260 THE ACTION OF THE LIVING CELL 



is some foundation for the interpretation of these 

 phenomena, for it is well known that traumatic con- 

 ditions near, or in the epiphysis, induce the phenomena 

 of inflammation, congestion, vascularization, bone de- 

 calcification, and absorption, and, at times, tissue 

 proliferation, which may lead to fibrous or bony anky- 

 losis." 



Similarly Harding (1921) reports that in a study 

 of 300 cases of arthritis he found blood cultures to be 

 negative, and states that he is "not at all convinced 

 that germs in tooth or tonsil are causative factors in 

 joint conditions." 



Failure to obtain positive blood cultures does not 

 necessarily indicate that focal infections are of no 

 importance in connection with arthritis. Indeed, 

 various statistical studies have shown that there ex- 

 ists a close correlation between foci of infection and 

 various pathological conditions. On the other hand 

 competent men have frequently failed to find any evi- 

 dence of focal infection in patients apparently suf- 

 fering from the same maladies as those in whom foci 

 are found. Further, it frequently happens that the 

 removal of foci of infection does not result in allevia- 

 tion of the patient's condition. Such findings as these 

 are disconcerting. If, however, we assume that the 

 cellular degeneration is caused by cytost these appar- 

 ent discrepancies may be obviated. In our discus- 

 sion of the relationship of bacterial infection to cytost, 

 it was pointed out that proteolytic microorganisms 

 may cause the liberation of the tissue toxin. Obviously 

 then, a focus of infection may cause a more or less 

 continual release of cytost into the circulation, and 

 this may lead to the onset of various pathological con- 



