The Glasgow Medical Journal, Vol. 63 January to June, 1905 (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Glasgow Medical Journal, Vol. 63: January to June, 1905
And these latter should not be regarded as pathological processes, but really as physiological in nature, exaggerated it may be or deviated by abnormal states. They are conveniently grouped as the formative and functionating processes, and have their prototypes in the normal growth and development of the body or in the normal life of the fully developed organs and tissues. We shall see that increased proliferation of cells and increased functional activity constitute the defensive mechanism in disease. It is manifest, though the fact is often overlooked, that in the scientific study of the phenomena in any diseased state we must resolve them into their simplest constituents and then discuss the significance of each. Thus, in conditions of infection the behaviour of the leucocytes, the nature and significance of exudation, alterations in the capillary endothelium and such like, would be separately considered. But so long as such a phenomenon as inflammation is treated as a single pathological process, attempts to define it and assign its biological significance can only result in endless dialectic.
The subject of defensive mechanism may be treated of in two main parts - the first dealing with the histological changes visible with the microscope, and the second, with these subtle chemical substances in the cells and fluids of the body which play so important a part both in protection against infective agents and in cure of disease. It need hardly be stated that the latter are the ultimate weapons of defence, but the visible cellular activities form an important underlying mechanism.
The chief cellular activities are, of course, embraced in the term phagocytosis, and the main facts are now so well known that they do not need to be repeated by me. A few points may, however, be referred to. That intracellular destruction of bacteria occurs is undoubted, and in this there are two factors, viz., ingestion and digestion; both are essential. Ingestion is largely governed by what is known as chemio-taxis - the attraction or repulsion of living cells by chemical substances. Whether all movements of phagocytes in the presence of bacteria are explicable in this way must be regarded as still doubtful.
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