470 Biology in America 



because of their small size, fecundity and the ease with which 

 they can be reared in captivity. Many other animals how- 

 ever have been employed, including the long-suffering guinea 

 pig, dog, cat and chicken. 



The study of cancer dates back into far antiquity. The 

 early Greek and Roman physicians, Hippocrates, Celsus and 

 Galen, thought of diseases as due to a disproportion in the 

 amount of the four cardinal "humors" of the body — the 

 blood, mucus, yellow bile and black bile. Cancer was fan- 

 cied as caused by an excess of the latter, while even as late 

 as 1874 the noted English surgeon and pathologist, Sir James 

 Paget, ascribed cancer to a morbid condition of the blood. 

 At the beginning of the seventeenth century one writer put 

 forth the view that cancer was caused by a spirit (the 

 Areheus) resident in the stomach and spleen. Unless this 

 spirit was purified it was apt to intrude itself into parts of 

 the body where it did not belong, thereby producing cancer. 



Green frogs have been associated with cancer in the minds 

 of the credulous for hundreds of years, and Bonet of Geneva 

 in 1682 gave a formula for a cancer ointment made of green 

 frogs, while in a book published recently (1905) in South 

 Africa occurs the following interesting item (as translated) : 

 "An example of a woman who had cancer of the breast, 

 which was already so severe that eight holes had been eaten 

 into it, and who recovered through the following expedient: 

 She took eight frogs applied to the breast in a muslin bag, 

 which attached themselves instantly thereto as firmly as 

 leeches. When they had sucked to repletion, they dropped 

 off in violent convulsions without the sucking causing pain. 

 This was repeated until 20 frogs were used, which all from 

 time to time, sucked until they died. And the breast was not 

 only cured, but returned again to its normal size absolutely. 

 Another remedy of the same author is tortoise liver "laid 

 on the cancer and used continually." 



About the beginning of the seventeenth century one healer 

 put forth the following receipt which he asserted from cer- 

 tain experience to be excellent for "ulcerous cankers." 

 "Take suckling Puppies, put them in Wine, and distill it 

 half off in Balneo; then take the puppies out, and boil them 

 in a sufficient quantity of Golden-Rod Water, or common 

 Water with Golden-Rod in it; when the Decoction is made, 

 add the Water that was distilled off the young Dogs and boil 

 them together till the flesh comes from the Bones. Then 

 distill them all in Balneo. Keep the Water for use. Wet 

 dry clothes or rags in this, and apply it to the ulcerous car- 

 cinoma. For from certain Experience it heals the sore by 

 cleansing and drying." 



