icro-organisms. In all general inflammation we
may expect to find such organisms, which in most cases belong to the
class of micrococci, such as staphylococci and streptococci. In
gonorrhea we have a special organism called the "gonococcus"; while in
tuberculosis--a variety of inflammation in which the blood-vessels are
completely destroyed and a change or degeneration called "cheesy" is
produced, leading to the production of a tubercle--a rod-like bacillus
is invariably found, the well-known and unfortunately too common
tubercle bacillus. In syphilis--another special variety of
inflammation--a specific micro-organism is also surely present, but of
this microbe science has not as yet discovered the exact nature.

The question of the origin of tumors or new growths is also an
extremely important one; and it is undoubtedly true that many tumors
arise where there was a previous inflammation, this being especially
the case in tumors of the rectum. Why such a growth should arise in
some cases and not in others is as yet unknown, though microbes are
held by many to play an important role.

When an inflammation has lasted for such a length of time that it has
become chronic, a new tissue will sooner or later be produced in
varying amount; and this newly formed fibrous connective tissue may
entirely replace previous normal structures. Through the exudation and
consequent changes in the normal tissue a large amount of mucus is at
first secreted, but this secretion becomes less and less marked the
more the inflammation causes a desquamation of the epithelia.
Pronounced desquamation with new formation of connective tissue and no
fresh exudation will, sooner or later, occasion dryness--this dryness
being sometimes very pronounced. The longer the inflammation lasts, the
severer it will be; and the greater the amount of tissue it attacks,
the more will the normal tissue be destroyed and replaced by a new
connective tissue. A partial destruction will cause shrinkage of the
organ (so-called "cirrhosis"); while a complete destruction of certain
parts will result in what is known as "atrophy" (a wasting away of
normal tissue). In atrophy the blood-vessels as well as the original
connective and epithelial tissue are destroyed; while the newly formed
tissue leads to hypertrophy (excessive over-growth) of other portions
of the organ. Such a hypertrophy must not be confounded with an
induration that may be present later, or even at the very