The significance of the zoological distribution, the nature of the mitoses, and the transmittability of cancer / by E.F. Bashford and J.A. Murray.

  • Bashford, E. F. (Ernest Francis), 1873-
Date:
[1904]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The significance of the zoological distribution, the nature of the mitoses, and the transmittability of cancer / by E.F. Bashford and J.A. Murray. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/18 (page 72)
    reproduction and cell-life, which are common to the forms in which it occurs. Our observations on animals show that malignant new growths are always local in origin and of themselves produce no evident constitu¬ tional disturbances whatsoever. These facts are in full accord with accumulated clinical experience in man. In connection with diagnosis and statistics we have already emphasised the importance of the absence of specific symptoms. The evidence we have advanced that cancer is an irregular and localised manifestation of a process, other¬ wise natural to the life-cycle of all organisms, probably explains why it is that malignant new growths and their extensive secondary deposits, qud cancer, are devoid of a specific symptomatology. We desire to add the accompanying dated note because we find that conclusions which have been drawn by others are attributed to us. [Note.—We find that the guarded terms in which the points of importance are emphasised may lead to a misconception of our inter¬ pretation of the facts. The cells which have undergone the reducing division are not responsible for the active invasion of surrounding tissues, nor for the production of metastases; the cells dividing somatically are responsible for both. The number of heterotype mitoses may not stand in any relation to the degree of malignancy and their absence is only presumptive evidence of the benign character of a tumour. We postulate nothing as to the future of the cells which have undergone the reducing division, though we believe the latter to be a terminal phase in the life cycle of cancer cells as it is in the history of sexual cells in animals. The local origin, and the expansive and infiltrating growth of cancer in its relation to surrounding tissues, while respecting its own proper elements, is the criterion of its malignancy. This stamps it as belonging to a new cycle comparable in its entirety to the whole organism which it is invading, rather than to any one of its tissues, reproductive or otherwise. We intentionally restricted our original statement to recording the facts, and only such general conclusions as could be irrefutably drawn from them.—January 25, 1904]. We cannot here make full acknowledgment to those who have assisted our inquiry in this country, but our indebtedness may be expressed to those observers abroad who have recorded isolated instances of cancer in animals, and have so generously furthered our investigations by placing material or specimens at our disposal. In particular, we desire to thank Professor Borrel, of the Pasteur Institute; Professor C. 0. Jensen, of Copenhagen; Mr. J. A. Gilruth, Chief of the Veterinary Department, New Zealand; Pro¬ fessor Landau and Dr. L. Pick, of Berlin; and Dr. Marianne Plehn, Munich. i