XIX] PROTOZOA CAUSING DISEASE 519 



pheral radial striation with a central deeply stained granule 

 or granules (Soudakewitsch, Ruffer). These strikingly re- 

 semble altered nuclei of the epithelial cells : that is, in a 

 hydropic condition with accumulation in the centre of the 

 main part of the chromatin, remnants of the mitoma still 

 attaching the chromatin to the nuclear membrane. I do 

 not miss these forms in cancer, in fact they are by many 

 considered to be the most characteristic forms. But in 

 some cancers that I have examined they are not numerous ; 

 and I do not see that the evidence as to their parasitic 

 nature is at all satisfactory, the less since bodies closely 

 resembling such forms are to be met with in epithelial 

 structures under other conditions, as already stated. It is 

 quite possible that in cancer the changes of the nuclei in 

 epithelium are of a chemical nature different from those 

 obtaining in other conditions, and that hence they are more 

 easily met with in cancer than in other diseases ; but thi? is 

 no reason why such changes should be considered as 

 indicating the presence of parasites. In passing, it may be 

 mentioned that these bodies do not occur in the coccidia, 

 say, of the rabbit's liver. 



3. The presence of " spores " and " spore-like " bodies in 

 the cell substance and in the nuclei of the epithelial cells in 

 cancer, either isolated or in groups. To these, Sjobring, 

 Soudakewitsch, Ruffer, and Walker have devoted particular 

 attention ; and they undoubtedly represent good types of 

 the so-called cancer parasites which can be easily studied. 

 But, as I have stated, such " spores " cannot be distinguished 

 from masses of cell protoplasm or of nuclear substance 

 respectively, separated from the main cell substance, and 

 owing to chemical change taking dyes often differently. 

 Besides such spore-like bodies are met with in epithelium 

 under conditions (sheep-pox, foot-and-mouth disease, chronic 



