Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1906)
THE OMAHA' SUNDAY" BEE: ATJGtfST 12, 1005. Hower bnJmala and plant. In these there li found a fact which la Hechclcali known aa the alternation of generation. The beat popu lar description of It that I am acquainted with la to ba found In the llfteenth chapter of Frofa. Gcddes and Thomson's "Evolution of (Bex" (Revised Edition). It is often found that the Immediate de- acendant of a pair of organisms, luale and female, la not a creature like one of themselves, but la a sexless being whoae progeny, la j their turn, reproduce the sexual state of their grandparents, fir ace ' Is not here available for the discussion of the various forma of this phenomenon. Many years ago, however, Dr. Beard declared, that, ' even la the higher animals which we call vertebrates, there la a disguised alternation of generation. Just as there la in flowering plants. I have before me, aa I write, twenty-three papers of various lengths which hare been published by Dr. Beard during the last seventeen years, the first being communicated by Prof. Huxley to the Royal Society and received April 20, 1889. In that paper Dr. Beard first described the presence within the Bill-fish, Lepldosteus obscus and other fishes, of certain curious cells, which seemed to play a temporary part in development and then totally disappeared. Three years later he published at Jena a paper on "A Supposed Law of Motaioan Development," which contains the first enuncia tion of his theory that even in the Metazoa of higher animals the process of alternation of generations occurs. I may quote a few words from that remarkable paper. After describing the presence of the larval or a sexual form in many of the lower Metazoa, and pointing out "the analogy which would obtain between the sug gested mode of Metazoan development and the accepted fact of an alternation of generations in the life histories of all plants above the lowest ThallophyteB," Dr. Beard says; Facts Upon Which Theory is Based "I venture to attach most weight to the application of the prln- ciple to the vertebrata It is undoubtedly the obstacles oTored by the phenomena of vertebrate development which have hitherto prevented the enunciation of the law of development as on alternation of generations. Larvae are so commonly encoun tered among the invertebrata that the wonder is that no one has Inquired why they are bo rare in any guise In the vertebrata." Dr. Beard goes on to assert that larval structures can be found In sev eral Amphibia and fishes, and that these degenerate. Speaking of one such structure, he Rays: "It is gradually broken down by some ferment action." Dr. Beard's conclusion is that "Metazoan develop ment appears to be by means of an alternation of generations in that, from the fertilized organism arises the larva, upon which, In one way or another, according to the circumstances of each case, a new form, the adult or image, takes its origin." Fourteen years have elapsed. It has been found that, Just as In various of the vertebrates, the egg gives rise to a larva which does not directly develop into the new organism, but "serves as the foundation on which the development recommences, as It were de novo;" so, ac cording to Dr. Beard, In such vertebrates as the skate and chick, there is found to bo an asexual larval stage, upon which the embryo proper develops. Such are the embryologlcal beginnings which have in all probability led, as we shall see, to the conquest of cancer. It Is Dr. Beard's belief that the alternation of generations Is common to all vertebrates including man. What then becomes of the asexual stage or generation, since there Is no sign of It in the adult individual? In the case of the, skate and the chick. Dr. Beard has discovered what he calls a "critical period," which marks the beginning of the disappearance of the transitory larval generation that has hitherto been growing. We may call the characteristic tissue of which this structure is composed by the convenient name of trophoblast. Dr. Beard appears to have shown that up to the critical period in the case, for instance, of the fish, all the digestive processes have depended upon an acid. Intracellular digestion, very similar to that which occurs in the stomach of the adult. The crit ical period is determined by the development in the embryo of a new organ called the pancreas (or sweetbread). In each of us this I ia the most important organ of digestion. It produces various fer ments, the most important of which is known aa trypsin. This sub stanco acts only In an alkaline medium; being thus contrasted with pepsin. Writing In the Lancet rather more than a year ago, Dr. Beard said: s "At this epoch, the critical period, the fish commences to feed. Itself on yolk, not by an (Intracellular) acid, peptio digestion, but by an alkaline, pancreatic one. The commencing activities of the pancreas during foetal life initiate an alkaline digestion by the means of the most powerful and important of all the digestive Juices, the pancreatic " ' " if the secretion be absent, neither the asexual structures