298 THE PROTEAL TREATMENT OF CANCER 



These observations are obviously in keeping with the present 

 thesis as to the general character of the cancerous condition. 

 They accord also with a wide range of clinical experience. It is 

 almost axiomatic to say that no two cases could be precisely alike 

 as to the exact degree of involvement of the various organs and 

 tissues of the body. Inherent susceptibilities of hereditary char- 

 acter, combined with accidental conditions of local irritation, 

 would determine that in one case the liver, in another the pan- 

 creas, in a third the kidneys would have suffered most from the 

 condition of nutritional maladjustments, in a series of cases in all 

 of which the seat of the "primary cancer" might be, let us say, 

 the breast, the stomach, or the uterus. 



It is equally axiomatic to say that the precise location of me- 

 tastatic masses and the precise relative degree of involvement of 

 various organs affected without metastasis must be vastly im- 

 portant in its bearing on the prognosis of the case as regards im- 

 minence of the fatal issue. 



Obviously, then, each case must be a law unto itself. If it is 

 hazardous to generalize regarding conditions described merely as 

 "cancer of the breast," "cancer of the uterus," etc., it is equally 

 hazardous to attempt predictions as to the possible curability of 

 any individual case thus described. 



No one speaking with authority in connection with the Proteal 

 treatment ever made such- a prediction or held out the expectation 

 of cure in any individual case. From the outset, in my publica- 

 tions and medical addresses on- the subject, I have urged that a 

 conservative attitude must be maintained as regards ultimate 

 prognosis. 



No one speaking with authority has suggested or expected that 

 the proteins would perform the necromantic feat of restoring de- 

 generated and decompounded cells of liver or spleen or kidneys 

 or pancreas or intestinal glands. As well ask the surgeon to re- 

 place a lost arm or leg. Yet without such regeneration, in a large 

 proportion of cases, it would be utterly futile to hope for the 

 restoration of normal conditions of protein metabolism absolutely 

 essential to health. 



If, in such a case, the Proteal -treatment favorably modified the 

 blood count and made possible a temporary improvement in 

 metabolism, thereby relieving the patient's distress, nullifying 

 the obnoxious odors of a cancerous -discharge, inducing a sense of 

 well being, and prolonging life by a term of weeks or months 

 while at the same time giving comfort everything has been ac- 

 complished that could rationally be expected ; everything, perhaps, 

 that can never -be hoped for in connection with the treatment of 

 cases at so advanced a stage. 



It should be added, however, that it is seldom possible to de- 



