Horst Oertel[148] holds that the origin of cancer in the liver is a transformation of multiple groups of its cells and that there was a direct change of atrophic, degenerative, existing liver cells into cancer cells while they were still in perfect continuity with each other. In this degeneration of normal to cancer cells the former lose their typical protoplasm, the nucleus grows small and its chromatin structure faint, till little of it remains, with only a faint rim of surrounding protoplasm. At this point some of these cells show a very striking change in rapid, irregular production of rich chromatin arranged in a less structural definition and leading to marked enlargement of them. There is a first destructive stage with extensive loss and granular degeneration of protoplasm. In the second, incipient regeneration shows and the nucleus is markedly enlarged, with irregular production of small chromatin granules; while in the third stage, the carcinomatous, we have a new type of cell following new laws and breaking with the former physiological arrangement and structure. The new functional type involves rapid independent growth with a distinct disregard of original source and surroundings and with progressive loss of continuity and power to secrete bile. Thus he, too, holds that cancer seems an embryonic reversal and involves no specific changes but is a phenomenon of senescence, a degeneration of cells with an unequal decline in cell functions. Thus races of cells develop that lack the differentiation of undegenerated cells but are still endowed with vegetative and reproductive properties. His idea that the degeneration and injury to cells could be responsible for growth, was severely criticised. It was said that any change that meant injury could never be progressive but would lead to diminution of functions. But the author still holds that injury may produce growth of all kinds of tumors, for example, in the pancreas, growth and cell division is dependent upon the release of certain inhibitory influences that exist in the normal well-balanced cells. This upset may be caused by certain liquid solvents but the idea of formative stimuli on the whole seems to hold; namely, cancer cells arise out of degenerative and atrophic changes, so that injury, degeneration, and growth do not exclude each other but stand in genetic relation.