72 



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



reproduction and cell-life, which are common to the forms in which it 

 occurs. 



Our observations on animals show that malignant new growths are 

 always local in origin and of themselves produce no evident constitu- 

 tional disturbances whatsoever. These facts are in full accord with 

 accumulated clinical experience in man. In connection with diagnosis 

 and statistics we have already emphasised the importance of the 

 absence of specific symptoms. The evidence we have advanced that 

 cancer is an irregular and localised manifestation of a process, other- 

 wise natural to the life-cycle of all organisms, probably explains why 

 it is that malignant new growths and their extensive secondary 

 deposits, quel cancer, are devoid of a specific symptomatology. 



We desire to add the accompanying dated note because we find that 

 conclusions which have been drawn by others are attributed to us. 



[Note. — We find that the guarded terms in which the points of 

 importance are emphasised may lead to a misconception of our inter- 

 pretation of the facts. The cells which have undergone the reducing 

 division are not responsible for the active invasion of surrounding 

 tissues, nor for the production of metastases; the cells dividing 

 somatically are responsible for both. The number of heterotype mitoses 

 may not stand in any relation to the degree of malignancy and their 

 absence is only presumptive evidence of the benign character of a 

 tumour. We postulate nothing as to the future of the cells which 

 have undergone the reducing division, though we believe the latter to 

 be a terminal phase in the life cycle of cancer cells as it is in the 

 history of sexual cells in animals. The local origin, and the expansive 

 and infiltrating growth of cancer in its relation to surrounding tissues, 

 while respecting its own proper elements, is the criterion of its 

 malignancy. This stamps it as belonging to a new cycle comparable 

 in its entirety to the whole organism which it is invading, rather than 

 to any one of its tissues, reproductive or otherwise. 



We intentionally restricted our original statement to recording the 

 facts, and only such general conclusions as could be irrefutably drawn 

 from them. — January 25, 1904]. 



We cannot here make full acknowledgment to those who have 

 assisted our inquiry in this country, but our indebtedness may be 

 expressed to those observers abroad who have recorded isolated 

 instances of cancer in animals, and have so generously furthered our 

 investigations by placing material or specimens at our disposal. 



In particular, we desire to thank Professor Borrel, of the Pasteur 

 Institute ; Professor C. 0. Jensen, of Copenhagen ; Mr. J. A. 

 Gilruth, Chief of the Veterinary Department, New Zealand; Pro- 

 fessor Landau and Dr. L. Pick, of Berlin : and Dr. Marianne Plehn, 

 Munich. 



