58 WARFARE IN THE HUMAN BODY 



multi-nuclear, and whether such can be inhibited by the 

 products of connective tissue, or of lymphocytes or 

 lymphoid tissue. Even if little were learnt, a result I 

 refuse to contemplate, the result would be tha.t one field 

 of research had been worked out on scientific lines. Such 

 research, however, would almost certainly suggest that 

 these diseases are indeed diseases of development, and must 

 be combated by rendering the organism stable rather than 

 by seeking any single cure, although it is by no means 

 impossible that some simple and direct cure may be found. 

 If it were discovered that some drug or drugs could 

 stimulate or inhibit epithelial and connective-tissue 

 growth the results might be of the greatest service. 



If the results provisionally arrived at are summarized, 

 it may be said that : 



i. The general biological conception of the organism 

 as a federation of organs and tissues, living in symbiosis, and 

 yet fundamentally hostile, or " selfish," is helpful in the 

 study of disease. 



2. If atrophy or hypertrophy of the endocrines accounts 

 for certain disorders, the failure of normal relations between 

 less specialized tissues may account for others. 



3. Order does not exist without control, and the essence 

 of malignancy is lack of control. 



4. There is reason to suppose that epithelium and 

 connective tissue influence and control each other, and that 

 their failure to do so is the real cause of malignancy. 



5. Irritation, including the effects of infection, acts by 

 destroying such balanced action. 



6. The phenomena observed in the chorionic tropho- 

 blast, in chorion-epithelioma, in X-ray dermatitis and 

 cancer as well as the experimental growth of the two tissues 

 liable to malignancy, support the view of this relation- 



