MALIGNANCY 57 



want of order is the result of failure in metabolic regulators, 

 such views lead at once to considered experiment The 

 arguments used to establish this theory may be deemed 

 insufficient as proof yet, if they lead to trial, verification 

 may follow. Such trials should be directed to assisting the 

 reaction of all connective tissue in cases of carcinoma, and 

 that of epithelium in those of sarcoma. How this can best 

 be done is for the physiologist, radiologist, and pathologist 

 to determine ; but even if the suggestions as to the pituitary 

 prove to be without foundation, it may be suggested that 

 after the excision of a carcinoma efforts should be made to 

 irritate or stimulate the connective tissue in the neighbour- 

 hood of the removed focus. We know now that this may be 

 done by radiation, while the injection of doses of epithelial 

 juices might assist the process. Since many forms of 

 cell proliferation are inhibited by their own products, it 

 is not unlikely that aberrant epithelium may be rendered 

 inactive by injections of healthy epithelial products, or by 

 prepared and filtered cancer juice. With sarcoma similar 

 trials might be made, and in the meantime, while such 

 experiments are in progress, on operated or inoperable cases, 

 it should be the task of the physiologist or bio-chemist to 

 separate from epithelium and connective tissue the chemical 

 compound, or complex of compounds, by which they exer- 

 cise their direct influence. Difficult as such a task may 

 prove, the labour might well be worth undertaking, when we 

 consider its possible results. In any case, much might be 

 learned by the further study of normal epithelium and con- 

 nective tissue in nutrient media, while they are subjected 

 to X-rays or radium, or both, or to the influences of various 

 endocrine secretions or toxins. Malignant tissues in vitro 

 should be observed under similar conditions. We might 

 then learn how and why certain epithelial cells become 



