An address on chronic inflammation of bone : read in the Section on Pathology / by Charters J. Symonds.

  • Symonds, Charters James, 1852-1932.
Date:
[1883]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An address on chronic inflammation of bone : read in the Section on Pathology / by Charters J. Symonds. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    [Reprinted for the Author from the British Medical Jv^urnal, Dec. 8th, 1883 « AN ADDRESS ON'^OHRONIC INFLAMMATION OF BONE. ’ Head in the Section of Pathology. By charters J. SYMONDS, M.S.Lond., F.R.C.S.E., Assistant-Surgeon to &uy’s Hospital, and Demonstrator of Morbid Histology in the Medical School; Surgeon for Out-patients to the Evelina Hospital for Sick Children. I MUST ofEer some apology for the title of the subject, the dis- cussion upon which, I am about to open. “ Chronic Inflammation of Bone” sounds somewh.at vague, and suggests a dissertation upon almost every osseous affection. That it is not my intention to v/eary you, or the members gathered here, with a ramble over so wide a field, I will first say that it is rather my object to inquire into the causes which produce enlargement and hypertrophy of bone. It was this notion I wished to convey when asked, some time ago, by our Secretary, Dr. Goodhart, to suggest a subject; but the slight confu- sion which often attends such arrangements, particularly amongst people otherwise busily engaged, must be my apology. 1 trust, however, that the subsequent note, inviting communications upon the various diseases in which bones are enlarged, has been sufficient to give a general outline of the drift of my paper. The conclusions at which I have arrived are drawn chiefly from the study of museum specimens, especially those in our own collection at Guy’s Hospital, which is particularly rich in examples of thickened bones. I have also examined the specimens in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, and those at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, wheremanyof Mr. Stanley’s preparations are tobefound. Promthese, as well as from other sources, I have been led to certain conclusions, someof whichdifEer considerablyfromthosegenerallyreceived. These I will put forward in a tentati ve way, desiring to suggest that the ground is still open to inquiry, rather than to make any dogmatic statement. Another object I have in view is to single out from these numer- ous forms of thickened bone—variously described as hyperostosis, osteoporosis, hypertrophy, etc.—such as can be unmistakably re- ferred to recognised causes, and to use the information thus de- rived for the elucidation of the more obscure affections. In pursuing these objects, though I shall be found sometimes standing in opposition to long-established explanations, some of which bear the weight of our greatest authorities, I trust that my views may .serve the purpose at least of reopening an old subject, and that, as an outcome of our discussion, we may lind ourselves nearer the truth.