274 PHYSIC 



of the body, through the kidneys, while cancer usually 

 retains them within the body. 



The physiologico-chemical processes undergone by the 

 tissue elements, and the elements of the ingesta, represent, 

 respectively, a retrogressive and a prematurely construc- 

 tive vital activity, the former consisting of the premature 

 or immediately post-metabolic resolution of tissue sub- 

 stance into fatty degenerative products and saccharine or 

 glycerinoid elements, the latter consisting of the pre- 

 metabolic resolution of the alimentary materials into 

 saccharine or glycerinoid elements, in accordance, appar- 

 ently, with the principle seen determining the production 

 of glycerine from fatty matter as an artificial process, but 

 modified by the play of vital energy, in its various stages, 

 on the physiological and pathological results. 



It may, therefore, be said to illustrate the failure of 

 vital energy to maintain the histological and molecular 

 cohesion of developed structure, and the inability of vital 

 energy to obtain the development and organisation of 

 tissue pabulum, each failure representing two aspects of 

 a common vital failure to maintain and produce vital 

 tissue cohesion and organic health. 



The great result of this dual failure is profound general 

 abnegation of function, and absolute materio-dynamic 

 collapse, toge her with auto-toxis, due to the presence of 

 devitalised and non-vitalised materials throughout the 

 fluids and solids of the whole organism which have failed 

 to find an exit through the overwrought kidneys, and 

 which, therefore, have been brought into universal contact 

 with the living and acting tissues, poisoning their nutritive 

 supplies, and mechanically interfering with their freedom 

 of action, individual and communal, until their very 

 vitality has become asphyxiated and overwhelmed by sheer 

 negation of its essential conditions. 



When looking for indications as to treatment of these 

 conditions, it, therefore, behoves us to remember that the 

 presence of sugar in the urine is due both to ephemeral 

 and persistent conditions, and that the one is amenable to 

 treatment, while the other usually finally baffles all treat- 

 ment, and that our prognosis should be, in consequence, 

 of the most cautious order. 



