136 GERMINATION 



cells in the over-ionised path of least resistance an Irregularly 

 shaped area of dead and rapidly proliferating cells is at 

 least conceivable. 



My experiments in vegetable electro-physiology point 

 to this conclusion and in this connection we may recall 

 that in the cells taken from a cancer of the breast it was shown 

 by J. Arnold (Thoma's Pathology, 'page 454) that mitotic 

 segmentation resulted in three segments and mitotic division 

 into six segments ; there being three centrosomes in the 

 first and six in the second. With chromosomes always in 

 equal numbers one can readily imagine this taking place, 

 once the centrosomes are increased in number. 



Several confirmatory facts present themselves. Cancer 

 is said to have been caused by X-rays and by radium. 



Thoma states that it is due to toxins and instances 

 'paraffin. But paraffin of a high flash point, such as 

 medicinal oil, is not a toxin. We saw, however, from experi- 

 ments at the Cancer Hospital that it facilitates the spread 

 of the disease, for the simple reason that the dead cancer-cell 

 is non-conductive of nerve-current, other cells in process 

 of decay are devitalised, and paraffin is a dielectric, adding 

 to their resistance. As a remedial agent paraffin could 

 only act upon the exoplasm ; the trouble is, however, within 

 and not without the exoplasm. 



I will now give some account of the experiments which 

 led to the above theory. 



If one electrifies the soil in a pot in which a flowering 

 plant is growing — using only a low power — cell division is 

 greatly stimulated, the leaves grow rapidly but the flowers 

 frequently fall off and berries and fruits in course of forma- 

 tion exhibit a similar tendency. 



To ascertain the effect of electrical stimulus upon root 

 vegetables I sowed some seed of the Long French Radish 

 in a 5-inch pot and electrified the soil by means of a dry 

 cell — positive to bottom, negative to top ; sowing other, 

 control, seeds in the open ground. The former came up in 



