ON CANCER 203 



depends, and from which also the diseases known as new 

 growths and tumours, innocent as well as malignant, pro- 

 ceed, and are evolved into the distinctive morbid entities 

 known to medicine and surgery. 



It goes without saying that, without some preliminary 

 mastering of the situation, it is impossible to appreciate 

 in anything approaching its fulness, the evolution and 

 true nature of cancer, and even with this it is impossible to 

 realise the real proportions of the many material and 

 dynamic problems that present themselves to the diligent 

 researcher along the unfamiliar lines of tardy progress and 

 patient scientific conquest. 



We would advise, therefore, after microscope and test- 

 tube, and other accessory research means have somewhat 

 exhausted their powers to penetrate the many secrets wrapt 

 up in this fell disease, that "a general survey of the 

 situation" should be indulged in, with a view to the 

 focussing of all information attainable, from whatsoever 

 source available, on the subject, to the end that a really 

 intelligible estimate of its true nature should be made, 

 and thereby a possible basis for treatment laid down for 

 its prevention, cure, or amelioration. 



When this has been done, it may haply be found that 

 what we are now in search of as the first cause of cancer is 

 already within our range of vision, and that what we are 

 now inclined to regard as its first etiological factor or 

 cause is but the consequence and sequel of interrupted 

 parallelism between the functional and material conditions 

 of transitional or perishing textures and organs, and con- 

 sequently but a secondary result of a former cause, as well 

 as, in turn, a secondary cause of succeeding pathological 

 phenomena, and, therefore, only a connecting link in the 

 chain of causation and evolution of the disease. If such 

 a denouement to the expenditure of intellectual energy 

 now and for many years so persistently exercised all over 

 the world ever should become an accomplished fact, we are 

 persuaded that a more hopeful outlook for the unfortunate 

 sufferers from cancer will be the result, and that science 

 and art will alike be the gainers. 



On non-removed functionless material, whose involu- 

 tion has not been effected in due time from faulty materio- 



