These growths are of a cancellated structure, somewhat resembling that of the corpora cavernosa. They consist of areolar tissue fibres, constituting a multilocu-lar stroma, the interspaces of which are invested with a structureless membrane, and contain blood. Numerous caudate cells liberated during the investigation appear to be the debris of an epithelium. The intercellular spaces communicate amongst each other; for, by pressure, the tumor may be completely emptied through a cut surface. They are surrounded by a tolerably dense capsule of areolar tissue, along with which they may be peeled out of the textures. They always communicate with a considerable vein, through which they will take up an injecting mass. No arterial ramification is demonstrable within their texture. They are very tumefiable, forming upon the surface of the body and at the periphery of organs, protuberant, compressible, but resilient dark-blue tumors, which supplant the original textures.

They are commonly regarded as telangiectases, and without doubt they pass, with many practitioners, for examples of fungus haematodes. By the French (Andral), they are termed "spurious spleens" (After-milzen), "placenta-like textures." In our opinion, they are by no means dilatations of bloodvessels, but to all intents and purposes new growths, and, as far as our experience goes, altogether benign. We have never seen them concurrent with a malignant growth.1

Their mode of development is not clearly made out. Numerous observations, however, render it probable that they originate as bloodvessel growths in their most extended sense, as blood-bearing dep6ts and canals, formed by absorption out of a solid blastema. Whether the contained blood be a primitive endogenous new growth, or become introduced into it subsequently, we know not. Thus considered, they bear a close analogy with the fenestrate and canal formation in certain blas-temata pertaining to the vascular system, in the superincumbent layers upon the inner membrane of arteries, in the fibrinous coagula within the vascular system, in the thrombus, etc.

Within the cancelli small concretions occasionally form, corresponding to the phlebolites of veins.

We have seen these cavernous textures developed in the subcutaneous areolar tissue of the thigh, and communicating with the saphena vein, as also in the substance of the lips. We have seen them as tumors growing out of the diploe of the skull-bones, and penetrating the compact outer skull-plate, and, again, in the texture of the pia mater. They are the most frequent of all, and the most various in dimensions, up to, and beyond those of a duck's egg, in the liver, where they communicate with branches of the portal vein.