oAe  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
1013 
screened  from  in- 
Cancer;  the  Dread  Disease  of  Women 
Its  Nature,  Causes,  Growth  and  Treatment 
By  L.  F.  Rainsford,  M.  D. 
Its  Character. — Let  me  begin  by  say¬ 
ing  that  no  one  as  yet  knows  the  cause 
of  cancer,  although  it  has  been  recognized 
as  a  deadly  disease  since  the  very  be¬ 
ginning  of  medicine.  Of  the  nature  of 
cancer  after  it  has  begun  to  grow  in  the 
body  much  more  is  known.  We  will  try 
then,  to  get  an  idea  of  what  cancer  is. 
A  cancer  is  a  group  of  cells  which, 
(hough  normally  present  in  the.  body  un¬ 
der  other  conditions,  are  now  growing  in 
an  abnormal  way  to  the  harm  of  the  body. 
Cancers  or  tumor  growths  of  the  same 
nature,  are  by  no  means  limited  to  man¬ 
kind.  They  may  be  seen  in  many  ani¬ 
mals,  both  wild  and  domestic,  as  well  as 
in  various  forms  of  vegetable  life.  One 
need  only  recall  the  different  so-called 
“galls”  often  seen  on  oak  or  hickory, 
or  the  “black-knot”  on  plum  or  wild 
cherry,  which  are  very  like  the  lmman 
cancer  in  manner  of  growth. 
Peculiarities  of  Growth. — There 
are  several  things  quite  peculiar  to  can¬ 
cers,  quite  characteristic  of  them.  In 
the  first  place  they  make  their  appear¬ 
ance  usually  in  a  person  of  past  middle 
life.  Then  also,  they  generally  locate 
themselves  in  glands  that  have  been  act¬ 
ive,  or  on  the  surface  of  the  skin  where 
subject  to  much  irritation,  where  there 
would  be  a  constant  renewal  of  flesh,  as 
at  the  edge  of  an  old  ulcer.  Following 
this  line  of  reasoning  and  accepting  as  a 
fact  that  cancers  usually  begin  iu  the 
gland-cells  of  the  human  body,  the  cells 
that  secrete  a  juice,  that  are  active, 
where  would  we  look  for  them  to  ap¬ 
pear?  It  would  he  in  the  hard-worked 
stomach,  whose  glands  secrete  the  diges¬ 
tive  juice  and  whose  walls  are  so  often 
the  site  of  an  irritating  ulcer.  It  would 
he  in  the  large  bowel,  ■which  secretes  mu¬ 
cus,  and  is  so  often  subject  to  continual 
irritation  from  constipation.  And  in  the 
case  of  women,  in  addition  to  these  possi¬ 
bilities  there  are  the  two- great  feminine 
glands,  the  breast  and  the  womb.  The 
fact  that  these  have  ever  been  active, 
that  a  woman  has  borne  a  child  and 
nursed  it,  increases  the  chance  of  can¬ 
cer  developing  in  one  or  the  other  organ  ; 
but  the  number  of  children  she  has  borne 
seems  to  have  little  to  do  with  the  risk 
of  cancer,  certainly  little  ns  compared 
with  the  difference  between  whether  she 
has  had  one  or  not.  Accordingly  it  ap¬ 
pears  that  women  might  be  expected  to  he 
the  chief  sufferers  from  cancer  and  they 
are.  Men  have,  however,  at  least  two 
sites  for  cancer  which  are  peculiar  to 
them,  though  these  do  not  raise  the  num¬ 
ber  of  cases  in  men  to  its  level  in  women. 
They  are  cancers  of  the  lip,  generally 
coming  in  pipe-smokers,  and  cancer  of 
the  prostate  gland  in  old  men  troubled 
with  enlarged  prostates. 
IIekehity  And  Susceptirit.ity. — So 
far  nothing  has  been  said  on  the  subject 
of  heredity  in  cancer,  and  that  is  for  the 
very  good  reason  that  little  or  nothing 
is  understood  about  it.  Cancer  does  un¬ 
doubtedly  seem  to  he  commoner  in  some 
families  than  others,  hut  the  part  played 
in  the  development  of  the  disease  by  per¬ 
sonal  habits  seems  so  large  that  the  im¬ 
portance  of  the  element  of  inheritance  re¬ 
mains  doubtful.  There  seem  however, 
to  be  at  least  two  things  necessary  for 
the  formation  of  a  cancer.  One  is  the 
presence  of  an  active  gland  or  often  re¬ 
peated  irritation;  the  other  some  not  un¬ 
derstood  tendency  of  that  particular  per¬ 
son  to  form  a  cancer.  In  other  words, 
a  cancer  will  grow  iu  him  or  her  when  it 
would  not  necessarily  grow  in  another 
person  under  like  conditions. 
