352 THE PROLIFERATION OF CANCER 



of lymphadenoma. In connection with this it is 

 interesting to note that many years ago Trousseau 1 

 stated in his book that lymphadenoma often follows 

 on a suppuration focus, and this view is upheld by 

 many to this day. At the same time it must be re- 

 membered that no alkaloid has yet been made to induce 

 a division by itself; it is essential for an auxetic to be 

 present also. Alkaloids appear to be augmenters only 

 of cell-division. 



But our object was, if possible, to find the cause 

 of carcinoma, and we therefore tried to see if our 

 chemical agents would induce divisions in epithelial 

 cells. Considerable difficulty was met in investigating 

 this point. Epithelial cells will not live long in vitro; in 

 fact, they usually die in a few moments, as far as can be 

 seen. But at last we did succeed in inducing an early 

 mitotic figure in two epithelial cells (as shown in the 

 photographs, figs. 117, 118) from the vaginal secretion. 

 We did not succeed in inducing the divisions with an 

 entirely "natural" agent, for epithelial cells evidently 

 require more auxetics than even leucocytes. The 

 figure induced w T as seen when the epithelial cells were 

 placed on a powerful jelly which contained azur stain, 

 putrid extract of suprarenal gland, and atropine. 

 In vivo, also, epithelial cells undoubtedly proliferate 

 in response to globin and kreatin. 



The fact was, therefore, proved that epithelial cells 

 respond to the chemical exciters of reproduction, and 

 it is possible that they may be subject to the same 

 conditions as lymphocytes, and only respond to them. 



1 Trousseau's Clinical Medicine (Sydenham Society), 1872, vol. 5, p. 207. 



