The femurs were perfectly normal in shape, as also were the bones of the lower leg, but the pelvis was a rostrated one, the superior pubic rami being bent in the middle nearly at right angles, and much deformed and con tracted in all its diameters. It was remark able, that, at the bend of the superior pubic rami, and at the suture of the ischio-pubie rami, there was a complete deficiency of osseous matter, so that after maceration, the pubes separated at these points ; showing that the connection and continuation of the bone in these places was purely ligamentous, or by organic matter, as if resulting from an un united fracture.
The sudden diminution of the hard con stituents in the head and neck of the femur, as compared with its shaft, is worthy of ob servation `in reference to the bending and fracture of the femoral neck in old people.
The smaller proportion of earthy matter in the pubes, as compared with the ilium, and in the sacrum and lumbar vertebrx, as com pared with the femoral shaft and pelvis, will account for the greater yielding and deformity which are observed in these parts in the angular pelvic distortion, especially in the rostrated variety, and will be referred to pre sently in the consideration of the mechanism of pelvic deformities.
In the analysis made by Dr. Bostock of the dorsal vertebrw of a woman affected by mollities, he found, that the proportion of the earthy constituents amounted to only one-fifth of the whole weight in one part of the bone, and to one-eighth only in another ; while in a healthy bone from the same part, they amounted to more than one half the whole weight.* In the analysis given, in Rokitansky's work before cited, of a portion of bone fected with this disease we find—in 100 parts: Phosphate of lime and magnesia - 17.48 Carbonate of lime and soluble salts 6.32 Total of inorganic matter 23-80 Cartilage vessels and fat - 76.20 Specific gravity of the bone 0.721.
Among the reasons adduced in favour of the supposition that this disease is sometimes a malignant one, besides the general and violent pains that usually precede the deformity, its incurability and unchecked course towards a fatal termination, have been given. That this result is not invariably the case, the fol lowing case quoted from Naegele will show, in the fact that the pelvic bones had regained their normal hardness. In the pelvis whence the foregoing analysis was taken, the bones had, most probably, at some former period been much softer than they were at the time of death. Such cases also show, that though very frequently, the pelvic bones distorted by mollities are so soft and pliable as to yield, sometimes' considerably, to the fcetal head ; yet that this is by no means always the case, nor should it be taken, as it is by some ob stetricians, as a characteristic mark of this disease affecting the pelvis.
A very minutely detailed case of pelvic dis tortion, resulting clearly from one or other kind of mollities ossium, is given by Naegele.* The subject of the case, after having borne six children (five healthy, full sized, and living, and the sixth still born), became affected with this disease, which brought about such exten sive pelvic distortion and contraction, that, at the seventh labour, the Caesarian operation was rendered necessary, fi.om the conse quences of which the patient died after the fourth day. The shortness of the time in which the pelvis became so much distorted, together with the extent of the deformity, and the fact that, at the time of the patient's decease, it had regained its normal hardness, render the case a very remarkable one. Naegele considered it as the most contracted pelvis that had ever come under his observa tion.
The anterior wall was pushed upwards and the 'posterior downwards, the superior plane being bent at the acetabula, so that the upper border of the pubic symphysis was level with the upper surface of the 4th lumbar vertebra ; and a line drawn from one anterior superior iliac spine to the other, cut the upper surface of the 3rd lumbar vertebra at its posterior half. The innominate bones were pushed together, and presented the acute fur row, like cracked pasteboard, on their inner surfaces. The sacrum was bent almost double. The measurements are given by the author, as follow t From the anterior inferior iliac spine, to the opposite point on the iliac crest postenorly— on the left side, 2 inches 4. lines ; on the right side, 2 inches 6 lines. From the apex to the upper surface of the sacrum, 16 lines only ; to the junction of the 1st and 2nd sacral pieces, 104 lines. From the left superior pubic ramus a little internal to the pectineal eminence, to the body. of the 4th lumbar vertebra on the same level, only 21., lines. Between the same points on the right side, 6i lines. The sides of the sub.pubic arch were only 3 lines apart, and more contracted near the sciatic tuberosities than above, by these processes being pushed inwards. The pubes in this pelvis, as repre sented in the drawings given by' the author, are bent in the middle of their superior rami, thus producing the rostrated form.