The Erasmus Wilson lectures on the general pathology of tumours : delivered before the Royal College of Surgeons of England on February 10th, 12th, and 14th, 1902 / by Charles Powell White.

  • White, Charles Powell, 1867-1930.
Date:
[1902]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Erasmus Wilson lectures on the general pathology of tumours : delivered before the Royal College of Surgeons of England on February 10th, 12th, and 14th, 1902 / by Charles Powell White. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    engine. In the case of the embryo and in tumour formation energy is manifested by the multiplication of cells, and in order to supply this energy the cells store up carbohydrate in the form of glycogen. Secondly, what is the origin of the glycogen ? Presumably it is formed in the same way as under normal conditions from the circulating glucose ; if, however, the supply be deficient, it can be derived from the proteids of the body as in the severer forms of diabetes. Lastly, what becomes of the glycogen? Although there is such an enormous store of glycogen, yet, as far as I know, malignant disease is seldom or never accompanied by glycos- uria. The glycogen is used up in the multiplication of cells because the central parts of a carcinoma, where proliferation has ceased, are completely free from it. It is probably directly oxidised and eliminated as carbon dioxide and water. This question of the presence of glycogen in tumours is well worth further study, especially by those who take a special interest in metabolic processes. Pathological Changes. The pathological changes to which tumours are subject need not detain us since they are the same to which any normal tissue is liable. Tumours are liable to the various retrogressive processes, especially to mucoid and fatty changes and calcification, to necrosis, to inflammation and repair, and to the formation of new tumours. Clinical Characters. It will be noticed that in the classification which I have given the histiomata and cytomata correspond respectively to the simple and malignant tumours of a clinical classification. Most authors state that tumours, usually simple, may occa- sionally take on malignant characters, and this is especially supposed to be the case with chondromata. This idea is based chiefly on a case reported by Paget of a chondroma of the testis which gave rise to metastatic growths in the lungs and elsewhere. This case, however, was re-investigated by Kanthack and Pigg,12 who found that it was not a pure chondroma, but that it contained carcinomatous elements, and in the same way it will, I think, be found that whenever a tumour that is apparently a tissue tumour displays malignant properties it is in reality a cell tumour. In my opinion the difference between simple and malignant tumours is to be found in the manner in which they grow. The growing area of a cell tumour consists of cells, either separate or in small groups, not forming any definite tissue, any formed tissues that may be present in the tumour being of secondary formation. The tissues in a tissue tumour, on
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