Abstract: MARCH 11, to, or accompanying, certain cardiac or aneurismal diseases, it may be considered as originating in an imperfect elaboration of the blood-plasma, or other reparative con- stituent ; the constitutional vice in the organs engaged being related to defective assimilation and renovation, rather than to change connected with the process of decay,the result of decomposition and rearrangement of the elementary con- stituents, independent of any further addition ab extra.The tern ;' degeneration" as now used, appears to imply hut one purely chemical sourceof textural change,but maywith equal (if not greater) probability be referred to inadequate re- newal or reproduction of tissue, arising out of abnormal conditions of cell-growth, and defective formative power in the in-coming nutritive pabulum.Chemical authorities are at issue as to whether or not azotised and non-azotised blood- constituents are respectively convertible; the animal organ- isnilbeing, however, pre-eminently a reducing apparatus.Now, although the inyoline of muscular fibre becomes re- placed by oily particles, in faLtty metamorphosis, we have hereby no positive (only analogical or presumptive) proof of a conversion of the formier into the latter having taken )lace.An excess of adipose material, favourable to fatty deposition, may obtain from its decreased con-tumpttion, through inaction of the liver, lungs,skin,and kidneys.Again, excess of oily constituents nlay result fromt cowversion of the more animalised components of the tissues, in their removal from the systemn by the agency of the liver, as stated by A. Bernard.This, however, is effected bly landular activity, and bears little analogy to that change, which ensucs in organic matter removed out of the sphere of action of the living organism.In the latter case, the play of chemical af-