211 



ExperimcMilally the vacuolalion and dogeneralion of the 

 lissue cells have been studied. The introduction of bacillus 

 typhosus in the hanging drop of the tissue cultures resulted 

 in rapid vacuolalion of the cells according to M. R. L e- 

 w i s 343^ The effect of certain strong oxidizing agents as 

 potassium permanganate on mesenchyme cells in tissue cul- 

 tures was tried by M. R. L e w i s ^eo e^ 



The formation of fat droplets in explanted cells and 

 the presence of glycogen in certain tissues under various 

 conditions, were studied by M. R. Lewis ^^'^) ^lu) 



In certain degenerating mesenchyme cells, cultivated in 

 vitro, W. H. LeW'is^iioc) observed rather often giant cen- 

 trospheres develop around the centi'iole. Just before the 

 appearance of the centrosphere the centriole is surrounded 

 by degeneration granules and vacuoles. The mitochondria 

 become orientated alx)ut the centriole and centrosphere. 



These giant centrospheres are interesting because they 

 are claimed by Lewis to be identical with the cancer 

 cell conclusions (P 1 i m m e r s bodies, cancer parasites). B o r- 

 r e 1 1^) thought that these bodies found in cancer cells were 

 the centrosomes of normal cells. 



According to Lewis it seems surprising to find an en- 

 largement of the centrospheres common to such different 

 types of cells as epithelium and embryonic mesenchyme. 

 It is probable that the fundamental metabolic processes 

 are similar. 



The giant centrospheres occurred in degenerating mesen- 

 chyme cells in the tissue culture, where, as L e wm s says, 

 we can to a certain extent control the environment; there- 

 fore the solution of this question is probably within the 

 limits of experimentation. — The cultures were made in 

 the usual way, and the factors producing this type of dege- 

 neration arc not yet known. The illustrations in L e w i s's 

 article demonstrating this are extremely beautiful. 



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