On the microscopic pathology of cancer, (with a woodcut) / by John Houston, M.D.

  • John Houston
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the microscopic pathology of cancer, (with a woodcut) / by John Houston, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    rapidity. The relation between it and acirrhus it shown in the fact that relapses after amputation of a tumour of the latter character very often exhibit themselves in the form of fungus meduUaris. This form of carcinoma contains, like the foregoing, for- mative cells or globules, but differing from them in number and shape. The greater softness of the mass is due to the larger proportion of the globules as compared with the fineness and rarity of the reticular basis. The cell-globules sometimes resemble those of scirrhus; sometimes they are oval or eliptic ; and, at others, they are prolonged into caudate or spindle- shaped corpuscles. [Fig, 5.] These several differ- ences are supposed by some pathologists to be of suffi- cient importance to serve as foundations for the esta- blishment of distinct varieties. As regards fatality, the encephaloid tends with greater certainty and rapidity to the destruction of life than any of the other kinds of cancer. The last of Miiller's varieties is the carcinoma fasci- culatum vel hyalinum. The tumour is formed of soft jelly-like lobules of various sizes connected by a fine reticular basis. These lobules, when examined with a microscope, are found to consist of transparent fibres, from whence its name, and which cause it to tear, and not to crumble, under pressure with the finger. Granules like those which characterise the carcinoma reticulare [Fig. 3,] exist in considerable numbers among its fibres, but neither cell-globules, no» caudate corpuscles can be detected in its struc- ture. This is a rare disease; but I have here, to show, a preparation and drawing from a case in my own practice, which I regard as a genuine specimen of it. The woman was only twenty-eight. She lived without relapse for two years after the operation, when she was carried off by acute pleuritis. The tumour weighed 2^ pounds. The case is described in the Catalogue, vol. ii., F. c. 800, p. 519. Investigations of this nature have opened a new door in the science of pathology, and will lead, it is to be hoped, to an accurate knowledge both of the nature of malignant diseases, and of the diagnostic differ- ences between them and affections of a benign charac- ter. Most important remedial improvements may be •xpected to arise out of such a consummation,