is found in the anterior mediastine, extending 
forward between the first ribs, which weighs 14 ounces— 
probably this was connected with the one which was removed 
eighteen months ago. Another is imbedded in the outer surface 
and superior border of the left lung; it weighs 61 ounces. The 
pulmonary tissue surrounding is the seat of local chronic hepati¬ 
zation, rather limited. The nervous system was not examined. 
This case, gentlemen, is undoubtedly one of general metas¬ 
tatic diathesis, or of melanhemia, as Zundel calls it—one in which 
the corpuscles of pigment are intermixed with the normal ele¬ 
ments that are held in suspension in the blood, and deposited in 
the tissues by the continual traveling of the general circulation. 
In horses* this disease is particularly common to observe, and, 
peculiar coincidence, almost exclusively amongst white horses 
whose skin has no pigment. In that animal the melanosis is almost 
always formed by a pigmentary mass deposited in block in a cel¬ 
lular envelope, which furnishes intermediate lamellae, dividing 
the tumor in lobes and serving as supports to the nutritive blood 
vessels, which are always abundant. 
* Zundel, 
