the tumor began. Immediately after the birth of the child a ligature was applied to the peduncle, as near as possible to its origin, and it was then divided ; but the ligature slipped, and there followed a hemorrhage which was very nearly fatal. It did well, however, and it has continued to thrive until the present time (May 20). The peduncle being found to have a large central cavity, a catheter was passed into it, but not into the body of the tumor, and a few teaspoonfuls of clear serum escaped, which, on being heated, coagulated to the degree of solidification ; a liga- ture was then applied to prevent any further escape. At first there seemed to be a considerable deficiency of bone at the origin of the peduncle ; and for the first two months the cicatrized surface bulged out quite perceptibly when the child cried. The opening, however, has gradually con- tracted, and an irregularity of surface is now only to be felt upon pressing down upon the vertebrae ; the remains of the peduncle being about one-fourth of an inch in length."
The cavity of the tumor contained a little dirty fluid, and was lined by a serous membrane. Parietes from to in. in thickness, and many cysts were exposed upon the cut surface ; the intervening tissue being lax but tough. The long peduncle had shrunk to 2 in. in length, and, having been cut open throughout, its inner surface presented no appearance of a lining membrane, but rather that of com- mon integument. The cavity of the peduncle was about one-sixth to one-fourth of an inch in diameter, and with con- siderable difficulty a small probe was passed down into the . cavity of the tumor. The opening into this last was about where the tumor began to taper toward the peduncle ; and it was not direct, but just within the orifice of another adjoining canal, that was about three-fourths of an inch in length, and large enough to admit a probe about two lines in diameter. Upon the inner surface of the peduncle, and closely connected with it, by a lax cellular tissue, are two or three quite large nerves, and a large blood-vessel, which are gradually lost within the tapering portion of the tumor ; the hemorrhage above referred to being thus explained. 1829. Dr. Elislia Huntington, of Lowell.
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