ENCYSTMENT 55 



The irritation produces injury and death of some 

 of the cells, and the broken-down products (aux- 

 etics and kinetics) may, if sufficiently concentrated, 

 act deleteriously on the neighbouring living cells, 

 and, by causing degeneration of the outer layers 

 of their protoplasm, may render them more re- 

 sistant, and prevent further absorption of the 

 injurious substances. For this to take place, 

 however, a sufficient dose of these chemical agents 

 will be necessary, as the first effect of the liberation 

 of auxetics and kinetics is to cause proliferation of 

 the neighbouring cells. It appears then that the 

 effect of auxetics and kinetics depends on their 

 concentration ; in small doses they act as excitors 

 of cell-reproduction, while in larger doses they (or 

 at any rate the kinetics) act as cell-poisons. The 

 influence of certain poisonous substances such as 

 alcohol, uric acid, the toxins (?) of syphilis, etc., in 

 producing sclerosis of tissues is well known, and 

 it appears probable that the auxetics and kinetics 

 liberated by cell-death may be effective in the 

 same way. These experiments have considerable 

 bearing on the theory propounded and developed 

 by this Research Fund (see the former volumes) 

 that cancerous tumours are due to excessive cell- 

 proliferation brought about by the action of 

 auxetics and kinetics. If the accumulation of 

 these substances becomes excessive they may now 

 act as poisons to some of the cells of the growth 

 while promoting excessive cell-division in other 

 parts ; and in this way might destroy part of the 

 tumour and cause ulceration, at the same time 

 giving rise to infiltration in other parts of the 

 tissue. There is in fact in a rapidly growing 



