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origin of life, his object was to consider how far the

germ theory of disease is in accord with known facts,and bow far it affords explanations of them. Viewed ineither aspect, he pronounced it to be untenable, and ad-vocated in its place a physical doctrine of organic poisons,as opposed to germs, poisons capable of being introducedinto the body from without, or of being generated in its ownsecretions, under the influence of certain definite but un-known conditions. This theory holds that the organic poi-sons may be colloidal, and may be transmitted as solid par-ticles, on solid substances, or in water, or by air; that theyare as destructible as other dead organic matter, and thattheir action upon the body is purely physical. At the closeof the paper Dr. Richardson announced that he had its

leading propositions printed in pamphlet form for distri-bution among the members of the Society; and the Pre-sident stated that the discussion would be taken nextMonday, immediately after the conclusion of the formalbusiness. Dr. Richardson’s paper was heard with greatattention, and was followed by much applause.

PATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, 1870.

DR. QUAIN, PRESIDENT, IN THE CHAIR.

THE first communication was one by Mr. SPENCER WAT-SON, who exhibited a specimen of Glioma of the Eyeball ina child three years and a half old, which had secondarilyinvolved the bones of the face and scalp, and had termi-nated fatally about a year after the disease had been firstrecognised by the ophthalmoscope. There was not, up tothe last, any impairment of the mental faculties, with theexception of occasional delirium at night. A microscopicexamination of the growth within the eyeball, and of theoptic nerve, demonstrated a glioma which had in parts un-dergone fatty and earthy change. The deposit in the scalphad more fibrous elements in it. The orbit of the side oppo-site the eye primarily affected was also the seat of a depo-sit which had thrust the eyeball nearly out of the socket.

Mr. CHRISTOPHER HEATH exhibited a specimen ofAneurism of the Aorta from a man aged forty-five, admittedinto University College Hospital with a large thoracic tu-mour some months before. There was much congestion ofthe right side of the neck, and flattening out of the clavicle,produced by a pulsating tumour of doubtful seat, but probablyin the innominate artery. The left pulse was hardly per-ceptible ; there was dyspnœa, but no dysphagia. It seemedto Mr. Heath of small importance whether the seat was inthe innominate or aorta, with regard to operation. Mr.Heath determined to tie the left subclavian and the carotid;but on attempting to carry out his intention he failed tofind the former vessel, or any of the usual guides to itssituation, but egirie upon a pulsating sac, and the ope-ration was abandoned. The patient went on well for twoor three days, when hæmorrhage occurred, and he did notrally, and died on the sixth day afterwards. The post-mortem disclosed a large sacculated aneurism of the aorta,involving the innominate, and overlapping the site of thesubclavian, which was completely obliterated.Mr. FRANCIS MASON testified to the extreme difficulties

Mr. Heath encountered in the attempted operation.Dr. WILKS asked if there were such a thing as aneurism

of the innominate without the aorta being involved. Hedid not think so.Mr. HEATH agreed with Dr. Wilks.Dr. CRisp exhibited a specimen of Hair taken from a man

aged thirty-five, the subject of general alopecia, but not ofsyphilis or debility of any kind. No fungus was present.The patient had experienced some numbness of the body onone side, and the nails of that side were soft and ill-formed.Mr. NUNN referred the case to syphilis.Dr. T. BALLARD dissented from Mr. Nunn’s proposition,

and mentioned cases.Dr. JOHN MURRAY exhibited several specimens of Intes-

tines from German soldiers who had died at Sedan, showingthe usual appearances of acute dysentery caused by insuffi-ciency of food, much of it of bad quality, and by exposure.

Dr. PEACOCK exhibited two specimens of Diseased Heart,the first from a child who was cyanotic, and was betweentwo and three years of age. The pulmonary artery was ob-literated, the foramen ovale was closed, and the circulation

was carried on through the ductus arteriosus. The secondwas removed from a cyanotic boy aged seventeen. Therewas in the specimen contraction of the pulmonary artery,and closure of the foramen ovale. Dr. Peacock believedthe malformation originated in premature obliteration ofthe ductus arteriosus. There were two subsidiary aorticbranches obliterated at their origin.

Dr. FAGGE showed a specimen of Embolism of the MiddleCerebral Artery, of six weeks’ duration, taken from a

woman aged twenty-six, admitted into Guy’s Hospital onSeptember 5th. On the day of admission she gave a cry,and suddenly became insensible, being paralysed on theright side. Next day she became conscious, but could neverbe got to say more than " Yes" or "No" subsequently. Shesank into a drowsy condition, and died violently delirious. Aloud systolic murmur was heard over the heart, and theliver was enlarged. The brain post mortem showed its leftapex atropied and softened, and an embolus was found inthe middle cerebral artery. There was embolism in the

kidneys and spleen, and numerous vegetations on the valvesof the heart.

Dr. MoxoN exhibited what he thought to be PhlegmonousGastritis, there being two abscesses in the submucoustissue not accounted for on the supposition of an idiopathicpyaemia. The patient, a man aged twenty-seven, wasadmitted into hospital with semi-febrile symptoms of afortnight’s duration; he was jaundiced, had pain in theside, rusty sputa, and rigors with much tympanitis. At the

post-mortem, there were found, in addition to the abscessesin the stomach walls, suppuration of the rectum, and pusabout the portal veins and the pancreas.

Dr. Mogort brought forward a specimen showing thecolon, especially towards its termination, and the stomachin a state of follicular inflammation, and he asked, afterremarking on the habit of the patient, if it might not be thecondition associated with so-called " gout in the stomach."

Dr. MoxoN likewise exhibited a specimen of AcuteSplenitis, in which certain cells, like pus-cells, were freelyfound in connexion with engorgement and softening of thegeneral texture.

Dr. BASTIAN would not like to diagnose splenitis simplyon the ground of certain pus-like corpuscles being present,because the altered spleen-corpuscles may be much likepus-cells.

Dr. Moxon agreed so far with Dr. Bastian, but he dependedin the present case on the yellow softening in connexionwith the free clustering of the corpuscles.

Dr. BRISTOWE exhibited a mass of Cancerous Disease in-volving the right recurrent laryngeal nerve.

POST-MORTEMS AT GUY’S HOSPITAL.

THE Governors of Guy’s Hospital have "taken the bullby the horns" as regards the right of making a post-mortem examination on those who die while in-patients ofthe charity. The following notice in large type has beensuspended within the hospital, and will, we hope, clear upall difficulty in the matter:-

, " Notice to Friends and Pelatives of Deceasecl Patients.-TheGovernors reserve to themselves, in the interest of the

public and as one of the conditions of admission to the hos-pital, the right of causing a post-mortem examination to bemade of the body of every patient who dies within the hos-pital, by the Pathologist or his representative, for the pur-pose of accuratelv determining the causes of death. In theevent of the friends or nearest relatives being opposed tosuch an examination, they are to communicate their wishesto the Superintendent, who will submit their objections tothe medical officer who had charge of the deceased patient,and if he is of opinion that there is no urgent need for apost-mortem examination, the Superintendent is authorisedto dispense with it.-JNO. CHAS. STEELE, Superintendent."We would recommend other institutions to follow the

example of Guy’s at least in spirit. A resolution of theBoard of Governors appended to the out- and in-patientletters would probably answer the purpose as well as amore formal notice-to which possibly exception might betaken in some cases.