of a fish development nor the cells of chorlo-epithelloma (a tumor) do or can degenerate. The solution ot the problem of the functional relation of embryo and trophoblast how the latter nourishes Itself by an (intracellular) acid digestion and degenerates elowly by a pancreatic digestion becomes at the same time the embryologlcal, If not the medical resolution ot the problems of malignant neoplasms " Theory of Misplaced Germ Cells And now let us return to cancer. What are we to regard as the nature of a cancer, In the light of our discovery of trophoblast? The answer, which Dr. Beard returns Is that cancerous tissue 1b none other than "irresponsible trophoblast." In order that the Justifica tion for this dictum may be advanced, we must consider our mod ern ' knowledge of germ cells. That this term corresponds to a reality, Weismann and Beard have definitely taught us. Every in dividual, produced as the 'higher animals are produced, la derived from a united pair of germ cells. The old view was, that these are . derived from the individual who bears them; but Weismann taught as that this Is not so. He has familiarised us with what he calls the "contiuulty of the germ-plasm." From the point of view of tbo race, the. individual Is merely the ephemeral bearer of the im mortal germ-plasm, which Is as old as the race and Is subject to no law of death. Weismann employs the phrase germ-plasm since he is unable to demonstrate the actual continuity of germ cells In every case. Dr. Heard, however, believes that he has demonstrated the actual continuity of germ cells as cells from generation to gen eration. If we take a special Instance, such as the smooth skate (Raja batl8) which Dr. Beard began to study nearly twenty years ago, we find, according to him, that an actual continuity of germ cells is demonstrable. When he studies the very young skate and the same Is true of many other fishes and of the chick he finds that the germ cells are by no means confined to their proper and characteristic site in the body. He has found them in the head, the skin, tho gtll region, the liver, the blood, "In fine, there is hardly a place in the whole trunk or head In which such aberrant germ cells havo not been observed," He has figured them again and gain.. There U no possibility of mistaking their Identity under the microscope. Where have these aberrant germ cells come from these cells, the malign possibilities of which are soon to be Indi cated? The common view would be that they had wandered from the part of the body of the embryo which gives rise to the germ nells. But to Dr. Beard such aa assertion Is nonsensical; the germ cells are older than the embryo. They are not products of any part of the body ot the individual; they have arisen outside the embryo and have migrated Into It. Dr. Beard has proved that this Is so. In the smallest embryos ot the skate no germ cells are visible. Later a, germ cells appear, but only a very tew ot them are found In their characteristic site in the body. For instance, in embryos twenty millimeters long 60 per cent of the germ -Mils are misplaced, whilst In embryos half as long again only about SO per cent are mis placed. In the very youngest embryos, containing no germ cells, hosts of germ cells are to be found lying In the tissue immediately outside the embryo and preparing to enter It In a word, the germ cells precede the embryo and gradually wander Into It as It develops. Many of the germ cells never reach the proper position. They wan der, along what is called the germinal path, but may Had them selves misplaced In all parts of the body. Commonly their fata Is to degenerate, but apparently they do not always do so. It follows that the germ cells, not being developed from the em bryo, are direct product ot the original cell (ot bisexual origin) which gives rise, on the one hand, to them, and on the other hand to the embryo itself. Thus the germ cells within the embryo are Its own Immature "twin" brothers and Bisters. In other words, the embryo is the producj ot one ot the primary germ cells, whilst the remainder come to be regarded, quit erroneously, as Its own sexual products. According V Dr. Beard, all malignant tumors are products ot aberrant cerm cells, so that a death from cancer la, so to speak, a case ot fratricide, since the Individual and the tamor which kills Liu are both derived alike from one parent oeU. There are a boat LET HAR.TMAN FEATHER YOUR NEST GREAT ENTHUSIASM IS SURE TO PREVAIL DURING THE CLOSING DAYS OF THIS SWEEPING CLEARANCE The last week of our midsummer clearance will be mark ed by some of the most radical price-marking of the en tire sale and it has been sensational from the beginning. The extent of the present price reductions reveals our determined purpose to clear out every vestige of the spring stock before the close of the present week. Every spring furniture design must go every spring pattern in rug or carpet must go every go-cart and refrigerator must go. All go at whatever prices they will bring all marked at cost or below to make this week a whirlwind finish and to make the clearance absolute