PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
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being no waste, however, to counterbalance the growth. Thus 
results a tumour of the first class. Now, as we find masses of germinal 
matter in health giving rise to other masses which have different 
properties from the first, it will not surprise us if we find that an 
irregular supply of nutriment, or a too rapid growth of some mass of 
germinal matter, should lead to the production of matter whose power 
to form tissue is degraded. And, as in the case of pus, while this 
degraded matter is never able to give rise to matter of equal value 
with its ancestor, yet it grows and multiplies with increased rapidity, 
and lives under conditions in which its ancestor would have perished. 
In fact, the less the power of forming tissue, the greater the vitality 
or power of increase of the germinal matter. These masses, then, 
insinuating themselves in the meshes of the original healthy tissue, 
increase with such enormous rapidity at its expense that they lead to 
its destruction. They become more malignant as they increase, and 
may even pass into the blood, travel long distances, and set up a fresh 
formation at some other part of the body. Thus we have produced 
tumours of the second class. As to the first class of tumours, it is 
sufficient for my purpose to show drawings of one or two. They have 
the same character very nearly as the tissues from which they spring, 
be they bony, fatty, cartilaginous, or simply fibrous. There are many 
others, not of much interest microscopically. As to the second class, 
the fact is there is an immense variety ; the variety, however, is 
chiefly in degree. We have every shade of difference between a simple 
fibrous tumour and a typical cancer. Cancer proper consists of a 
fibrous framework, arranged to form interspaces which contain peculiar 
cells, suspended in a viscid fluid, with much granular matter, which is 
partly germinal and partly fatty. No one of these appearances, taken 
by itself, can be considered characteristic of cancer ; it is only when 
we view them collectively that we can determine their cancerous 
nature with absolute certainty. Usually it is easy to decide, but 
there occur, every now and then, cases which puzzle the most expe- 
rienced microscopist, so many and so fine are the gradations from 
simple tumours to those of a cancerous nature. There are several 
varieties of true cancer, which depend on the relative proportion of 
the juice, cell, and fibre elements. The fibrous parts are, as you see, 
just like fibres in healthy tissues. The cells vary much in size and 
form, from round to the most irregular shapes possible. They 
generally contain a large mass of growing matter, which is often to be 
seen divided into two or more separate masses within the cell. These 
cells rarely adhere to each other or to the fibrous framework. There 
is a peculiar form of cancer, however, called epithelial cancer, gene- 
rally connected with the skin, especially that of the lips. The cells 
here vary less in size and shape, and are usually adherent both to 
each other and to the fibrous framework. They are often, in fact, 
arranged in regular layers in the interspaces. In the other forms 
this is never the case. Neither do the cells resemble that of true 
cancer in the subdivision of the germinal matter forming cells within 
cells. This form of cancer is not nearly so malignant as true cancer, 
and generally runs a much longer course before causing death.” 
Y 2 
