DR. BEALE_, ON THE TISSUES. 255 



it would not be possible to distinguish a single elementary part 

 of one of tliese growths from an elementary part removed from 

 certain healthy tissues, the striking irregularity of the structure, 

 the absenceof that orderly arrangement exhibited by all healthy 

 textures, and the great extent of tissue exhibiting precisely the 

 same characters, afford conclusive evidence as to the nature of 

 the structures under consideration. 



If the elementary parts of a tissue multiply to an unusual 

 extent, and thus overstep the limits assigned to them in the 

 normal state, a growth is produced which may only differ from 

 the healthy tissue with respect to its bulk, with reference to the 

 position which it may occupy or to which it may spread, and in 

 the relation it bears to other textures. Adipose tissue, fibrous 

 tissue, cartilaginous and bony tissues, often form tumours of 

 considerable size in direct continuity with the normal struc- 

 ture. It would seem that just at the point where these out- 

 growths originate, the restrictions under which growth occurs 

 normally are to some extent removed, and here we see the 

 power of unlimited growth, which is a property of the germi- 

 nal matter of all tissues, manifesting itself. 



In the normal state there is reason to believe that, of the 

 nutrient material distributed to the tissues, a certain propor- 

 tion is absorbed by the germiiial matter, and at length under- 

 goes conversion into tissue, while any excess is probably taken 

 up by lymph-corpuscles, and, perhaps, by the white blood- 

 corpuscles, which increase in number, and is at length re- 

 stored to the blood. It is probable that, in many of the tex- 

 tures in the interior of the body, a balance of nutrition is thus 

 maintained in the healthy state. If, however, the active 

 powers of the germinal matter of the tissue be impaired, in con- 

 sequence of some inherent deficiency, or through the influence 

 of a pabulum not fitted for its nutrition, or by some change in 

 the formed material which separates the germinal matter from 

 the nutrient fluid, the tissue must suffer ; and, as new mate- 

 rial is not added to it as fast as the old is removed, it must 

 waste. In this case a large proportion of the nutrient mat- 

 ter will be taken up by lymph- corpuscles, which will rapidly 

 increase in number, and the pabulum, which ought to 

 have been made into tissue, will be again restored to the 

 blood. 



It seems not unreasonable to assume that a result, corre- 

 sponding to that which is effected in the skin by the removal 

 of the superficial layers of the cuticle and hair, and by the 

 escape of the secretion of the sebaceous and sudoriparous 

 glands — in mucous membranes, by the falling off of the 

 superficial layers of epithelium, and in glandular organs by 



