Miscellaneous Papers. 381 



difficulty; that is, a perfect knowledge not only of what cancer is, 

 but its therapy. In the advance of intellectual progress, in the sun- 

 set splendor of the nineteenth century, there will be brought for- 

 ward a panacea for this most dreaded disease, cancer. For a long 

 time cancer has been looked upon as absolutely incurable, therefore 

 the physician feels justified in making an unfavorable prognosis, 

 The prognosis is true in a large number of cases, but is not caution 

 necessary? A diagnosis by competent men may not always prove 

 true. Again, cases of undoubted cancer have been known to retro- 

 grade, or remain at a standstill for a long time, while others have 

 been practically cured. We have a number of cases reported where 

 from a microscopical standpoint a diagnosis was made and yet re- 

 covery took place. 



Numerous cases have been reported by Virchow, Senger, Mohr, 

 Alsburgh, Kroenlem, Bear, Lindner, Hahn, Osier and others, where 

 recovery took place. At a medical society in London, Doctor Gould 

 presented a patient who had apparently recovered, and yet, eight 

 months prior to this time, seemed to be near death from recurrent 

 mammary carcinoma, with glandular involvement and secondary de- 

 posits in the lungs. Doctor Beatson, at the British Medical As- 

 sociation, passed a photograph of a case of carcinoma in a woman 

 who had been under his observation for six years. The evidence 

 showed, per photograph, a removal of the breast by the surgeon's 

 knife, but this was not the case. The entire mamma had disap- 

 peared, taking with it glandular enlargement of the axilla. The 

 standing of the medical gentlemen referred to above it such that I 

 cannot but accept their statement as true, and, if true, the carci- 

 noma cells must have perished from poor nourishment or invasion 

 of the fibroblast which compresses them. Believing this to be a 

 fact, we are forced to admit spontaneous recovery. 



Having discussed to some extent the vital point or cause of can- 

 cer, we now pass to the consideration of' its treatment. I wish that 

 it were possible in the light of scientific investigation to present 

 you with a treatment that is tangible. The remedies that have 

 been tested from a medical standpoint in number is legion, but 

 their beneficial effects are of little or no real value. The early and 

 free use of the surgeon's knife is of greater worth than all other 

 remedies combined. 



During the last few years the X-ray has been brought into use, 

 and by some highly extolled, but upon investigation the experience 

 of those more careful in their deductions does not warrant such a 

 conclusion. Finsen light, with the X-ray, and radium, may be of 



