392 Messrs. C. A. Ballanoe and S. G. Shattock. 



4. The changes caused by the ferment action are followed by 

 others due to the metabolism of the cells, these being processes of 

 weak oxidation. 



5. The embryo exercises some influence on the latter, setting up as 

 it develops a stimulus probably of a physiological description. 



6. The result of these various processes is to bring about the 

 following decompositions : 



The proteids are by the ferment converted into peptone, and 



later into asparagin. 

 The oil is split by the glyceride ferment into fatty acid and 



glycerine ; the latter gives rise to sugar, and the former to a 



form of vegetable acid, which is soluble in water and in ether, 



is crystalline, and has the power of dialysis. 



7. The mode of absorption is in all cases by dialysis. 



8. The appearance of starch and of oil in the embryo or the 

 young plant is due to a secondary formation, and not to a transloca- 

 tion of either. 



" A Note on an Experimental Investigation into the Patho- 

 logy of Cancer." By CHARLES A. BALLANCE and SAMUEL 

 G. SHATTOCK. Communicated by Sir JAMES PAGET, Bart., 

 F.R.S. Received April 15 Read May 1, 1890. Revised 

 June 10, 1890. 



Our first method of conducting the enquiry was by seeing if any 

 special micro-organism could be artificially cultivated from malig- 

 nant tumours, such as can be done from tubercle, and the pathological 

 formations of certain other infective diseases. 



These experiments were made in most instances with carcin- 

 omata of the breast, and in a manner fully detailed in the ' Pathol. 

 Soc. Trans.,' vol. 38. We thus experimented with three lipomata, 

 one myxoma, three sarcomata, and about thirty carcinomata. 



The results yielded by this particular method, and the particular 

 cultivating media mentioned, may be described in a single word as 

 negative. 



We have been able to keep portions of many carcinomata sterile 

 for an indefinite time after various periods of incubation up to 

 thirty- three days ; and in one case, in which fluid human serum was 

 employed, the incubation was continued for 134 days. 



The pieces transferred to solid media which remain sterile un- 

 dergo no change perceptible to the naked eye. We have at the 

 present time (February 20th, 1890), amongst others, a piece of a 



