326 THE MIcROSCOPE. 
injure the most delicate tissue, or interfere with any staining 
process), the section may be stained as desired. For sections 
stained in mass the soaking in bichromate is unnecessary, but if 
after mounting the stain should prove insufficient, the sections 
may be readily restained by removing the cover glass, soaking 
off the balsam with a suitable solvent, transferring to alcohol, 
and then rendering the fixative insoluble by soaking in bichro- 
mate before immersing in the stain. 
This process is especially valuable in staining tissues for 
bacteria, as it admits of extremely thin sections being placed on 
the slide free from wrinkles, and does not blister by prolonged 
soaking in aqueous solutions, as frequently happens in the use of 
Schallibaum’s clove oil collodion process, the method in general 
use for staining sections on the slide. 
CANCER AND ITS DIAGNOSIS. 
DR J. EDWARDS SMITH. 
1 a late issue of a leading homeopathic medical journal I find 
the following statement: “Cancer has been cured by the 
homeopathic remedy.” 
Notwithstanding the fact that I am a practitioner of this 
school of medicine, I cannot swallow this particular “little pill,” 
and desire to remark as follows: 
It is evident that to establish a case of “cancer” cure the ex- 
istence of “cancer” must be primarily proven beyond a reason- 
able doubt. 
The word itself—“ cancer ”—is largely vague and uncertain in 
its significance. The pathologist will, however, confine his use 
of this popular word to neoplasms of a malignant nature only. 
In a paper presented to the American Institute of Homeopa- 
thy (see Trans. for 1881), I wrote as follows: 
“Tt is somewhat remarkable that a word sufficient in its im-. 
port to strike with terror the strongest heart, should nevertheless, 
from a histological standpoint, resist all and singular any 
attempt accurately to define the same. Alluding to this situ- 
ation Dr Arnott says: ‘At the present time no term is used more 
vaguely, and yet with more caution and misgiving, both by 
pathologists and practical surgeons, than the term “cancer”. . 
It is only quite lately, long since the microscope has come into 
general use in medicine, that the various diseases of the lun 
