PAPERS PRESENTED AT GENERAL SESSIONS 51 



Valuable research work has been done on the chemical 

 and physical irritants which lay the foundations for can- 

 cer or which directly cause the disease. 



In a very recent paper, Hoffman says: ''It may prop- 

 erly be said, however, without fear of successful contra- 

 diction, that concerning - no other disease is a larger body 

 of facts and observations available for qualified consid- 

 eration. 



"It is my deliberate judgment, arrived at after mature 

 reflection, that it is a fundamental error to seek or to 

 hope to find a single cause x'esponsible for the frequent 

 and increasing occurrence of malignant growths in the 

 human body. It seems likewise an error to look upon 

 cancer as an entity, for the disease, both in its origin and 

 development, varies quite considerably as it affects the 

 different tissues." 



Dr. Hoffman then discusses the many contributing 

 causes which may be related to cancer, placing especial 

 emphasis on overeating, too frequent eating, constipa- 

 tion, the refinements of civilization, changes in food, and 

 various irritations and local poisonings. 



CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING 



The importance of carbon monoxide poisoning has 

 been stressed during the year by Dr. E. E. Hayhurst of 

 Ohio. A very considerable number of fatalities due to 

 carbon monoxide from domestic use of gas stoves, ordi- 

 nary stoves, and from automobiles, caused the introduc- 

 tion of proposed laws regulating stoves and stove con- 

 nections to be introduced in the Ohio legislature. These 

 proposed laws did not pass, but they were the forerun- 

 ners of legislation which will pass either in that legisla- 

 tive body or in others. 



Dr. Yandall Henderson and others investigating as a 

 basis for advising as to the ventilation required for the 

 New York vehicular tunnel under North River reported 

 informingly on the proportion of carbon monoxide in the 

 air in the wake of automobiles. He also contributed valu- 

 able information on the advantage of adding a small pro- 

 portion of carbonic dioxide to the oxygen used to resus- 

 citate persons overcome by carbon monoxide. 



