DEFENSIVE FERMENTS OF THE ANIMAL ORGANISM 19 



Finally, pathology provides us with a large number 

 of cases supporting our view of the specific structure 

 of the different cells belonging to a given organism. 

 We know that certain poisons have an injurious effect 

 only upon very definite kinds of cells. \Ye might 

 here refer to the well-known system diseases of the 

 central nervous system. The so-called metasyphilitic 

 phenomena, for instance, manifest themselves, only in 

 very special regions of the spinal cord and the brain. 



The idea that each kind of cell has its own struc- 

 ture, and to some extent its own metabolism, opens 

 up a wide vista for therapy also. So far as the 

 organism always forms products which act upon 

 certain cells and only upon these, it must be possible 

 to find substances which will act only upon those cells 

 whose metabolism we may wish to alter in some way 

 or other, or whose complete destruction is desirable. 

 The latter is the aim of the battle waged against 

 germs of infectious diseases and tumour cells, 

 especially cancer. There is a great future for cell- 

 specific therapy, which will pay special attention to 

 the structure and the configuration of the means 

 employed, or else attempt generally so to modify the 

 chemical and physical conditions in certain cells that 

 life will be impossible for them. 



The admission of a certain specific structure, for 

 each cell species with special functions, implies that 

 each separate cell possesses special means enabling it 



