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Dr. E. F. Bashford and Mr. J. A. Murray. [Jan. 12, 



omitted, and multi-nucleated cells are formed, and these may subse- 

 quently enter on mitosis, giving rise to pluripolar figures. Amitosis 

 or direct nuclear division also occurs, but its full significance has not 

 yet been determined. It is, however, evident that the occurrence of 

 amitosis does not signify degeneration. The amount of chromatin 

 entering into the equatorial plate of the mitoses of malignant new 

 growths had long been recognised as subject to variation (hyper- 

 chromatosis, hypochromatosis, of von Hausemann, 1893), but a new light 

 has been thrown on this phenomenon by a paper communicated to 

 the Eoyal Society on December 10, 1903, by J. B. Farmer, F.E.S., 

 J. E. S. Moore, F.L.S., and C. E. Walker, entitled "Resemblances 

 exhibited between the Cells of Malignant Growths in Man and those 

 of Normal Reproductive Tissues." 



These observers found that while the growing margin of carcinomata 

 and sarcomata presented mitoses similar to those found in other 

 tissues in repair and inflammation, certain cells in the deeper layers, 

 after a slight increase in size, entered on mitosis with ring chromo- 

 somes similar to those found in the heterotype division of spore 

 mother-cells of plants and spermatocytes of animals, and like these, 

 with chromosomes in number only half that characteristic of the 

 mitoses of somatic cells. Mitoses similar in character to the somatic 

 divisions, but with reduced number of chromosomes, were also seen 

 (homotype), corresponding to the divisions in the sexual generation of 

 plants and the second ripening divisions of animals. From these 

 observations the authors concluded that malignant new growths were 

 virtually reproductive tissue arising in abnormal situations and 

 possessed of an independence and power of growth like that of the 

 testis in the mammalian body. 



This striking sequence of characteristic mitoses had been found in 

 all malignant tumours examined, and was absent in those of benign 

 character. We at once determined to communicate with the authors, 

 who with great courtesy afforded us an early opportunity to examine 

 their preparations. It was then decided to determine how far 

 similar phenomena were characteristic of the malignant new growths 

 occurring in animals. The result has been a complete confirmation 

 of Farmer, Moore, and Walker's observations in tumours from the 

 trout (Mr. Gilruth's and Miss Plehn's cases of adeno-carcinoma), the 

 mouse (two cases of adeno-carcinoma, Jensen's epithelioma), and 

 the dog (mixed cell sarcoma, round cell sarcoma, squamous cell 

 carcinoma). In the columnar cell carcinoma of the trout the 

 phenomena were especially distinct, the small number of chromo- 

 somes* (24, 12), the striking contrast between the long slender 



* The achromatic figure has always been carefully studied as a control to the 

 observations made on the chromatin of the mitosis. When the chromosomes 

 have been counted, this has been done on Sections 5 — 10 /jl thick, mounted in series. 



