THE DISEASES OF CATTLE. 237 



parts of the body. It probably owes its origin to some pe- 

 culiarity of constitution. It is usually divided into two stages; 

 the first is that of scirrhous, or hardening of the soft parts ; the 

 second is that of open cancer, or ulceration ; in this stage, a 

 foul fungous sore is observed, having an irregular surface of 

 varied hue, with elevated, everted, and rough margins. 



A writer in the Eclectic Journal offers the following as the 

 pathology of cancer : — 



" According to the researches of the most eminent physiolo- 

 gists, malignant growths are composed of two parts, granules 

 or cells, with cell germs and granules within them, nourished 

 wi'h fat cells and globules, and of fibrous tissue or stroma, in 

 which the former parts are embedded. Malignant growths are 

 composed chiefly of albumen, supplied with blood vessels, but 

 differ in their essential elements, viz., in their chemical and 

 microscopic, from healthy tissue. The development of this, 

 disease is evidently a perversion of the ordinary process of 

 nutrition. The lymph or blastema which exudes through the 

 capillaries, either in the ordinary course of nutrition, or 

 through some accidental inflammation, appears to have its vital- 

 ity perverted ; so that instead of forming itself into one of the 

 proper tissues of the body, it forms the irregular abnormal 

 cells, which constitute this species of growth. Tkese abnormal 

 cells are deposited in distinct masses, or else spread through 

 the tissue of the organ or part, which it ultimately supersedes 

 "When once formed, they increase in size by the constant form- 

 ation of new cells, which are supplied with fresh material from 

 the blood. In the course of time, the older portions of cancer- 

 ous growth lose their vitality, soften down, their outer surface 

 ulcerates, and a sanious discharge follows." 



Treatment of Cancer. — The popular method of treating 

 this dreadful malady, is to dissect out the diseased parts, but 

 this rarely succeeds, for the disease generally has an origin 

 beyond the reach of our scalpel. The only remedies of any 

 value, in curable cases, are bloodroot and iodide of potassium. 

 The parts should be sprinkled often with powdered bloodroot, 

 and the patient should have twenty grains per day of iodide of 

 potassium. 



