16 THE TONER LECTURES. 



connective tissue between the cancer cylinders tliere was an 

 abundant infiltration of small cells. (Nine photographs, Nos. 

 7 to 15, shown.) 



In sections taken from some portions of the edges of this 

 growth a A^ery curious appearance was presented. A large 

 meshed net-work in the deeper layer of the corium was contin- 

 uous more superficially with narrow parallel anastomosing 

 bands, which i"an upwards towards the rete-malpighii, and, 

 entering the papillae of the corium, could be traced almost to 

 their very apices. On one side this net-work was continuous 

 with the margins of the cancerous growth. (Three photo- 

 graphs, Nos. 16 to 18, shown.) 



On examining the l)ands with higher powers, they at first 

 appeared to be composed of small cells held together b}^ more 

 or less fibrous tissue, but almost anywhere I could satisfy 

 myself that the centre of each contained a blood-A^essel, which 

 in some places was found to be filled with white corpuscles. 

 Just below the bases of the papillae of the corium there was 

 an abundant infiltration of small cells which somewhat ob- 

 scured the net- work, but the bands could be traced through it, 

 and were clearly continuous with the capillary blood-vessels in 

 the centres of thfe papillae. 



I greatly regi'et that, having received this specimen in alco- 

 hol, it w^as impossible to confirm the opinion expressed, by a 

 fine injection ; but I have no doubt that the form of this re- 

 markable net-work was determined by a luxuriant development 

 of blood-vessels at the edge of the ulcer, and that the innumer- 

 able small cells, found in all parts of the bands which com- 

 posed the net-work, originally white blood corpuscles, were 

 undergoing a transformation which would ultimately have con- 

 verted the tissue involved into a portion of the cancer. 



I call your attention next to two photographs from an epi- 

 thelial cancer excised from the left forearm of a woman sev- 

 enty-four years old. Most of the sections made from this 



