198 



Biology in America 



of an infant, which died during labor, and preserved in 

 vaseline at a temperature of +3C. we re successfully used 

 for grafts after forty-two days; and pieces of fat, bone and 

 cartilage taken from amputations have been similarly pre- 

 served in cold storage for varying lengths of time, and later 

 used in grafting operations. Seemingly the day is not far 

 distant when cold storage will supply us with our tissues as 

 well as our foods. 



The liberties which may be taken with living tissues and 

 their ability to grow in strange surroundings is I believe 

 strong evidence for the plasticity of the cell, showing as they 

 do the profound influence of environment on its development. 

 Such a view of course must not be pushed too far. It would 



THREE STAGES IN THE EECONSTRUCTION OF A WOUNDED SOLDIER'S FACE 



From Esser in "Annals of Surgery," Vol. 6.1. 



By permission of J. B. Lippincott Company. 



be absurd to expect that every cell could be modified by its 

 surroundings so as to form every other kind. With high 

 specialization the cell loses paxri passu its adaptability. But 

 in the lower organisms there is abundant evidence of the 

 ability of cells to be molded into new structures, even after 

 they have reached the usual limits of their development. 



Further evidence in favor of this view is afforded by the 

 apparently unlimited power of reproduction possessed by 

 certain cells. If the development of the organism were pre- 

 determined in the egg, then the growth of its parts should" 

 be limited, and there should come a time in its development, 

 as ordinarily there does come in the life of the individual, 

 when growth should cease and the power of repair should not 

 exceed the need created by waste. Hut in some cases, notably 



