SOAPS, PROTEIN DERIVATIVES AND TISSUES 249 



The involved protoplasm will therefore not only tend to mix 

 with its surrounding medium, but (except for the globulin frac- 

 tion) will itself be moving from a system represented by a solu- 

 tion of water in colloid material towards a system represented 

 by a true solution of the colloid material (the protoplasm) in water. 

 As this happens there will be observed a " liquefaction " of the 

 protoplasm, a decrease in its viscosity, an increased diffusibility 

 and (if such diffusion is impeded by hydrated colloid walls) mani- 

 festations of an increased osmotic pressure. 



The several changes described make for a steady decrease in 

 the amount of hydrophilic colloid present in the unit volume of 

 protoplasm and the appearance of more and more " free " water. 

 But under such circumstance any fat previously held apart in 

 finely divided form within the protoplasm begins to run together 

 into larger globules. As this happens we get the anatomical pic- 

 ture of " fatty degeneration." 



We have not thus far considered the question of whether a 

 reversal in the circumstances producing the series of changes 

 described (with their accompanying alterations in function) allows 

 these changes to reverse or not. If reversion is possible the con- 

 dition is " curable "; if not, the involved protoplasm dies, or, to 

 say it in Greek, it suffers necrosis. 



5 



Considering that in a thousand pages of pathology the sub- 

 jects of oedema, cloudy swelling and fatty degeneration scarcely 

 take up a dozen, it may impress the reader that too much has been 

 made of them in the pages of this volume and preceding ones. If 

 the matter needs justification then it is written in the fact that all 

 disturbance in function and all the changes of disease which are 

 reversible and therefore curable are contained within tin- con tines 

 of these lowly concepts. Cells once dead may be replaced by 

 others, but the physician does not do this. If he has a problem 

 it is that of how to in.-imi :in the physiological; to understand 

 'h' nature of the pathological; and to use, not with hope only, 

 but with conscious power his knowledge of these things in order 

 to aid nature in h-r efforts to restore an injured cell to the normal. 



To hasten HK-h Mention our efforts have not brought us far. 

 To do it in the terms of morphology is to end in pictures; to do 



