Attempt to citl/h-ntr. Parasitic Protozoa from Tumours, $r. 471 



notic growth of the cheek, two melanotic sarcomata from horses, and 

 a spindle-celled mammary sarcoma from a dog. In the case of 

 CMTcinomata the authors confined themselves to the typical scirrhus 

 of the breast for the reason that in new growths involving superficial 

 parts as the lip, tongue, &c., there is not only a chance of protophytic 

 contamination, but also of protozoic, especially as certain protozoa 

 nre normal inhabitants of such mucous passages as the vagina and 

 intestine. 



The result of all these experiments was negative. No traces of 

 protozoic life, whether as spores or amoobro were encountered, 

 although the examinations wero made at regular intervals and 

 repeated for periods of many months. 



It may be added that a similar method of investigation carried out 

 with normal tissues was equally negative of result. 



The experiments so made were nineteen in number : seven were 

 with human tissues (five subjects), muscle, pancreas, spleen, mamma; 

 and twelve with the tissues of three dogs, submaxillary salivary gland, 

 muscle, testicle, pancreas, kidney, and spleen. 



The authors obtained equally negative results with vaccinia, 

 molluscum contagiosnm, the pancreas of Salamandra maculata, and 

 muscles of the frog. 



Vaccinia. The experiments were made with freshly excised skin of 

 the calf on which mature vesicles had been raised. They were 

 carried out because bodies similar to those viewed as parasitic in 

 carcinoma have been demonstrated in the epithelium of the vaccine 

 and variolous vesicle. 



Molluscum contagiosum was experimented with, because certain 

 observers have held that the " molluscous bodies " in the lesions are 

 protozoa. 



Pancreas of Salamandra maculata was used because it has been 

 alleged that the paranucleus seen in certain of the epithelial cells is 

 a protozoon. 



Muscles of the frog ; because it has been stated that active arocebre 

 may readily be raised by some such method as that described from 

 the tissue in question. 



The experiments of the authors, conducted with the precautions 

 detailed in the paper, especial !y the avoidance of contamination from 

 the integument, prove that this is untrue. 



The general conclusion the authors draw from the different series 

 of experiments recounted in the paper is that by the method adopted 

 no protozoa can be cultivated from the healthy living tissues, from 

 malignant tumours (at least such as are not directly exposed to 

 external contamination), from the lesions of vaccinia and molluscum 

 contagiosum, from the salamander's pancreas, and from the muscles 

 of the frog. 



