A STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF CANCER 

 EXTRACTS ON THE GROWTH OF LUPIN 



SEEDLINGS^ 



JACOB ROSENBLOOM 



{Biochemical Laboratory of Columbia University, at the College of Physicians 



and Surgeons, New York) 



Introduction. One of the peculiar effects of Cancer is the 

 resultant cachexia. There have been many efforts to find, in cancer 

 tissue, a poison that might account for the characteristic cachexia. 

 It has been claimed that the cachexia is due to pressure by the grow- 

 ing tumor on the blood vessels and consequent interference with 

 adjacent circulation, with development öf areas of necrosis, autol- 

 ysis, and production of hemolytic and toxic substances. 



Rülf^ considers that proteases are important factors in the cau- 

 sation of cancer cachexia. Bard^ found that blood is rapidly hemo- 

 lyzed in hemorrhagic carcinomatous exudates in serous cavities, 

 which is not the case in exudates under other conditions. KuHmann* 

 observed that extracts of Carcinoma contain hemolytic substances 

 that are active in vivo and in vitro, soluble in alcohol and water, and 

 toxic for all varieties of corpuscles. Micheli and Donati^ also 

 found hemolytic substances in eight of sixteen tumors, of which five 

 hemolyzed all varieties of corpuscles and three acted on some varie- 

 ties only. They thought the hemolytic substances result f rom autol- 

 ysis of the tumors, as it is well known that certain hemolytic sub- 

 stances occur among the products of autolysis of normal tissues. 



^This paper presents the results of a preliminary study that was begun, at 

 Dr. Gies' Suggestion, as a part of the plan of biochemical research described 

 in Sttidies in cancer and allied subjects, conducted under the auspices of the 

 George Crocker Special Research Fund, 1912, iii, p. 153 (in press). The plan 

 includes a study of the effect of cancer extracts on cells of all kinds, including 

 Cancer cells. 



-Rülf: Zeit. f. Krebsforsch., 1906, iv, p. 417. 



*Bard: La semaine med., 1901, xxi, p. 201. 



*Kullmann: Zeit. f. klin. Med., 1904, liii, p. 293. 



" Micheli and Donati : Riforma med., 1903, xix, p. 1037. 



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