Mr. Leese, Jun. exhibited to the meeting a specimen of medullary
sarcoma, taken from the forehead of a man after death, with a
portion of the os frontis. The man was fifty-eight years of
age, long asthmatic, and appeared to die of hydrothorax. He
never suffered any pain in the tumor, but expressed a sense of
distention. It was immoveable at the base, and there were some
fissures in the os frontis, from caries. The dura mater at the
corresponding part adhered firmly to cranium, and on its being
removed some spiculæ from the carius inner table remained adhered
to it. There had never been any symptoms of cerebral affection. A
tumor of the same nature had formed on the scapular extremity of
the clavicle, and had occasioned anasarca of the limb.
Mr. Key supposed that the tumor had originated from the diplöe,
and believed that the only chance of relief in such a case
would be trephining; but he acknowledged that there was little
encouragement to operate in these cases, owing to the tendency of
the disease to return in some other part. He related an instance
of the true medullary fungus taking its origin from the cancellous
structure of the os femoris. The limb was removed, but the patient
died. A circle of fungoid glands was observed at the base of the
heart, and some of the bronchial glands were in the same condition.
Dr. Conquest expressed his belief that carcinoma was always a
constitutional affection, and stated that at least in nine cases of
cancer uteri out of ten, there was carcinomatous affection of the
pylorus, mesenteric glands, or liver.
Mr. Key and Dr. F. Ramsbotham had not observed, in their
examinations, the coincidence noticed by Dr. Conquest.
The remainder of the evening was occupied by a discussion on the
different kinds of ulceration that occur about the os and cervix
uteri, and the circumstances under which the removal of the uterus,
or the amputation of the cervix, may be warrantable.
Dr. Babington adverted to the occasional existence of a family
disposition to carcinoma. He had known three sisters successively
die of cancer in the breast.