MATERIO-DYNAMIC PARALLELISM 475 



alternate activity and rest, rest and activity, a condition 

 of things uniquely characteristic of the organisms of 

 maternity. Thus, these organisms are embryonically and 

 foetally developed with the rest of the bodily structures, 

 and remain functionless, i.e. as to their specific function, 

 until the age of puberty is reached, when they assume 

 their functional role, which is characterised by periodic 

 acute intervals of structural and functional increase] and 

 diminution of evolutionary and involutionary develop- 

 ment, until, their specific functional activity over, they 

 resume the condition of the status quo ante. The resump- 

 tion of this condition, of functional deprivation and organic 

 rest, constitutes the occasion in the history of the indi- 

 vidual in which the occurrence of non-parallelism between 

 structure and function is most likely to occur, and where 

 delayed material, or organic, involution of functionless 

 textures is most apt to result in the production, or 

 establishment, of pathological conditions conditions 

 which, if not capable of removal, must necessarily and 

 inexorably lead to the production of either, or both, 

 innocent and malignant disease. Here, then, we believe, 

 we have reached one of those "points of view" in the 

 evolution of self-originating, or non-conveyed, disease 

 where the initiation and evolution of cancer can be 

 observed, and its course seen as it pursues its fell way 

 along structure and organ, destroying and annihilating 

 every feature and outline of normal development, and 

 reducing to one chaotic mass the fair physiological domain 

 of harmonious proportion and good health. 



As the active and specific functional role changes into 

 that of rest, or stagnation, and disease, the structures, 

 which have served their " day and generation," are some- 

 times left to crumble into ruins, while the scavengers and 

 refuse-removers for the time being are, for some reason 

 or other, not called upon, or are unable, to remove the 

 weight of functionless, or useless, debris ; the formative, or 

 organising, agencies in this pathological crisis take up the 

 imposed, or sympathetic, role of performing the relin- 

 quished work, by covering up, ivy-like, the neglected 

 material remains, by whatever material means may be 

 at their disposal. This work, therefore, instead of finally 



