Attempt to cultivate Parasitic Protozoa from Tumours, $c. 469 



"An Attempt to Cultivate Parasitic Protozoa from Malig- 

 nant Tumours, Vaccinia, Molluscum Contagiosum, and 

 certain Normal Tissues, together with Infection Experi- 

 ments carried out with the Culture Media, and a Note on 

 the Treatment of Cancer." By SAMUEL G. SHATTOCK and 

 CHARI<ES A. BALLANCE. Communicated by Sir JAMES 

 PAGET, Bart., F.R.S. Received March 25, Read May 2, 



1895. 



(Abstract.) 



In a previous communication the authors showed that no 

 organism belonging to the protophyta could be cultivated from 

 malignant new growths, and in addition that carcinomatous and 

 sarcomatous tumours from the human subject could not be trans- 

 planted so as to produce infection in the lower animals. 



About this time the researches of Nils Sjobring and Soudakewitch, 

 and in this country, of Buffer and others, showed that in sections of 

 carcinoma stained by special methods there were present certain 

 bodies which the above observers alleged to be parasitic protozoa. 

 The authors then determined to try whether any protozoon could be 

 cultivated from malignant new growths ; and as it is well known that 

 the habitat of the common amoeba is damp sand or pond water, they 

 decided to select sand and water as the medium for their investiga- 

 tion. Their first experiments were imperfect, for the reason that 

 sufficient care was not used in the sterilisation of the materials and 

 in the precautions taken during microscopic examination. 



The only experiments in which they found living amoebae were 

 certain of the earlier, in which a possibility of external contamina- 

 tion was not rigidly excluded. 



The following is their final method of procedure : 



Sand. Silver sand, from which the finest part had been removed 

 by sifting, was baked in a shallow thin iron dish over a large ring 

 liunsen for an hour. It was then transferred to the small deep 

 capsules and Petri dishes about to be used, which had been pre- 

 viously baked for an hour at 150 C. in the hot-air steriliser. The 

 capsules so charged were then baked for an hour at 150 C. ; on 

 removal from the steriliser the sand was heaped up on one side by 

 shaking the capsule so that when the water was added part of tho 

 sand was submerged and part remained above the level of the fluid. 

 The object of this proceeding was to obtain a littoral in order to 

 ensure better aeration for any protozoa that might develop. 



Water. This was distilled and collected in a sterilised flask; it 

 was subsequently boiled for from four to five hours with -the object 

 of rendering it quite sterile. 



VOL. LVIH. 2 K 



