360 THE PROLIFERATION OF CANCER 



quently of the asymmetrical variety. Cancer is a 

 growth of cells which supervenes on an old irritated 

 site where the cell-proliferation of healing has been 

 going on for some time. Since cancer is an exu- 

 berant growth of epithelial cells which will respond 

 to auxetics it is obvious that the quantity of the action 

 of the normal auxetics present must be augmented in 

 some way so as to give rise to the exuberant prolifera- 

 tion of malignancy. And lastly, the mitoses in a 

 cancerous growth are frequently of the asymmetrical 

 type. The combination of a normal auxetic plus an 

 alkaloid of putrefaction and decomposition will cause 

 not only augmented divisions, but it is important to 

 note that these divisions tend to be asymmetrical in 

 character. 



Having arrived at this stage of our researches, these 

 new facts were carefully considered to see how they 

 harmonised with the well-known features which are 

 associated with cancer, and we shall now discuss them. 



The fact that cell-division is caused by substances 

 contained in the remains of dead tissue throws light 

 on the age-incidence of the disease. 



In a paper published by us in The British Medical 

 Journal on October 23, 1909, when we were aware of 

 the fact that cell-division could be induced by an aniline 

 dye, and that its action could be augmented (which 

 was all we knew then) by the remains of a dead tissue, 

 we appreciated that the remains of dead tissues might 

 be a predisposing factor in the cause of carcinoma. We 

 may as well quote the passage from that paper, for it 

 shows the possible relationship between the remains of 



