382 Kansas Academy of Science. 



value in superficial cancer from their destructive action, but I do 

 not see any advantage to be derived from their use in preference to 

 the knife. In skin cancer they may be of use, but in the more 

 deep-seated cancerous tumors the general opinion is that they are 

 9iil, and in many cases harmful, especially the X-ray. Science, in 

 her effort to produce a cure, no doubt has caused many of the 

 medical profession to be overzealous, and they have jumped at a 

 conclusion as to the therapy of cancer. 



Professor Doyn, of Paris, announced to the world that he had 

 produced a serum that would immunize a patient with cancer. 

 The French and English commission gave this serum a thorough 

 investigation and the result proved that it was of no value. Coley, 

 working along the same line, the germ theory, manufactured what 

 is termed "Coley's Fluid," claiming that it was a specific. Further 

 investigation, however, proved to the contrary. McElwain, in 1875, 

 held that cancer was the result of high living. He believed that 

 sugar was an active factor as a cancer producer, but to-day the 

 profession makes the statement that there is a lack of sugar in the 

 system, hence fill their patients with sugar. 



Much more time and space could be expended in further cita- 

 tions and doubtless it would be of interest, but the results would 

 be of little worth. The facts are, we might as well be honest and 

 say, so far as the medical profession is concerned, we have no 

 known remedy that could be termed a specific, and nothing equal 

 nor superior to the early and free use of the surgeon's knife. 



The objects of this paper are : 



First. — To call your attention to the increased mortality each 

 year from cancer. 



Second. — To point you to the fact that failure has largely 

 crowned our efforts to prevent the spread or cure the disease. 



Third. — We have been taking into account the theory of hered- 

 ity and placing too much stress upon it. 



Fourth. — We have failed to recognize the fact that cancer is 

 absolutely a local disease during the first stage. 



Fifth. — That waiting to act is positively harmful, as it reduces 

 the chances of life. 



Sixth — The ameba may remain in a dormant state for a long 

 time if kept dry, and then under favorable conditions become ac- 

 tive. Hence every room of a house occupied by a cancer case 

 should be thoroughly disinfected before it is again occupied. The 

 same restrictions must prevail as found to be necessary from any 

 contagious disease. 



