Chapter XIII 



CYTOST IN MEDICINE 



One can easily imagine that the introduction of cy- 

 tost into the human body would result in the onset of 

 pathological changes similar to those induced in the 

 lower animals which we have investigated in the lab- 

 oratory. Direct experiments concerning this conclu- 

 sion are impossible for obvious reasons. There are, 

 however, a number of pathological conditions com- 

 monly found in man that closely parallel those pro- 

 duced in animals as a result of cytost intoxication, and 

 one can hardly escape the conclusion that many of 

 these are due to just this cause. 



For instance, the shock which may be easily pro- 

 duced in animals by the methods we have described 

 earlier is of common occurrence in men who have 

 been subjected to trauma, particularly crushing in- 

 juries, severe burns, and unduly prolonged anesthesia. 

 Such shock is unquestionably due to the cytost re- 

 leased from damaged tissue, as is the case in lower 

 animals. Early in the text it has been pointed out that 

 the excision of injured tissues, if performed before 

 extensive autolysis has progressed, is a fairly effec- 

 tive prophylactic against the onset of traumatic shock. 

 This fact is well recognized by surgeons, who fre- 



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