CHAPTER VI 



INFLAMMATION AND PHAGOCYTOSIS 



The comparative pathology point of view — Inflammation throughout the 

 series of natural species — defined by phagocytosis — Inflammation 

 among invertebrates without nerves or blood-vessels — The phagocytes 

 and intracellular digestion — Chemiotaxis — Phagocytes in man — 

 Phagocytosis in the chronic infections — The examples of the squirrel- 

 rat, spermophilus, and of the jerboa. 



The essential fact of inflammation is the reaction of the 

 phagocytes towards the injurious material (Metchnikoff). 

 Phagocytosis is not a theory but a doctrine, a collection of 

 accumulated facts. It has put the finishing touch to the work 

 accomplished in medicine by Darwin, Virchow and Pasteur. 

 From Darwin it has derived its fundamentally evolutional 

 character : it is founded primarily on comparative pathology and 

 demonstrates the persistence of the same phenomenon 

 throughout all the animal species. It has derived from Virchow 

 its foundation on cellular pathology, i.e., on the essential role of 

 the body cells in disease. From Pasteur it derives the 

 fundamental idea of the role of microbes in the production of 

 infections. 



It required a zoologist applying the method of comparative 

 study to demonstrate that the only constant phenomenon in 

 the different forms -of inflammation is the active incorporation 

 of injurious elements by fixed or, more often, migratory cells 

 which are capable of digesting these. Inflammation is 

 essentially phagocytosis and phagocytosis is summed up by 

 intracellular digestion. 



