Laënnec, in 1819, was the first to describe adequately and to name portal cirrhosis. Since his time hundreds of papers have been written, and many types of cirrhosis have been described. The following classification used in this study is taken from Bell's "Text-book of Pathology":
1. Portal cirrhosis (Laënnec's cirrhosis, atrophic cirrhosis, hobnail liver or gin-drinkers' liver)
2. Obstructive biliary cirrhosis
3. Pigmentary cirrhosis (hemochromatosis; bronze diabetes)
4. Syphilitic cirrhosis
Before discussion of the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver, which for years has been directed mainly toward relief of the ascites associated with the condition, the etiology, diagnosis, symptoms, physical findings, postmortem observations and causes of death will be considerd.
ETIOLOGY
The etiology of cirrhosis is obscure. The importance of alcohol as a factor becomes less and less convincing as the results of postmortem examination in large series of patients dying of alcoholism are studied. There was a history