and complete. Don't wait until the last hour tomorrow bargains may be gone Tuesday. Saving from 25 to 35 and if you know the value of money you'll be on hand here bright and early. Pick out what you want never mind about the money have your purchases charged. Credit ivcn as usual. Terms to suit you. ijjEs 1 J eld fffiffll$&t v delivered j w$ ''w dcslrcd' Advance Sale J f 75 at li sted Kinyes Extra large alia. Ilka cut, six holf. No. t. large square oven, full? ruarantaed, elegantly trimmed In nickel, haa heaviest caaUng-a, eta. Complete with warming oloeet aa shown. Mn.de apMlaily for Hartman's chain Of tl atores, hence his low price made possible. Tour chanoa tor a hffh grade range at a email price. Tersnai 98.75 Cash, TBo Weakly. El g J J ARTMANjj folld Oak t75 l! Kitchen Cabinet II 'iiilillll Bed, 5pr1np; ftrtd Mattress 9.75 Every article Included in complete bed outfit Is of dependable quality. BED handsorne design, like cut, large tubing;' orna mental Joints. Bed can be had in any of the popular oolora o f en - amel. SPRINGS and MATTRESS are of cor responding excellence and thoroughly guar anteed. Terms: $1 Cash, SOc Weekly All Goods Like Cuts This Elegant Q75 Dreser for Made In beautiful golden oak, la handsomely carved, haa large front top drawera and large French bevel mirror. An extra ordinary special all tills week. V allCds Market In Nala Flaarrs 181? j OS Elegant 4S Corner Chair J Special Clearance 175 jm k nuneii . . . . mm Made of solid oak with golden finish. This extra large and well appointed cabinet stands 85 Inches high and la 43 lnchea wide. It's one of the most complete and bent arranx ed cablneta ever made and at the price la the greatest kitchen cabinet value ever offered. Spe cial clearance of forty. ' Terms i 11.83 Oath, BOo Weekly. Carpets, Eta at Mosey Saving Trices Quartcr-Sswed f Zp!f Cak Bookcases a.Jf It la made of choice solid oak. highly polished. beautiful French bevel mirror, handsnme ly carved, roomy desk, adjusta ble shelve and heavy class door. Chair Clearanc .95c We dase at t e'elock except Saturdays daring Aagust They are exactly like ci't Ftne-fjnlshed and carved mahogany frames, loose cushions, in assorted materials and colors, se cured to Chair by pretty cord and tassel. Made of finest quartered white oak, finely rubbed and polished, large French beveled mirror, claw feet, welled front; 2 glass cupboards aa shown, could not be duplicated else where for less than $35.00. (Bee cut). Made of olid oak. cane seat, braced arms, large eie. Extra well made "and nicely finished. Only 20 dozen In this lot. Sewing Machine at Fully guaranteed; five drawer, solid oak case complete with full set of attachments and ac cessories! new drop head stylet easy running; aold on easy terms. mm 22 Great Stores Throughout the U. 8. .fran fx a t ttj Vj 14-1416-1418 Douglas St Reclining FeTdlng Go-Cart 95 Cle nice Sdle Price . . Am Frame Is made of bicycle tubing, gearing Is constructed of best steel and richly enamel ed. It has steel wheels with large rubber tires and putent brake. Folds compactly wild one movetrent. ... if-v- ... llrf .... ... J Btf ill li .1 i I Cfaita I laia 1 n I The Greatest Pen! f and Ink Artist the I World Has Ever s Known i 5 TPHE Omaha Bee has se- : I 11 cured EXCLUSIVE tM- 5 1 TR0L bf all of GIBSON'S S DRAWINGS for newspaper supplementsfor Nebraska. 5 2 Of these, twenty pic- J tures, that are famous the world over, have been se- 5 J lected by a committee of I noted Art Critics and will 5 be issued weekly as sup- 5 plements to The Sunday s i Bee- i I Every man and woman ; with a heart and a soul 3 I an eye to beauty and I an admiration for exquis- ite American Womanhood 5 wants a set of real Gibson Pictures. The Bee Series are the greatest collection ot Gib-1 I Son Drawings ever issued 3 every picture a master- i piece. I If you are not already a 1 subscriber of The Bee and I 2 desire this collection, see 5 your carrier, your news- I dealer, or telephone Doug- 5 5 las 897 at once. of instances In the lower animals, If not also In man, of the develop ment of these aberrant germ cells into tumors which show distinct signs of the attempt to produce a second Individual. Of these extraordinary cases Dr. Beard seems to hare pro Tided an explanation. But far more commonly such an aberrant germ cell does not give rise to any such tumor, but passes on to the asexual stage or generation, producing the trophoblastic tissue of which we have already heard. In a word, a cancer results from the attempt of an aberrant germ cell to continue its life cycle, the attempt having ended merely in the Indefinite production of larval, , asexual or trophoblastic tissue. If this theory be correct, the conditions which lead to the de struction, digestion and complete absorption of the normal tropho blastic tissue that begins to vanish at the "critical period," should have similar effects upon "irresponsible trophoblast." In a word, trypsin should cure cancer by digesting Its cells. The rest of the pancreatlo secretion should destroy and dispose ot the products of this digestion. Dr. Beard's First Experiments with Animals