502 Second European Journey 



After I had begun my work in Granby, Massfachusetts], in conjunction 

 with Miss Lathrop, I went to see Miss Slye who I knew was at that time 

 carrying on investigations on heredity of characters other than tumor inci- 

 dence, in the Department of Zoology under Doctor Tower. I suggested 

 that her's might be suitable material for studies of heredity in cancer, and- 

 proposed joint work. 



I believe that our methods are not the same. While Miss Slye publishes 

 isolated family trees, Miss Lathrop and myself give the history of suc- 

 ceeding generations of whole strains. Our conclusions are not entirely 

 identical, although her results confirm the great importance of hereditary 

 factors. 



I think it very probable however, as I expressed in my paper in Science, 

 that given a large quantity of external stimulation — microorganisms may 

 supply under certain conditions this stimulation — hereditary factors may be 

 dispensed with. 



I am looking forward with much interest to your further publications. 



Smith's position on heredity in cancer would be more fully 

 elaborated later. He was not presuming to be an authority on 

 medicine or animal pathology but a plant pathologist. His interest 

 in this question was evident. He believed there were hereditary 

 aspects. But his papers argued, from the standpoint of general 

 or comparative pathology, the infectious nature of malignant 

 tumors and that crown gall should be recognized as a neoplasm 

 in plants. From its study light could be derived on the infectious 

 nature and action of animal and human neoplastic growths. 



Many surgeons, physicians, and teachers encouraged Smith to 

 continue his studies. Dr. Robert Holmes Greene, surgeon of New 

 York City and author in 1917 of a text book on surgery and in 

 1918 to publish a volume on Cancer, its nature, causes, diagnosis 

 and treatment, wrote: 



You have presented a strong case in favor of the infectious nature of 

 cancer. On the other hand, Miss Maude Slye and Dr. Leo Loeb in their 

 work strongly favor the theory of inheritance. It is indeed very interesting 

 to see how the different experiments work out in their results. My own 

 experience would seem to indicate that cancer is both hereditary and 

 infectious. 



Dr. Willy Meyer, another New York surgeon, widely known 

 for his method of radical operation for carcinoma of the breast 

 and other important contributions to surgical practice, wrote 

 Smith on May 13, 1916, 



