420 THE CHEMISTRY OF TUMORS 



formation of hemolysins in immunization against tissues, even 

 when comparatively (or completely) free from blood, has fre- 

 quently been observed when normal cells have been injected, and 

 it is not due to a biological modification of non-specific hemo- 

 lytic substances present in the cancer, as Kullmann suggests. 



B. CHEMISTRY OF CERTAIN SPECIFIC TUMORS 



In the literature are to be found a few studies of chemical 

 features of some forms of tumors, which may be briefly dis- 

 cussed to advantage. 



(I) BENIGN TUMORS 



(a) Fibromas. The few specimens studied show but a small 

 amount of nucleoproteid, as might be expected from the small 

 amount of their nuclear material. Because of the tendency of 

 fibromas to undergo retrogressive changes, the amount of cal- 

 cium is likely to be large. No studies as to the special features 

 of their collagen, as compared with normal connective-tissue 

 collagen, seem to have been made. Lubarsch l found no gly co- 

 gen (microscopically) in any of 66 fibromas he examined. 



A uterine fibroid analyzed by Beebe 2 contained 14.56 per 

 cent, of nitrogen, 0.981 per cent, of sulphur, 0.139 per cent, 

 of phosphorus, 0.013 per cent, of iron, 0.12 per cent, of calcium 

 oxide, 0.44 per cent, of potassium, and 1.115 per cent, of 

 sodium. The proportions of nitrogen and sulphur are high as 

 compared with most tumors ; the phosphorus, iron, and potas- 

 sium are low, corresponding to the small amount of nucleopro- 

 teid and the slow rate of growth. If degeneration is marked, 

 the amount of calcium is greatly increased. Krawkow 3 found 

 a trace of chondroitin-sulphuric acid in a uterine fibroid. 

 Lubarsch found glycogen occasionally in richly cellular uterine 

 leiomyomas, and in the vicinity of degenerating areas ; how- 

 ever, 76 out of 85 showed no glycogen. Pfannenstiel 4 ana- 

 lyzed the alkaline fluid of a cystic fibromyoma, which coagu- 

 lated spontaneously ; it contained sugar, but no mucin or 

 pseudomucin. The cysts were dilated lymph-spaces, and the 

 fluid corresponded to lymph in composition. A similar result 

 was obtained by Oerum, 5 who found in the fluid serum-albumin, 

 serum-globulin, and 0.358 per cent, of fibrin ; the total proteids 



1 Virchow's Arch., 1906 (183), 188. 

 2 Amer. Jour. Physiol., 1904 (12), 167. 



3 Arch. exp. Path. u. Pharm., 1898 (40), 195. 



4 Arch. f. Gyn., 1890 (38), 468. 

 5 Maly's Jahresber., 1884 (14), 462. 



