82 PHYSIC 



by the adoption of scientific means, intrinsic as well as 

 extrinsic, medical as well as surgical. 



The neuro-organic dual control here indicated, although 

 an element of safety for the preservation of life in its daily 

 occurring and recurring exigencies, may be conceivably an 

 element of danger, as, for instance, where the lethal in- 

 fluence of systemic neuro-dynamic outflow, along un- 

 accustomed paths or in unaccustomed quantity, may 

 destroy the integrity of the textures invaded, whether 

 they belong to that system, or whether, as most likely, 

 they belong to the other partner, the sympathetic ; thus 

 epilepsy, from its very intensity, may absolutely destroy 

 life almost at once, and thus rodent ulcer may destroy 

 molecularly or piecemeal the combined or dual structures, 

 both diseases being self-centred, if not self-initiated. 

 Much the same may be said of cancer, with the addition 

 that, instead of destruction and immediate dissolution and 

 outcasting of texture, it keeps in pathological being and 

 textural continuity the various structures and organs 

 attacked by it, their final dissolution being thereby delayed 

 until the physiological barriers opposing it are absolutely 

 broken down and levelled, as a mass of pathological debris, 

 amid a scene of dynamic confusion and chaos an example 

 of the morbid siege and ultimate reduction of the human 

 citadel, by one of its fellest enemies, of the most tragic 

 and complete description known to medical science, and 

 surely deserving of the utmost efforts of philanthropy 

 and sympathetic humanity to mitigate and, if possible, 

 remove. 



Under such circumstances it behoves us to keep fast 

 hold of first principles as guides along the dark and un- 

 illumined way open to the pioneers of research in this 

 "dark continent," where lurk the felt, but unseen, and 

 malignant foes of humanity, and if these first principles 

 are but rush-lights in a darkness intense as midnight, it 

 further behoves us to replenish the supply from whatever 

 source is available. We, therefore, feel warranted in pro- 

 ducing what we think may become one of these, and 

 offering it for use, so far as it will go, and so long as it 

 will last, in order that the work of exploration may 

 be even fractionally assisted. This rush-light of first 



