On the origin of cancer / by James Ross.

  • Ross, James
Date:
[between 1870 and 1890?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the origin of cancer / by James Ross. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the tissues in which it is developed, the units of the latter are aggregated together, so as to form a continuous growth. The con¬ sequence of this difference is, that the aggregate forces of the body will have less power over the wart than over the callosity; hence the structure of the part in which the former grows is not so readily readapted to its former equilibrium as that in which the latter forms. This difference, therefore, slight as it is, makes the wart, when once it is formed, more independent of the aggregate forces of the body than the callosity. Another difference between a callosity and a wart is, that while the units of the former are arranged in the same struc¬ tural order as those of the tissue in which it is developed, those of the latter lose almost all structure. But structure entails cost, and the absence of structure is an economy of force in one direction which may be expended in another. The units of a wart, therefore, which have to expend less than those of a cal¬ losity in arranging themselves into a definite structure, can expend more in self multiplication and maintenance. This also increases the power of the wart in maintaining its independence against the - aggregate forces of the body. The general result, therefore, of the differences which exist between the callosity and the wart is a double gain to the latter. On the one hand, the aggregate forces of the organism act upon it at a disadvantage; while on the other its units have acquired additional powers of self mainten¬ ance. But another element may now come into play, which will greatly increase the molecular forces of the wart. When it is irritated by incident forces, its tissues, like those of any other part of the body, will tend to proliferate, and this will increase its mole¬ cular forces. Mr. Herbert Spencer says, “ that those extremely active changes which go on during the early stages of evolu¬ tion, imply an immense excess of the molecular forces over those antagonist forces which the aggregate exercises on the molecules.” And this is as true of a local growth as of the entire organism. As the units of a growth proliferate, and its substance becomes more and more like embryonic tissue, the molecular forces which it opposes to the antagonist forces of the organism become
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