4. Fleshy hardness, with enlargement. — In this state the spleen
often attains to a prodigious size, filling up the whole left side of
the abdomen. It produces very little constitutional irritation, and
chiefly injures by its bulk, and its tendency to favour serous effu-
sion. It is astonishing with what rapidity this enormous growth
occasionally takes place ; but in this respect we are liable to be
deceived, for it is attended by so little pain, that, in many cases,
the increase has been taking place gradually, long before some
accidental circumstance leads to its discovery. In young children
this form of disease is still more frequent than in adults, and with
them it is more fatal. It often begins to show itself at two or three
months of age, gradually increasing till it bears a very large pro-
portion to the whole contents of the abdomen, and is to be traced
quite into the pelvis, and extending far beyond the Hnea alba,
towards the right side. In these cases it is often attended with
the appearance of petechise all over their cadaverous and pale
bodies. Such children seldom live above a year, or two or three,
and fall victims to emaciation, and often to mesenteric disease.
5. Softening. — This condition may exist ia various degrees, and
may depend on different causes. It is sometimes rather the result
of rapid change after death than of disease. "Where the colour of
the organ is that of a deep venous blood, probably congestion and
cadaveric change may be inferred ; and where a lighter lilac colour,
or a mottled red and lilac, is observed, it has been supposed to
bespeak some form of inflammatory action.
