Consecutive Induration appears to me to be the mode in which one of the described processes of expansion and softening of bone subsides or heals. The previous occurrence of such a process is at once sufficient to distinguish it from other indurations, but it is characterized also by peculiarities in the texture, and no doubt also in the chemical composition of the bone. The anomaly in the texture of the indurated bone is owing to the rarefaction itself, and to the vascularity of the medulla which occupies the enlarged cavities in the bone, and it consists in the arrangement of the elements of the new osseous tissue upon the old bone and around its vessels, in abnormal relative positions. By this anomaly of texture alone, without reference to any change in chemical composition, an explanation is afforded of several varieties in the physical condition of the bone, such as the peculiarity of its fracture, the appearance of its broken surface, and of a thin section, and its color. Varieties of this kind in a bone, which originate in some peculiarity in the relative position and arrangement of its elementary constituents, have their analogues in inorganic nature, in the different physical condition of bodies which in their chemical composition are alike.

The anomaly in chemical composition may consist in the fundamental cartilage of the indurated bone being overfilled with mineral constituents, the usual proportions of which to each other may be either maintained or altered; or in the presence of unusual salts; or further, in some abnormal condition of the fundamental cartilage itself, of its blastema, etc.

Bones Affected With Consecutive Induration

Bones Affected With Consecutive Induration, retain the increased size which they had acquired during their previous expansion, and are therefore of course augmented in weight by the induration.

a. Well-marked specimens of induration may be observed succeeding the expansion which has occurred in advanced life; such cases are most frequent in the skull. A series of skulls of this kind is preserved in the museum at Vienna, and shows, in a most instructive manner, the gradual advance of induration in the expanded cranial bones. Externally, and still more on the cut surface, they present a dull white color, and a chalky appearance; and their fractured surface is coarse. A minute examination of a transparent slip of such bone exhibits wide, irregular, L e. angular, and sinuous Haversian canals: the lamellar structure deficient, or only here and there perceptible; and bony corpuscles, which are mostly round, lying in disorder one over another, and crossing or obliterating each other.

b. Similar characters are presented in the malum coxae senile, by the indurated head of the femur, and the stalactitic, chalky osteophytes which surround it. It is observed, moreover, that this mass of bone acquires a polish like gypsum. Upon minute examination a close lamellar structure is found: the lamellae are very numerous, but the bony corpuscles, on the whole, are few, though at some spots they are crowded together in dense groups. The osteophytes present a similar close lamellar structure, and their corpuscles are very numerous and thick, and mostly round and quite black.

c. The induration (eburn'eation) in which a high degree of rickets terminates is distinguished by the hardness of the bone, by its glass-like brittleness, and the laminated appearance or leaf-like splitting of its fractured surface. When minutely examined, the Haversian canals are found small, and surrounded by large and widely extending systems of lamellae, but by few bony corpuscles; those which do exist are small, and, which is remarkable, for the most part transparent, and they have but few canaliculi.

Note

To this chapter, which contains the greatest quantity, and the most important part of the matter, I subjoin the results of the analyses of several bones, which Dr. Ragsky had the goodness to undertake at request.

1.

Osteoporosis of the skull of an old person.

Specific gravity,

• •

. 0.909

Cartilage, fat, and vessels, .

•

38.61 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime and phosphate of magnesia, ....

55.80

61.39 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime, and other salts,

559

2.

Slight induration, consequent upon osteoporosis.

Specific gravity,

• •

. 0.854

Cartilage, fat, and vessels, .

•

44.10 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime, with phos- phate of magnesia,

48 20

5590 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime, ....

7.45

Salts soluble in water, . . .

025

3.

The same advanced to a higher degree.

Specific gravity,

• •

. 1.842

Cartilage, vessels, ....

• •

42.51 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime, with phos- phate of magnesia, . .

50.29

57.49 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime and salts,

7.20

4.

The same at its most advanced degree.

Specific gravity,

• •

. 1.751

Cartilage, vessels, ....

• •

38.27 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime, with phos- phate of magnesia, . . .

55.52

61.73 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime, ....

5.95

Salts soluble in water, . . .

0.26

5.

A tibia indurated, also probably in consequence of osteoporosis.

Specific gravity,

• •

. 1.490

Cartilage, vessels, ....

•

38.49 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime, with phos- phate of magnesia, . . .