Plainly this was a matter that mast be put to the test, and Dr. Beard forthwith proceeded to do so, availing himself of the work of Prof. Jensen, and with the assistance of Dr. II. Wade. Several mice were Inoculated with tissue from the mouse-tumor to which we have already referred. After about five weeks, when a number of them had well-marked tumors, two were selected for treatment, their history being carefully compared with that of the untreated mice whose tumors were of the same age. A solution of trypsin was em ployed for Injection Into the two mice In question. Bays Dr. Beard: -"After ten days, when four injections in all had been made into each mouse, one of them was found dead by the laboratory servant. The post-mortem examination made by Dr. Wade revealed no cause of death. But for the presence of a tumor mass the mouse appeared to be quite healthy, The laboratory attendant thought that It had got caught between the cage and food vessel and so (when Intoxi cated?) had caused Its own death. The microscopical examination demonstrated that every single cell of the tumor was In degeneration, fully half of tbem being represented by shapeless masses of particles, probably remains ot nuclei, and all the rest were mere skeletons of cells. Even these seemed In very many cases to be crumbling and falling rapidly away, aa though in a hurry to quit the scene. The somatic tissues of this mouse, as represented by the leucocytes and eonnectlve-tlssue stroma cells, were quite normal, and In the follow ing Instance also. The treatment of the second mouse lasted for twenty-two days, when It was killed, since on that day one of the untreated mice died of Its tumor. In the case of that mouse the tumor was as Jarge as the last segment of a man's thumb, whilst In Sie treated mouse it was only as big as a lentil. Microscopically this tter apology for a tumor was In advanced degeneration, shrinking away to nothingness and quite harmless. Even without further treatment the tumor would have In all probability been ab sorbed shortly or Its remains cast out"' The conclusion from these experiments, which are now, of course, being repeated, was that "the action of trypsin upon the cancer cell Is to pull down the canoer albumin a living substance and the cancer ferment mallgnln produced by this. In addition to their confirmation of the conclusion that trypsin Is the substance which will destroy the cancer eell with ease, and without danger to the lndlrldnal (Beard and Shaw Mackentie). these experi ments go far to prOYt that In it nature cancer U neither germinal nor somatic, for trypsin, the architect of the soma (the body), does not in life destroy the soma or sexual individual or its sexual products, whilst its action is direct and utterly ruinous upon trop hoblast or asexual generation." (British Medical Journal, January 20, 106.) What Trypsin Has Done for Man Can trypsin do for man what It did for these two mice? In the above quotation there is the assertion that it can. Dr. Shaw Mackenzie, to whom the reference is made, has obtained apparently satisfactory results from the administration of trypsin In man, In order to prevent the recurrence of cancers after operation. Evi dently, however, this is not a conclusive or satisfactory means of demonstrating the value of trypsin in man, if It has any. Its value must be tested In cases ot present cancer, the diagnosis and the active growth of which at the time of treatment are beyond dispute. For preference we muBt choose cases in which the growth Is visible and the results therefore more certain. ' On the othe'r hand. It is necessary also to choose cases In which the growth Is inaccessible, so that we may test the value of the treatment where the local applica tion of trypsin is Impracticable. Trial is now being made In many parts of the world, and the present writer's personal knowledge of tho results warrants him, he considers, In giving publicity to the whole matter. Warrants, Indeed, Is too weak a word. The giving of the widest and most Immediate publicity to these facts seems to be a proceeding from which it would be cruel and cowardly to refrain, even though one may be accused of rushing In where wiser people fear to tread. If the cases I have seen be not miraculous In the common sense of the term that Is to say, due to Divine Interference with natural law one haa no choice but to spe'ak. By the courtesy of the physician In charge, to whose notice 1 first brought the trypsin treatment, and solely for cuy own pleasure and Instruction, I have personally watched, from the first, the treat ment of a case of cancer In an outlying district of London. The diagnosis was beyond dispute and bad been Independently confirmed at two hospitals one of them world-famous. The growth was vlBlble and evidently full of vitality. The surgeons had pronounced the case Inoperable and the patient was evidently sinking. Writing two days less than four weeks after the tentative and partial commencement of treatment by trypsin, I am able to report that, so far as all the Indications go (and they are abundant), the tumor has already been