They  are  most  likely  to  do  this  in  cases  in  which  any  imperfection
of  the  uterine  or  ovarian  functions,  in  which  they  may  have
seemed  to  have  their  origin,  is  repaired  by  marriage,  or  pregnancy,
or  lactation.  And  the  fact  is  very  suggestive ;  since,  in  many
cases,  it  appears  as  if  the  discontinuous  hypertrophy,  which  con-
stitutes the  tumour,  were  remedied  by  the  supervention  of  a  con-
tinuous hypertrophy  for  the  discharge  of  increased  functions  of  the

gland.
On  the  other  side,  these  tumours  often  continue  to  grow  indefinitely,
and  they  may  thus  attain  an  enormous  size.  One  was  removed  by
Mr.  Stanley,  which,  after  twelve  years'  progress,  in  a  middle-aged
woman,  measured  nearly  twelve  inches  in  length,  and  weighed  seven
pounds.  It  was  pendulous ;  and,  as  she  sat,  she  used  to  rest  it  on  her
knee  till  the  integuments  began  to  slough.  Mr.  Stanley  merely  sliced
it  ofF  cutting  through  the  pedicle  of  skin ;  and  the  patient  remained
well  for  at  least  seven  years.  The  tumour  was  one  of  the  firmest  and
most  filamentous  of  the  kind.^

In   the    College   Museum   is    a   tumour  *    of  the    same  kind,   but

'  Under  the  same  name,  however,  he  included  some  that  "were  more  probably
'  Painful  subcutaneous  Tubercles ' :  see  his  PI.  viii.  Figs.  2,  4,  5,  7.
5  Mus.  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital,  Series  xxxir.  No.  22.
'  Mus'.  Coll.  Surg.  No.  208.  '  ibid.  No,  216.
0  0


562  MAiniARY  GLAIfDULAR  TUilOUES.
softer  and  mucli  more  succulent,  whicli  was  removed  by  Mr.  Listen
from  a  woman  forty-fonr  years  old,  and  which  weighed  twelve
pounds.
