CHRONIC IRRITATION 165 



later chapters of this book, for, generally speaking, 

 putrefaction of organic substances must be reduced to 

 a minimum in the ice-bound regions of the far North. 



Death is the ultimate result of cancer in most 

 instances, unless the progress of the disease is success- 

 fully interrupted by surgery, and this is a fact which 

 must be carefully considered. Cancer consists of a 

 growth, of human cells. Why should such a growth 

 kill the person it afflicts. Benign growths do not 

 necessarily cause death ? It may be, of course, that 

 the original cause of the disease increases with the 

 growth, and that it is this cause which is instrumental 

 in killing the victim. We speak of death from cancer 

 as resulting from the vague condisions described as 

 ** exhaustion and cachexia," but why these conditions 

 result from cancer was not even within the realms of 

 speculation. 



Cancer is a disease which seems to aggravate itself. 

 Once the disease is started in the circumscribed area 

 for it always begins in one spot it will go on steadily 

 if it is left to itself. Moreover, one of the features of 

 a malignant growth is that it produces metastases. Why 

 should malignant growths and not benign ones produce 

 metastases ? It is usually considered that metastases 

 are due to embolism, and that the transplanted cells con- 

 tinue to multiply in their new surroundings ; but, again, 

 why should these emboli only continue to mutiply in 

 malignant tumours ? Benign growths, like the malignant 

 ones, are supplied with vessels and lymphatics, and 

 there seems to be just as much reason why portions of 

 both forms of growth should be swept away to form 



