304 ON GROWTH AND OVERGROWTH 



malignant growths are specially common in certain localities, 

 then such microbic origin becomes eminently probable. 



But if this theory be true, it does not follow that, discovering 

 the causative microbe, we shall be able to arrest the development 

 of cancer bv antimicrobic or antitoxic means. At least, in the 

 present state of our knowledge, I fail to see how we can. The 

 most we can look forward to is, on the one hand, the discovery 

 and employment of means whereby to destroy or arrest the 

 continuous growth of cells which have taken on this functionless 

 growth ; and, on the other hand, studying their habits outside 

 the body, to exterminate the causative agents, just as nowadays 

 it is being attempted with marked success to exterminate the 

 mosquitoes in some malarial regions. 



I would urge, then, that at the present time, when after all 

 these years of labour no causative agent of malignant growth in 

 general has with certainty been determined, that line of research 

 which promises surer results and greater profit on the part of 

 clinicians, as well as of laboratory investigators, lies in the direc- 

 tion of testing various methods of arresting the growth of the 

 tumour cells without injury to the organism in general. Herein 

 it seems to me that Coley 1 has chosen the better part. But over 

 and above all I cannot but feel that the greatest benefit to the 

 patient, the greatest triumph and satisfaction to the practitioner, 

 will for yet some years to come be the recognition and successful 

 removal of malignant tumours at the earliest possible date. 

 Aye, and what is more, the removal of benign tumours in general 

 before they have taken on possible malignant characters. 



I wish I could be more optimistic, for optimism is good and 

 healthy, but the above deductions are the necessary outcome 

 of the considerations I have put before you. As to the hypo- 

 thesis here put forward, I am quite prepared to find that many 

 will at first have difficulty in grasping it, but when grasped, I 

 cannot but believe most firmlv, it will be found to include and 

 to explain the largest number of individual cases — that it will 

 be found to satisfy the conditions of sound theory. 



1 By his treatment with mixed streptococcus and pyocyaneus vaccines. 



