CAXCER 11.") 



there is no question that tins is a fact, yel the increase can be 

 obtained only in certain strains of white mice, not in all varie- 

 ties, and lias never been observed in white rat tinea 

 rabbits, dogs, or other animals in which cancer occurs. There- 

 fore, there is no reason to worry because one member of your 

 family has suffered from cancer. It does no1 at all follow that 

 any other member of the family will have it. In a family the 

 members of which tend to be very long-lived, more cases of 

 cancer will occur than in one in which the members die young, 

 but this is not because can err is hereditary. 



Cancer Attacks the Healthy. — CTnfortunately, cancer attacks 

 not only those who are in feeble health, but also, and with 

 equal frequency, those who are strong ami healthy ami h. 

 never suffered from any other disease. For tin- reason, it is 

 especially important that such healthy people Bhould consult 

 a physician if any sudden change in their well-being tak 

 place, and particularly if there is any digestive disturbance or 

 disorder of the bowels, for the stomach and intestines are fre- 

 quent sites of cancer. 



AVe see, therefore, the unfortunate circumstances that while 

 the improvement in conditions of living has prolonged the lite 

 of the community on an average of ten years in the last cen- 

 tury, the same condition has apparently increased the number 

 of cases of cancer, since there are more people who reach the 

 cancer age than formerly. This gives more cases of cancer in 

 the population as a whole, though the relative proportion per 

 age group may not be increased. 



How Cancer Begins. — While, as has been Baid, we do not 



know the cause of cancer, we do know a g 1 deal about how 



it occurs and what is apt to precede it. For instance, cancer 

 frequently begins in moles or warts which are irritated by the 

 clothes or are made to bleed and are kept Bore by repeated 

 injury of any sort. Such warts and moles are perfectly harm- 

 less at first, and become dangerous only after thej have been 

 irritated in this way tor a long time, especially if the person 

 is of the cancer age, that is, above forty-five yeai It 1- \\ 