killed outright. The patient Is now apparently on the high road to recovery, though some difficulty has yet to be apprehended by reason of the poisonous action of the disintegration products of the growth. So far as my small experience goes, this Is certainly the most amazing thing I have ever Been. Several practicing physicians not mere on-lookers like myself have already made similar re ports to Dr. Beard. Erroneous diagnosis, coincidence, miracle, spon taneous death of the tumors none ot these explanations Is adequate In these cases, any more than In the two mice of happy memory. I might quote another case of the same kiad which I have my self seen, but I prefer merely to mention another which, at the time of writing, has been under treatment for six weeks, three successive operations having been performed by a distinguished surgeon who declined to undertake a fourth. In this case it Is possible to say, even at this stage, not only that the growth of the tumor has been arrested, but that It Is now dead. The patient Is apparently making a rapid recovery and it Is expected that In a few weeks more no signs ot the tumor will be discoverable. Ja the present tentative and merely experimental stage of the treatment the plain duty of any one who tries It Is to adopt all the possible means of bringing the action of the potent ferment to bear upon the cancerous cells. Those practicing pioneers who have al ready ventured to act upon the Augustlnlan advice to .prove aJA things, are therefore administering trypsin or pancreatic extract by the mouth, under the akin, and. where possible, by local application. My interest here Is merely, having seen what I can scarcely believe myself to have seen, to avail myself of my peculiar opportunity te perform what I believe to be a public service. It is not for me te state doses and methods. Dr. Beard has formed provisional opinions upon these, but. his practical experience and authority are superior to mino by only the measure of two mice. His advice, however. Is at the service of all properly qualified physicians in any land who care to avail themselves of it. The treatment has to be serlouBly under taken. In all probability Dr. Beard Is correct when he asserts that trypsin exerts no action whatever upon the cells of the sexual genera tion of vertebrates, such as we represent. This must indeed be so, since trypsin In considerable strength passes from the pancreas ft each of us, yet causes no Injury. On the other hand, if there be cancer or "lricsiwnelbie trophoblast," nourishing Itself upon the tissues of the body, and if this be destroyed by trypsin, the products of Us digestion must be absorbed and must give rise to disturbance. Hence very marked symptoms of poisoning or auto-lntoxlcatlon are witnessed at first In human patients. Similar symptoms were ob served in Dr. Beard's mice, being due, he believes, to poisoning by some product, possibly an alcohol of the tryptlc digestion of the tumor. A healthy mouse, similarly treated with trypsin, never dis played any symptoms. Hence, at present, Important difficulties are to be expected In the application of the treatment, though the case I have myself watched shows that they are surmountable. This la another reason for haste, if my beliefs are correct. If the treatment does all that we hope It will ehortly be applied, In early etages, whea the tumor mans Is of Inconsiderable size and the products of 1U digestion negligible. Dr. Beard is naturally far too busy with his work for him to as sume tho labor of publishing hid results broadcast. It is by his wish that 1 am undertaking this task, from which practicing members ot my profession are excluded by that extremely necessary and ad mirable professional etiquette, which ia so constantly misunderstood and malUned by the public, In whose Interests It exists and whom it most effectually serves. If Dr. Beard Is right he could well afford to wait for his Inevitable reward of glory. If he be wrong, such an article as this can only injure him. But be prefers to take his chance, sluce, whilst he ran afford to wait, the victim of cancer cannot; and, besides, what we call a chance ia for Dr. Board a certainty. The event will prove. I will refrain from laudation or words of triumph and even from what would be peculiarly attractive to me a dls cuusion of the manner In which a worker in pure science has been enabled, after nearly twenty years, to contribute to a practical sub ject of which be had no thought in starting, and the connection of vfcloh with his own work it has remained for that work itself to elucidate. If, as I believe, there Is a moral here, it must be pointed out In due course. Meanwhile, I submit to the civilized world gener ally, the propoFltlon that the "trypsin" or pancreatic treatment ot rtiKcer Is worthy of Immediate trial In the behalf of the many persons to whom It alone offers a possible chance of escape from an other wise Inexorable fate. C. W. 8ALEEBY, M. D., F. It. S. (Edln.) McClure's Magazine. It Is now found that If all panorestle ferments be employed the aTOPe tomm of Duiaunina: aj a.vertd. . -