XIX] PROTOZOA CAUSING DISEASE 517 



typical phases in the life cycle of a coccidium — the phase, 

 namely, of commencing germination of the spores. True, 

 there have been a few observers (Soudakewitsch, for in- 

 stance), who assert the occurrence in cancer of sickle-like 

 bodies, but most other observers deny their relation to 

 cancer, and regard them as altered nuclei. There is no 

 difficulty, whatever, in finding in cancer, as also in other 

 chronically and acutely changed epithelium, nuclei of the 

 epithelial cells which resemble, or rather possess the shape 

 of, crescentic or sickle-like bodies ; nuclei, that is, which 

 are so changed that they appear swollen or hydropicj with 

 their chromatin collected at one side in the form of a cres- 

 centic body. So that the only typical phase, i.e., sickle-like 

 germs, of a coccidium or psorosperm, the constancy of 

 which would represent a certain morphological evidence for 

 the presence of coccidia or of psorosperms in cancer, is 

 absent. As a consequence, therefore, the acceptance of 

 other phases of the alleged coccidia in cancer constantly 

 met with in the writings of parasitologists is beset with very 

 grave difficulties. 



Briefly reviewed the following are the conditions which 

 have been described as indicating psorosperms or zoospores 

 in cancer : — 



I. There is, in the first place, the occurrence of encysted 

 nucleated protoplasmic bodies among the epithelial cells of 

 cancer, which resemble, to a limited extent, similar bodies 

 in, for instance, the coccidia in the rabbit's liver. With 

 reference to these encysted cells it has to be said that such 

 forms do undoubtedly occur in cancer. I have examined 

 a considerable number of sections through cancer — of the 

 lip and tongue, of the penis, of the liver, of the omentum, 

 of the breast, of the bladder, and of the cesophagus — and 

 have met with such encysted cells. But I have met the 



