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116 R A D I U M
clusively responsible for this malignant state of the lip nor of the cancerous
condition elsewhere in the human organism.
Inasmuch as irritation or trauma may serve to aggravate an existing
condition, leading, finally,to the cancerous state, a vital problem—
if this theory is correct—-would be the determination, if it were possible.
of the pathological condition of the precancerous state and of its origin,
before the advent of this contributing factor.
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
(Case 3). A. H. D.. age C2. Initial lesion keratosis.
followed hy ulceration, and at the time of examination
there was a roughly circular lesion in the middle of the
lower lip with considerable destruction of tissue.
Among the many theories presented on the subject is the inheritability
of the tendency to spontaneous cancer in man. In a recent noteworthy
article, Maud Slye (2) has recorded at great length a series of
experiments and studies on mice, demonstrating this theory conclusively,
according to this writer. Coincidental!)* the fact is pointed out that this
premise must necessarily serve as strong evidence against the validity
of the theory of cancer as a specific germ in the causation of this disease,