I 



Miscellaveoits Papers. 123 



MALIGNANT TUMORS— CANCER. 



l!y .1. M. MrWilxHV 



X 1909 we presented to the Academy of Science a paper on 

 the subject of cancer. An effort was made to give in detail 

 all the facts known to the medical world concerning this much- 

 dreaded and fast-increasing disease. After five years of care- 

 ful study by eminent men in the profession, scientists, we are 

 yet unable to say to the world that we have conquered the dis- 

 ease and here is the panacea. In our study of cancer we turn 

 to accessible literature and the latest teaching of pathologj^ 

 pertaining to the growth of neoplasms in their various forms, 

 clinical and microscopical. Histology of malignant disease is 

 almost nil. From statistical reference we know that cancer 

 is more prevalent in some districts than in others. That it is 

 common in some trades or vocations and quite uncommon in 

 others. 



Considering the question from this viewpoint, we are forced 

 to conclude that there must be some element in the environ- 

 ment of the individual that brings on the disease. Mechanical 

 irritation is said to be a factor in the production of cancer, but 

 the theory is not a satisfactory one ; we can not ahvays deter- 

 mine. We can not see what mechanical irritation can produce 

 a sarcoma of the uterus and many other maglignant diseases. 

 I therefore conclude that it is parasitic disease. We have a 

 warty disease in potatoes due to a minute fungoid organism, 

 which in character is essential to the cells of malignant tumors. 

 Biologists call them Mycetozoa or Myxomycetes. If this dis- 

 ease has full sway the potato is formed into a wrinkled mass 

 that soon decays or drys up. 



A writer asserts that irritation and hypertrophy of cells may 

 be caused by parasites which never bring their protoplasm 

 into direct contact with that of their host, and may stimulate 

 it through both cell walls to an abnormal growth. These cells 

 grow larger and divide more frequently than the normal, the 

 sap changes color to red, while the numerous compound crys- 

 tals normally found in the tissues diminish in number and 

 are different in shape, large quantities of starch are stored 

 up. and even the vascular bundles are altered in character. 



