SYPHILIS AND YAWS 59 



was in process of formation. I had previously concluded from 

 histological study that these bodies are thus formed, and this observa- 

 tion of the living cells confirms my view. Bodies such as 5 and 6 in 

 Fig. 1 8 are met with in sarcoma and cancer as well as in syphilis. 

 The clear circles within them represent greenish globules, jvvhich are 

 formed in the same way as the bird's-eye bodies and the oscillation 

 at o, in these two bodies marked I do not doubt the formation 

 of new globules. The two smaller bodies (Fig. 18 ; 7 and 8 ), as 

 shown in the sketch, are not unlike leucocytes, but in the living 

 state their absolute identity in physical characters with the larger 



dense central body, and more or less definite reaction to certain stains, gave them 

 a ready interest among English pathologists, when in 1893 they were demonstrated 

 by Ruffer and Plimmer as the exclusive form of protozoa in cancer of the breast. 

 Here were structures that appeared to be something new something that could be 

 sought for like tubercle bacilli in a differentially stained preparation. A demand 

 for ' pure cultures ' and the satisfaction of ' Koch's postulates ' naturally arose in 

 minds long exercised in bacteriological methods. This demand was persisted in, 

 although I pointed out that in no single instance had bacteriological methods then 

 been successfully applied to the study of any of the recognised parasitic protozoa. 

 Sanfelice having described these bodies as blastomycetes, Mr. Plimmer isolated 

 from breast cancers a blastomycetic organism which looked like the ' cancer-body.' 

 Pure cultures injected into rats caused granulomata in the lungs, etc. The bird's-eye 

 bodies, as described in the Practitioner, 1899, he no longer considers to be 

 protozoa, but blastomycetes. This is a mistake. Mr. Plimmer's research only 

 proves the truth of the view that I have from the first maintained namely, first, 

 that though I believe the bird's-eye bodies to be protozoa, no one would, from this 

 one phase alone, be justified in forming that opinion ; second, that Koch's 

 postulates are not applicable to the study of certain parasitic protozoa ; and, third, 

 that cancer of the breast, even when not ulcerated, contains so many different 

 vegetable micro-organisms that it is no better and no worse than other cancers as 

 a material for study. My own view that the bird's-eye bodies are parasitic protozoa 

 is confirmed by the observations recorded in Fig. 18, and so also is my opinion, 

 long ago expressed, that these bodies constitute one link (and that not an essential 

 link) of a chain of forms which includes also some, at least, of Virchow's ' cells of 

 endogenous origin.' In order to prevent misunderstanding, I should like to add 

 that I do not mean to suggest that all cancer is a phase of syphilis, but I do 

 believe that some forms, such as that which supervenes on ' leucoplakia' of the 

 tongue, probably is so. Other cancers may be a phase of measles for aught we 

 know ; others, again, some infection possibly dependent on an intermediate host. 

 Such speculations serve to guide inquiry. All we can do at present is to examine 

 the objective evidence, to make such experiments as are necessary, and to think. 



