There is a variety of growths within the nasal chambers to which the name polypus has been given, and much confusion has arisen in consequence, both in regard to the origin and frequency of nasal polypus. Those who restrict the term nasal polypus to the gelatinous form find them comparatively infrequent compared to the total of nasal disorders, while others, like Zuckerkandl, who included posterior turbinate hypertrophies and fibro-adenomata, claim that they occur in every eight or nine autopsies.
It is my purpose to confine this paper to the discussion of the true nasal polypus or gelatinous myxoma, although what I shall say as to their causation will apply largely to the other growths which have been classed as polypi.
ORIGIN.
True nasal polypus has by different pathologists been classed among the adenomata or the myxomata according to whether one or the other elements predominated in the structure.