398 PREVENTION OF PROLIFERATION 



of the disease; for it probably only follows injury to 

 large numbers of red cells. The length of life of red 

 cells in the body is supposed to be only a matter of a 

 few weeks, so that their anabolism and katabolism is 

 continuous, and may not depend at all on the age of the 

 person. Hence sarcoma may occur at any age. 



Whether the alkaloids of putrefaction are concerned 

 in sarcoma or not, we are not in a position to state, but 

 interesting cases have been reported from time to time 

 which were associated with suppurative foci. Quite 

 recently a case was described in The British Medical 

 Journal, 1 of an infant which had been injured in the 

 neck by forceps at birth. Sarcoma followed on the 

 injury, which was also complicated by suppurative otitis 

 media. 



The possibility of the alkaloids in both sarcoma and 

 carcinoma being of the nature of leucomaines which are 

 supposed to be absorbed from the intestines must not 

 be forgotten. 



The proliferation of leucocytes and lymphocytes 

 in the leukaemias are also doubtless due to auxetics. 

 Whether these diseases are caused primarily by injury 

 to the spleen or not we do not know, but it is possible 

 that this starts thfe proliferation. The spleen tissue has 

 direct access, by means of the vessels, with the per- 

 ipheral circulation, and presumably this is the reason 

 for the leucocytosis and lymphocytosis in leukaemia. 

 It is impossible to say whether the proliferation of 

 leukaemia is of the augmented type, or whether an 



1 "A Case of Sarcoma f the Pectrous Bone," by W. H. Bowen and H. B. 

 Carlyle (B.M.J., June 25, 1910.) 



