EXPERIMENTAL CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

The reparative process which follows the wide spread necrosis of the dog's liver caused by the injection of haemagglutinative serum constitutes a chronic interstitial hepatitis of definite and constant character. This is not only a new type of experimental hepatic lesion, but is more definitely a cirrhosis than is any other experimental lesion hitherto described. It is of importance in explaining the histogenesis of cirrhosis, and incidentally various repair processes in the liver; but it does not aid in the elucidation of the etiology of cirrhosis in man, nor does it explain the peculiar arrangement of the new connective tissue in any form of human cirrhosis except possibly that associated with chronic passive congestion. It definitely demonstrates, however, that cirrhosis may follow extensive primary destructive lesions, a view not yet fully accepted, and supports the contention of Kretz that cirrhosis is essentially a reparative process.