690 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ants, or in a proportion of 0-07 to 1,000. With reference to England 

 in this connection, Englishmen may be regarded as unfortunate ; for 

 within the geographical area of these islands cancer asserts largely- 

 malignant and fatal influence. It afflicts mankind chiefly at an age at 

 which, by universal consent, life is best enjoyed. Many and various 

 have been the attempts devised to combat the inevitable fatality of its 

 accession. A few years ago, a drug, Chian turpentine, was somewhat 

 extensively employed, its introducer, Dr. Clay, claiming that under its 

 influence cancerous tumors would gradually diminish in size, and ulti- 

 mately dwindle away. But, unfortunately for humanity, various scien- 

 tific trials, prosecuted with uncomplaining forbearance on the part of 

 the sufferers, yielded in the end negative results, and Chian turpentine 

 was again relegated to the obscurity from which it had emerged for a 

 brief space of time. The gleam of light, however, which has shed 

 some radiancy over the gloominess of cancer, comes from surgery. It 

 may be said of the surgery of the present day that better results are 

 obtained from the surgical treatment of cancer than was probably the 

 case in any former age. Some operations are now being practiced 

 which hitherto were not considered justifiable, owing to the want of 

 success which followed their performance. Others have lately been 

 introduced, the practicability of which has proved the wisdom of their 

 conception. Sufferers from cancer who formerly would not have been 

 relieved are, in the present day, benefiting from the application of the 

 principles of scientific surgery. Years of life — some years at least — 

 and the mitigation of much physical and mental suffering, fall to the 

 lot of surgeons to confer. Even the stomach, which in the male after 

 a certain age commonly becomes the seat of cancer, has been dealt with, 

 and a portion of it removed which was diseased, the result being favor- 

 able in so far as suffering was relieved and life prolonged. It must 

 be, however, remembered that the successful treatment of cancer de- 

 pends as much upon its early recognition as upon the means adopted 

 for its relief. There should be no hesitation in ascertaining the nature 

 of a tumor or swelling which is suspicious or uncertain. The im- 

 provements in the methods of diagnosis enable surgeons to recognize 

 cancer in its earliest stages ; and as soon as the presence of the dis- 

 ease becomes unequivocally demonstrated the probability of a success- 

 ful result is largely enhanced by its early removal. The reason for 

 this is obvious. Cancer commences in each person presumably as a 

 local disease. But it spreads and infects by means of the blood-vessels 

 and lymphatics, first the nearest lymphatic glands and then the more 

 distant organs of the body. When this has occurred, the disease is no 

 longer a local one, it has become what is called constitutional. It is 

 therefore manifest that the most favorable time at which to obtain the 

 best results from surgical interference is when the disease persists sim- 

 ply as a local growth, and when the blood and tissues of the body have 

 not received the impress of a cancerous taint. — Pall Mall Budget. 



