Mathematical Principles In Biology and Their Applications

The observations of carcinogenesis in vitro (Earle, et al.) and of anaerobic glycolysis (Warburg) in cancer are discussed briefly. Professor Hieger is particularly impressed by carcinogenesis in vitro but was not convinced that metabolic change was, at best, more than a concommitant of cancer rather than the cause. Each investigator tends to look at cancer through glasses tinted by the shades of his discipline or experience; "Huxley is compelled to see cancer through the eyes of an evolutionist." No theory "so far advanced has been able to cope with the difficulties and contradictions" which appear when all the data are "closely examined by logical, observations or experimental means." What has seemed loglical and important to Dr. Hieger has been presented in this small volume. Dr. Hieger has been working on problems of carcinogenesis and carcinogens for over 30 years and has an experienced background that merits his consideration of cancer research "as a problem of pathology" in this volume. The reviewer must agree that the only reason for including the six electron micrographs is thatl "experimental cancer could hardly be considered complete without photographs of what the author is writing about."