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a carcinoma, which consists of flattened squamous cells.
The process of verruca formation is indirect. It is not the
actual micro-organism that produces the damage, but it may
be its toxins which give rise to irritation of the living cells,
the toxins resulting from the bacterial growth may so irritate
the virile reproducing layers as to bring about overgrowth
of the papillary layers of the skin. The fundamental and
underlying cause of verruca is irritation. It is the most potent
cause of new growths."
Sampson Handley and Stopford Taylor favour the view that
infection is caused by a filter passing virus ; but consider that the
infection occurs through a blockage of the lymphatics. The
former states :—
" A very large percentage of all cancers are preceded by
some form or other of papillary hypertrophy. Therefore to
ascertain the cause of cancer it seemed essential to find out
the cause of verruca."
McLeod, in his textbook, writes:—
"Verruca pedis plantaris is a peculiar type of wart which
is a hybrid between a corn and a wart."
The theory that deficiency of calcium in the blood was a possible
cause was exploded several years ago by various research workers
and dermatologists. To quote R. B. Fisher :—-
" It is highly unlikely that a localised lesion can be attributed
to an abnormality in the composition of the blood
supplied to that particular locality, since any such abnormality
can obviously not persist if the blood supplied to the rest of
the body is normal. On the other hand, if the composition
of the blood as a whole is abnormal it is not possible to explain
a local lesion in the terms of it, unless there is a local cause
as well."
It is evident from these quotations that among recognised
authorities there exists a considerable diversity of opinion with
regard to the actual pathological significance of wart formation.