276 THE PROTEAL TREATMENT OF CANCER 



on to a period of decline, which the X-ray now seems powerless 

 to retard. 



We must expect, I think, that the same thing will ordinarily be 

 true of the X-ray or radium treatment of the type of lymphaemia 

 or myelaemia associated with the presence of malignant neoplasms. 

 It was above suggested that the neoplasm assumes significant pro- 

 portions only when the blood-forming mechanism has ceased to 

 respond effectively to the antigenic stimulus of the "cancer pro- 

 teins. When this has occurred, a new stimulus may be given to 

 the blood-forming apparatus by X-ray or radium treatment. In 

 a certain number of cases, this new stimulus may be sufficient to 

 turn the scale in favor of the bodily defenders, and against the 

 neoplasm ; with the result that the lawless cells are totally disinte- 

 grated, and a condition of at least clinical cure is effected. But 

 in a much larger proportion of cases, it cannot be hoped that the 

 new stimulus given by the radiation treatment will serve to turn 

 the tide so effectively. In a vast preponderance of cases, the neo- 

 plasm will be found to be so thoroughly fortified that it offers suc- 

 cessful resistence to the best fighting equipment that the body 

 can develop under the new stimulus. 



Even where the local neoplasm seems completely to disappear 

 under the new stimulus, it is a matter of unfortunate observation 

 that either direct or metastatic recurrences presently reveal them- 

 selves, showing that the profound lymphatic dyscrasia, however 

 modified, has not been eliminated. 



In such a case (and this is equivalent to saying, in practically 

 all cases of cancer), it is desirable to seek still other methods of 

 stimulating the cytogenic apparatus, and thus further to fortify 

 the fighting equipment of the body. The therapeutic agents avail- 

 able for this purpose include: (1) Hygienic measures, such as 

 proper food, exercise, massage, and cold baths; and (2) An in- 

 definite series of foreign proteins, animal, bacterial, and vegetable. 



SECTION X. 



ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION AND PROTEAL 

 THERAPY 



About the year 1908 workers at the Loomis Laboratory 

 were experimenting with transplantable tumors in dogs. They 

 found that with dogs, as with rats and mice, some individuals 

 seemed immune to the transplantation of such tumors. In 

 other cases, the tumor after transplantation grows for a time 

 and then "spontaneously 1 ' regresses. In yet others, it continues 

 to grow until it brings about the death of the animal. As with 



