266 A Theory of the Action of Rays on Growing Cells. 



Again, the well-known prevalence of cancer among chimney sweeps may be 

 associated with the fact that charcoal and other forms of carbon, which must 

 enter largely into the composition of soot, absorb radium emanation readily 

 from the atmosphere. It is improbable that sweep-cancer is ascribable to 

 skin irritation only, seeing that many other occupations {e.g. stone working, 

 cement making) are exposed to even greater risks from that source. 



On the theory that the cancer cell is the seat of excessive ionisation, we 

 may ask if it is possible to control its activity. The latent image, although 

 not possessed of the progressive fluxional characters of the cell, is, potentially, 

 such an active configuration. It may be destroyed : (a) By such a light 

 stimulus as will bringr about reversal. The radioactive treatment of cancer 

 is — on the present theory — an application of this fact, (b) By development, 

 i.e. by such a chemical treatment as serves to discharge the ionised systems. 

 The finding of a reagent which would act similarly on the morbid cell is, 

 perhaps, not impossible. It would have to act selectively towards the less 

 stable cell and must itself be ionised or become so in process of application. 

 It would discharge the function of diverting the ionising activity to the 

 formation of inert and harmless products. 



In a sense we may regard development as continually progressing in the 

 organic system, much as if a light-sensitive salt were maintained submerged in 

 a developer while exposed to light. From this point of view it might be 

 better to seek the intervention of a " restrainer " which would either retard 

 molecular motions of diffusion, etc., in a mechanical way, i.e. by viscosity — as 

 many restrainers are believed to do — or by chemically altering the nature of 

 such conditions as result in growth and metabolism. If such remedies could 

 be applied through the circulatory system, so as to reach metastases, depressing 

 and lowering the abnormal ionic activity or directing its results into harmless 

 channels, curative treatment might be attainable. 



The theory here suggested for the processes going on in a cancer cell is a 

 physical one, or, it may be said, takes account of the physical aspect primarily, 

 and would involve the probability of successful treatment by experiments 

 directed along physical and chemical lines. But it is not suggested that the 

 origin of, or predisposition towards, abnormal ionic activity may not be 

 founded in biologic causes. Nor does it enter into, or take account of, the 

 probably extremely complex nature of the events progressing within the cell 

 as leading to, or resulting from, the physical actions referred to in the theory. 



