Amyloid Disease

Amyloid Disease, a form of disease in which a peculiar substance is found in the kidneys, liver, spleen, intestines, and other parts of the body, the deposition of which leads to serious interference with nutrition, and among other special symptoms to dropsy and obstinate diarrhoea. One of the chief exciting causes of amyloid disease appears to be long continued suppuration; it was not uncommonly met with years ago as the result of the formation of matter in the chest cavity in children, but improved methods of treatment have fortunately almost expunged this class of cases from the records of disease. The amyloid substance is by some regarded as new material deposited from the blood, by others it is considered as a product of tissue degeneration. It was first studied by Virchow, who named it amyloid, as he regarded it as allied to starch (amylum). It is now known however to be closely related to albumen in chemical composition.