504 THE CHEMISTRY OF TUMORS 



ptoinains or similar substances in tlie urine of cancer patients may be 

 found in the literature,®" but their importance is extremely question- 

 able. 



Hemolytic Substances. — A number of observers have described the 

 finding of hemolytic substcinces in cancer extracts. Bard ®^ observed 

 that in hemorrhagic carcinomatous exudates in serous cavities the 

 blood is rapidly hemolyzed, which is not the case in exudates from 

 other causes, but this was not corroborated by Weil.®' Kullmann ®*^ 

 found that extracts of carcinomas contain hemolytic substances acting 

 energetically both in the body and in vitro; these are soluble in alcohol 

 and in water, are not complex in composition, are not specific for hu- 

 man corpuscles, but are toxic for all varieties of corpuscles. IMicheli 

 and Donati ®^ likewise found hemolytic substances in 8 of 15 tumors, 

 of which 5 acted on all varieties of corjDuscles, and 3 acted on only 

 certain varieties; they regard the hemolj'tic substances as the products 

 of autolysis in the tumors. Weil ®* also found the hemolytic property 

 of tumor extracts to vary with the amount of necrosis, from which are 

 derived dialysable hemolytic substances distinct from the hemolysins 

 of normal tissues. It is well known tliat among the products of 

 autolysis of normal tissues are hemolytic substances. Whether the 

 severe anemia frequently present in carcinoma is due, either largely 

 or in part, to these products of autolysis is unknown, but it is very 

 probable that they have some effect. 



Hemolysis in Cancer. — The blood serum of cancer patients has often 

 a hemolytic action on the corpuscles of normal persons (Crile), but 

 this property is quite inconstant, being present in 67 per cent, of a 

 series of 472 cancer cases collected by Krida, while 15 per cent, of 

 cases of other diseases and 2.6 per cent, of normal persons showed 

 hemolytic activity of the serum. ®^ Elsberg found that normal corpus- 

 cles injected subcutaneously into cancer patients are hemolyzed, but 

 Gorham and Lisser found this reaction positive in but 60 per cent, of 

 their eases, the subcutaneous hemolysis not corresponding at all to 

 the hemolytic activity of the patient's serum in the test tube. The 

 stomach contents in cancer of the stomach, when ulcerated, are hemo- 

 lytic (Grafe and Rohmer).®*^ The red corpuscles of cancer patients are 

 said to have usually a greater resistance to hemolysis by cobra- venom 

 than normal corpuscles, but this is not eluiracteristic, tliere being simi- 

 lar alterations in other diseases.®' The reputed power of the serum 



80 See Kullmann, Zcit. klin. IMcd.. in04 (.')3), 2fl-'?. 



81 La Scmaine ^tecL, 1001 (21), 201. 



82 Jour. ]\Iecl. EcH.. 1010 (23), 80. 



83 Rift.rma Mod., 100.1 (19), 10.37. 



84 Jour. Mod. Pu's., 1007 (K!), 287. 



sn Liioraturo l»v (iorliain and Liasor, Amor. Jour. ^lod. Si'i., li*]2 (144), 10.'?. 

 80 Dcut. Arcli. klin. ]\lod., 1008 (04), 230. 



87 Kraua, Kanzi and II. Klirlidi, Sit/.. Bor. Akad. Wion., 1010 (110). 3: spo also 

 Grunbaum, Jour. rath, and lUiot., 1012 (17), 82. 



