[=Notice= in examination. 1. _Vertebræ._—Condition of several parts; caries, etc. 2. _Vertebral Canal._—Proportion to cord; contained fluid; serum, pus or blood; amount, etc.; condition of spinal veins. 3. _Membranes of cord._—Bulging of any part; thickening; congestion; morbid growths, etc.; fluids within; amount, color, etc. 4. _Spinal cord._—Weight; size; condition of fissures; of interior, as seen on section; softening; exact point of; roots of nerves; pressure upon, etc.] From the continuity and identity of structures, the spinal cord is subject to essentially the same diseases as those of the brain. 1. The Membranes. =Inflammation= of the latter may exist alone, or in connection with that of the membranes of the brain, constituting _cerebro-spinal meningitis_. Inflammation of the dura mater is an uncommon occurrence. The inflammation in spinal meningitis is almost wholly confined to the pia mater, this being the more vascular of the membranes. A pale reddish, or sometimes purple color, with a bloody jelly-like infiltration, characterizes the earlier stage, while at a later period the membrane presents a greyish or dirty yellow appearance, from the presence of a thick pus-like substance covering the surface. Such inflammations may be either idiopathic, rheumatic or traumatic in their origin. In _spotted fever_ the inflammation extends to the pia mater of the base of the brain, and is remarkable from the epidemic form which it sometimes assumes. =Tubercular= deposits, as well as _tumors_ of various kinds, may be found connected with the spinal membranes, so similar to those described with the cerebral membranes, as not to require separate notice. =Serous effusion= may be found in the spinal canal, in the same cases when it exists in the cranial cavity, and may be either a diffusion of fluid through the sub-arachnoid space, that has been effused in the brain, or it may originate from the membranes of the cord itself. The fluid may be either between the vertebræ and dura mater, or between the latter and the pia mater. A peculiar form of dropsy of the spine is sometimes found, congenital in its nature, and accompanied with a deficiency in the spinal column, by means of which a cleft remains in the arch of one or more of the vertebræ; hence the name, _Spina bifida_, as applied to this disease. The effusion in these cases, taking place before the vertebræ are fully developed, the pressure from within prevents the final closure of the canal posteriorly; when, from want of support at that point, the membranes and covering tissues, yielding to the pressure from the accumulating fluid, gradually protrude at that point, producing a rounded fluctuating tumor. The disease is more frequently found in the lumbar region, although it may occur in the dorsal or cervical, and in some cases may involve the whole spinal column. 2. Spinal Marrow.