MALIGNANCY 43 



simpler epithelium and connective tissue together, the 

 epithelial cells retained their characteristics; but when 

 they spread and grew apart from the connective tissue they 

 lost their usual order and appearance, and were no longer 

 true epithelium. Only one inference can be made. It is 

 that these tissues are to each other controlling environment. 

 Bayliss says in commenting on this, " It seems that cells, 

 when they have taken special functions in the organism, are 

 normally prevented by some means from continuing their 

 primitive multiplication, and that when this influence which 

 restrains their growth is removed, they start afresh and 

 produce simple embryonic tissue. There is significance in 

 these facts in connection with the formation of malignant 

 tissues." Assuredly nothing could be truer and, working 

 with the analogy of the endocrines, we are forced to 

 conclude that like effects are produced by like causes. 

 The " influence " at work must be some product of the 

 connective tissue. In an unstable organism any depressing 

 factor inhibiting the activity of that tissue, such as un- 

 eliminated katabolic toxins accumulating in the lymphatics 

 and connective tissue generally, may end in allowing the 

 explosive epithelium to break out into embryonic activity. 

 Such instability has many analogues in pathology. 



If it be granted that these facts are of importance, it 

 seems that it is by using them, and by following the indica- 

 tions afforded us by chorion-epithelioma and X-ray cancer 

 that we are likely to solve the problem. No doubt it may 

 seem strange to bracket such diseases, but if it be found 

 that two disorders so different in origin point the same way 

 we cannot be far from the truth. In X-rays we have an 

 exciting cause of epithelial overgrowth which not only 

 may, but if sufficiently applied, must produce malignancy. 

 The symptoms of X-ray dermatitis are those of profound 



