RnsHARCH ON Plant Tumors 'S03 



Permit nic to thank you once more ... for the great courtesy shown me 

 in conjunction with the colleagues who visited you on Tuesday afternoon. 

 I was more than pleased to meet you again and see your wonderful speci- 

 mens and convincing results in producing tumors in plants. I have no 

 doubt that the future will prove the microbic origin of malignant tumors 

 also in the human being. I h.ive been looking for such proof for many 

 years, and am delighted that it has now been definitely found as far as 

 the vegetable kingdom is concerned. One's gratitude goes out toward the 

 man who, by persistent and painstaking work, has succeeded in proving 

 this contention. 



Smith's papers had strengthened more the beliefs of Dr. W. B. 

 Coley who, through Jiis official capacity as chairman of the Archer 

 M. Huntington Cancer Research Fund, was still rendering aid 

 and encouragement. He wrote on May 24: "I agree with you 

 that we are on the eve of important discoveries in the field of 

 etiology of malignant tumors in man. For many years I have 

 been absolutely convinced that such tumors are of extrinsic origin 

 due either to the same, or slightly different varieties of micro- 

 organisms, ^'our wonderful work has brought the origin of these 

 tumors nearer solution. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated 

 your kindness in letting me see so much of your work while in 

 Washington." On November 21 he sent for cultures of Bacterimn 

 tumejaciens " with the idea of taking up a series of experiments 

 with them on animals. . . . Our Huntington Fund," he advised, 

 " is now in a position to take up this work and we should very 

 greatly appreciate any suggestions from you with regard to how 

 to go about it." 



Founded in 1899 by Caroline Brewer Croft, the Cancer Com- 

 mission of Harvard University was a part of the medical school. 

 At least, the commission, directed by Dr. E. E. Tyzzer, was made 

 up of representatives from the fund, the college, and the medical 

 school. Drs. Theobald Smith and W. T. Councilman represented 

 the medical school. On January 24, 1918, Dr. Councilman sent 

 Erwin Smith some constructive criticism, having to do evidently 

 with the latter's monograph, " Embryomas in Plants. (Produced 

 by Bacterial Inoculations),"'''' an expansion of an address given 

 on December 18, 1916, before the Johns Hopkins Medical Society 

 and entitled, " Is there any real relation between crown gall of 

 plants and cancer?" Said Dr. Councilman: 



^"^ Johns Hopkins Hospital Bull. 28(319): 277-294, Sept. 1917. 



