216 On Dr. MARTIN’s CANCER POWDER. 
tiom of common wheat flour as the doctor ufed of his 
cauftic vegetables, would anfwer nearly the fame purpofe. 
In thofe cafes where the doctor applied a feather dipped 
in a liquid to the fore of Nis patient, I have no doubt but 
his phial contained nothing but a weak folution of arfenic 
in water. This is no new method of applying arfenic to 
foul ulcers. Dr. Way of Wilmington, has fpoken in the 
higheft terms to me of a wath for foulneffes on the fkin, as 
well as old ulcers, prepared by boiling an ounce of white 
arfenic in two quarts of water to three pints, and apply- 
img it once or twice a day. 
3. I mentioned formerly that Dr. Martin was often 
unfuccefsful in the application of his powder. This was 
occafioned by his ufing it indifcriminately in a// cafes. In 
{chirrous and cancerous tumours, the knife fhould always 
be preferred to the cauftic. In cancerous ulcers attended 
with a fcrophulous or a bad habit of body, fuch particularly 
as have their feat-in the neck, in the breafts of females, 
and in the axillary glands, it can only protra& the pati- 
ent’s mifery. Moft of the cancerous fores cured by Dr. 
Martin were feated on the nofe, or cheeks, or upon the fur- 
face or extremities of the body. It remains yet to difcover 
a cure for cancers that taint the fluids, or infe@t the whole’ 
lymphatic fyftem. This cure I apprehend muft be fought 
for in diet, or in the long ufe of fome internal medicine. — ~ 
To pronounce a difeafe incurable, is often to render it 
fo. The intermitting fever, if left to itfelf, would proba- 
bly prove frequently, and perhaps more {peedily fatal than 
cancers. And as cancerous tumours and fores are often 
neglected, or treated improperly by injudicious people, 
from an apprehenfion that they are incurable, (to which 
the frequent advice of phyficians “ to let them alone,”’ has 
no doubt contributed) perhaps the introdudion of arfenic 
into regular practice as a remedy for cancers, may invite 
to a more early application to phyficians, and thereby pre- 
vent 
