96 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



instructive circular which we here reproduce with but slight abridg- 

 ment : 



Cancer, as popularly understood, does not represent a distinct dis- 

 ease, such as pneumonia, small-pox, or diphtheria, but the name sug- 

 gests only some terrible malady of an eating or destructive nature, 

 often, if not generally, terminating fatally after a period of great suf- 

 fering. Among the medical profession the term cancer has been in 

 time past, and to a certain extent is to-day, applied somewhat care- 

 lessly to a variety of diseases, or morbid conditions, presenting the 

 feature of destruction of tissue to a greater or less extent ; and even 

 the highest science has not yet fully determined to what state or dis- 

 ease the name cancer should belong exclusively. Therefore, if a hos- 

 pital were established exclusively for cancer it would be extremely diffi- 

 cult to determine just what cases should be received, and in the end 

 but a small proportion of really proper cases would be cared for, if all 

 but true cancer, as scientifically determined, were excluded. 



This may be illustrated, by supposing that a section of the city 

 were taken, say from Thirty-fourth Street to Forty-second Street, and 

 from river to river, and from every house all persons were gathered, 

 who either — 1. Supposed or feared that they had cancer ; 2. Had been 

 told by friends or by some quack doctor that they had cancer ; or, 3. 

 Had been informed by a legally licensed physician that they were 

 afflicted with this disease. It would be perfectly safe to say that not 

 one half, if indeed one third of all these persons would be the sub- 

 jects of carcinoma, or real cancer, such as could be rightly entered un- 

 der that name on the books of a hospital. The remainder of the large 

 number would be afflicted with a great variety of affections, excluding, 

 of course, some who were perfectly healthy, but with imaginary ail- 

 ments. Of these others, who had not cancer, some would have very 

 simple skin-diseases, entirely curable by proper treatment ; many 

 would have some of the ulcerating forms of syphilis, which are con- 

 stantly mistaken for cancer, and which often so closely resemble it as 

 to render the diagnosis most difficult, indeed impossible to one not 

 fully acquainted with the former disease ; some would have lupus, a 

 skin affection which may also simulate cancer ; besides these there are 

 ulcers of various kinds, also rare diseases, such as sarcoma, rhino- 

 scleroma, lipoma, morphoea, keloid, lymphangioma, and other diseases 

 belonging to the department of dermatology, to say nothing of true 

 leprosy which occasionally is presented for treatment. All of these 

 could readily at times suggest the disease cancer to the patient or 

 physician. Besides these there would be tumors of various kinds, 

 abscesses, swellings of bones and many different conditions which the 

 body or its parts may take on in disease, which would constantly be 

 presented at the clinic of an institution for the cure of cancer. 



The argument and suggestion are submitted, if one whose attention 

 and thought are constantly devoted to the various diseases which 



