284 THE PROTEAL TREATMENT OF CANCER 



enzymes in sufficient quantity to combat the activities of the cancer 

 cells. 



A similar explanation, obviously, may be found for the ob- 

 served fact that an animal may be rendered immune to inocula- 

 tion experiments not merely by inoculation with the cancer tissue, 

 but with tissues of various kinds, including heteromorphous ones. 

 For example, Dr. Isaac Levin reported the immunization of rats 

 by treatment with mouse tissue. (Proceedings of the Society for 

 Experimental Biology and -Medicine, 1910.) Other experimenters 

 have produced immunization with the tissues of liver, spleen, and 

 other organs. The evidence seems to justify the expectation that 

 immunity may be developed by the introduction of various protein 

 substance, whether derived from the tissues of animals of the 

 same species, or of other species. In a word, it would appear 

 that we have to do with a general protein reaction. Couple these 

 observations with the observations of Bashford and his associates 

 and of Baeslack, and we might fairly expect were not our minds 

 turned in the opposite direction that an essential modification 

 of the leucocyte count would be found in all of these cases ; and 

 we might justify the inference that such modification had an im- 

 portant relation to the process of immunization. 



When, now, we turn to the human subject, and study the modi- 

 fications of the blood count in cancer cases, and in particular can- 

 cer cases under protein treatment, as reported in the present mono- 

 graph, it is obvious how all these observations of the animal ex- 

 perimenters harmonize with the results shown in our charts ; and 

 the conclusion seems inescapable that we have to do with a gen- 

 eral principle of protein reaction, and with a response of the 

 blood-forming organs one prominent feature of which is an in- 

 crease in the phagocytic or enzymic activities of the corpuscles. 

 This, after all, is only giving specific application, in terms of the 

 proteomorphic theory, to the general conclusion stated by Levin 

 in the paper above cited on the immunization of rats with mouse 

 tissue, to the effect that: "The explanation must be sought in 

 some protective substance within the host created under the 

 influence of the implanted mouse tissue." 



PHAGOCYTIC ACTIVITIES 



Before going on to a more detailed exposition of what I con- 

 ceive to be the character and manner of action of this "protective 

 substance," I would introduce a quotation from Starling's stand- 

 ard work on Physiology to remind the reader of the really ex- 

 traordinary part that phagocytic activities play in physiological 

 processes. 



"We have seen," says Starling, "that the leucocytes from what- 

 ever animal they may be taken present two phenomena, viz., that of 