53.21

61.51 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime, . . . .

8.30

6.

The gypsum-like coating of the head of a femur affected with so-called "malum coxae senile".

Specific gravity, . ...

* •

. 0.845

Cartilage, vessels, . ...

• •

33.90 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime, with phos- phate of magnesia,

59.10

66.10 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime, ....

6.57

Salts soluble in water,

0.43

Uric acid, which was looked for particularly, was not present.

7.

A dried scapula, softened by rickets, and a humerus.

Scapula, specific gravity, .

• ••

. 0.612

Cartilage, vessels, fat, ....

• •

81.12 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime, and phosphate of magnesia,.....

15.60

-18.88 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime, ....

2.66

Salts soluble in water, . . ,

0.62

The humerus contained 10.54 per cent of partly fluid, partly crystalline fat.

8. Portion of a rib from a skeleton affected with mollities ossium, - the piece was too small for complete investigation.

Specific gravity,

• *

. 0.721

Cartilage, fat, vessels, ....

• •

76.20 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime, and phosphate of magnesia, .

17.48

23.80 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime and other salts, .

6.32

9.

The rib of a skeleton in which all the bones were attenuated.

Specific gravity,

• •

. 1.432

Cartilage and vessels, ....

•

39.63 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime, and phosphate of magnesia, .....

51.87

60.37 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime and salts soluble in water, ......

8.50

10.

Syphilitic induration of the skull in a high degree.

Specific gravity,

• •

. 1.613

Cartilage, vessels, ....

• *

36.30 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime, and phosphate of magnesia, .....

57.20

63.70 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime, ....

6.50

11.

Simple benignant induration of the skull of a lunatic.

Specific gravity, . .

• •

. 1.911

Cartilage and vessels, ....

• •

33.41 organic constituents.

Basal phosphate of lime, traces of fluoride of calcium, ....

54.10

66.59 inorganic constituents.

Carbonate of lime, ....

10.45

/

Phosphate of magnesia, .

1.00

Salts soluble in water,

1.04

N.B. Before determining the weight, each bone was sawn into thin slips, dried quickly in an oil-bath, pulverized, and again dried in the oil-bath at 106° Cels.

Tabular view of the properties of the animal matter from the Bones examined.

EFFECTS OF REAGENTS ON SOLUTION OF THE ANIMAL MATTER.

No.

of bone.

Mode of formation and character of the Animal Matter.

Alcohol.

Acetic acid.

Tincture of galls.

Neutral acetic oxide of lead.

Basal acetic oxide of lead.

Oxysulphuret of iron.

Solution of alum.

Chloride of mercury.

Chloride of platinum.

Ferrocyanuret of potash.

1.

Glue slowly formed. Solution was whitish, turbid, gelatinous.

Thick Precipitate

. . .

Thick P

Moderate P.

Thick P.

2.

Changed slowly into glue. Solution contained much fat, and was white, turbid, and gelatinous.

Tnick P.

Thick P

Soluble P.

Thick P.

3.

Changed slowly. Solution was whitish, turbid, gelatinous, and contained fat.

Moderate P.

• • •

Moderate P.

Thick P.

•

4.

Changed slowly. Solution of a pale yellow color, rather turbid, had little tendency to become gelatinous.

Turbidity

• • •

Moderate P.

Thick P.

5.

Changed readily. Solution brownish, turbid, and slightly gelatinous.

Slight P.

. . .

Slight P.

Thick P.

6.

Changed with much difficulty. Solution brownish-yellow and translucid, had little tendency to become gelatinous.

Moderate P.

Slight P.

Thick P.

7.

Changed into glue. Solution brownish, translucid, became slightly gelatinous.

Turbidity

• • •

Thick P.

8.

Changed into glue. Solution was whitish, turbid, and slightly gelatinous.

• • • •

. . .

Moderate P.

9.

Dissolved quickly. Solution was gelatinous, and had a yellowish opacity.

Turbidity

. . .

Thick P

Moderate P.

Thick P.

10.

Glue formed slowly. Solution was whitish, opaque, and gelatinous.

Slight P.

Thick P.

Thick P., which was not dissolved either in acetic acid or by boiling.

Thick P.

Slight P.

11.

The cartilage changed slowly. Solution was whitish, turbid, and gelatinous.

Consid'ble turbidity.

...

Turbidity

Thick P.