Nos. 620-621] CANCER'S PLACE IN BIOLOGY 



specific tissue-cells of the site of origin, but this is not 



verted into the cells, which at best never are morpho- 

 logically and functionally identical with the original 

 tissue-cells. 



According to the observations of the writer, the cells 

 which constitute cancer are the progeny of the partially 

 differentiated or reserve cells (textoblasts) which have 

 for their natural communistic function the protective 

 restoration of the specific tissues when the latter have 

 been destroyed. It may be asked, how can a condition 

 which will certainly destroy the whole organism be the 

 result of a protective principle? This perfectly natural 

 question can only be answered by stating a general prin- 

 ciple in biology, namely, that regenerative changes do 

 not always consider the communistic adaptation of the 

 whole organism. It is a manifestation of a principle 

 which is inherent in cells, cytologic life being primary, 

 and tissue or organic life secondary. Thus, the plana- 



n the side of its 1 

 tions. Protective 



isult of food famine leads to their 

 l not infrequently. ■ 