Malignancy  of  Growth. — It  is  in 
their  manner  of  growth  that  cancers 
show  their  so-called  malignancy.  They 
grow  in  two  ways:  By  direct  spreading 
out  into  the  neighboring  parts  of  the 
body  which  they  touch,  be  it  bone,  mus¬ 
cle  or  fat.  They  grow  also  in  a  more 
rapid  manner  when  the  advancing  can¬ 
cer-cells  break  through  into  the  blood  or 
lymph  stream,  and  are  thus  swept  along 
to  more  distant  parts  of  the.  body,  there 
to  take  root  and  form  new  cancers.  These 
further  cancers  always  take  after  the 
original  in  character  of  grmvth.  They 
arc  iu  fact  true  grafts.  Different  sorts  of 
cancer  characteristically  spread  by  either 
the  slow  or  the  fast  method  and  therefore 
are  of  differing  degrees  of  danger. 
Cancer  Otjres.— Concerning  the  so- 
called  medicinal  “cancer  cures’’  so  much 
has  been  written  that  one  may  be  almost 
tempted  to  forget  the  sad  truth  that  they 
all  fail.  The  only  present  cancer  cure  is 
early  surgical  removal  while  the  growth 
is  limited  to  one  place  and  can  be  entire¬ 
ly  removed.  By  surgical  removal  is  uot 
necessarily  meant  cutting  out,  for  burning 
or  freezing  is  sometimes  used,  and  X-ray 
or  radium  can  remove  cancers  on  or  near 
the  surface.  Unfortunately  however,  the 
dose  of  X-ray  or  radium  which  must  be 
used  to  destroy  a  cancer  at  a  depth  of 
more  than  one  or  two  inches  from  the 
surface  burns  the  overlying  parts  so  bad¬ 
ly  as  to  make  the  method  almost  use¬ 
less.  It  is  used  with  good  success  es¬ 
pecially  after  the  cutting  operation  to 
clean  up  any  hits  of  cancer  which  may 
have  escaped  the  knife. 
Prevention.— So  much  for  the  cure  of 
cancer.  More  cau  be  done,  perhaps,  to 
prevent  its  coming  into  being,  and  for 
this  we  depend  on  avoiding  wherever  pos¬ 
sible  such  conditions  as  we  know  to  go 
before  the  coming  of  cancer.  As  exam¬ 
ples  can  he  mentioned  care  of  the  diges¬ 
tion  to  prevent  both  stomach  ulcers  and 
constipation,  also  good  care  of  the  mouth, 
to  stop  the  formation  of  cracks  and  sores. 
I  nfortunatoly  no  other  advice  can  he 
given  women  to  reduce  for  them  the  great 
danger  of  cancer  in  the  breast  and  womb, 
unless  it.  be  the  unwarrantable  advice  not 
to  have  children.  We  must  depend  for 
good  results  then  on  early  recognition  and 
prompt  operation  to  remove  the  disease. 
An  Increasing  Disease. — It  is  often 
said  at  the  present  day  that  cancer  is 
on  the  increase.  This  may  be  partly 
true.  One  must,  however,  remember, 
that  more  frequent  recognition  of  the 
disease  leads  to  a  larger  number  of  cases 
being  reported  hut  also  to  more  early 
operative  cures.  This  does  not  of  neces¬ 
sity  mean  that  more  cases  exist  than 
formerly.  Lot  us  see  then  wluit  may  be 
done  to  recognize  an  early  cancer  and 
what  Symptoms  should  lead  to  a  medical 
consultation. 
Early  Symptoms. — Of  the  wisdom  of 
bearing  in  mind  the  possibility  of  a  stom¬ 
ach  cancer  in  an  older  person  long  suf¬ 
fering  from  the  symptoms  of  indigestion, 
we  have  already  spoken.  Not  only  is 
this  true  hut  furthermore  a  hidden  can¬ 
cer,  most  often  of  the  stomach,  should 
he  suspected  in  any  old  man  or  woman 
who  continues  to  lose  weight  and 
strength  without  apparent  cause.  In  a 
woman  any  discharge  from  the  nipple 
when  not  nursing  and  any  lump  felt  in 
the  breast  should  receive  prompt  atten¬ 
tion.  Also  any  increase  in  flow  toward 
the  change  of  lifer  a  flow  which  had  be¬ 
fore  been  regular,  becoming  irregular; 
hut  most  of  all  the  reappearance  of  even 
a  little  show  of  blood  dftor  it  had 
stopped  with  the  change  of  life,  are 
symptoms  calling  for  an  examination.  A 
bowel  cancer  should  be  considered  in 
the  elderly,  when  gradually  increasing 
constipation  is  associated  with  some 
bleeding  not  duo  to  piles.  A  large  pros¬ 
tate  gland  is  likely  to  call  for  attention 
regardless  of  the  possibility  of  cancer  be¬ 
cause  of  the  difficulty  it  causes  in  pass¬ 
ing  water.  For  the  remaining  cancers 
that  have  been  mentioned,  those  on  the 
face  or  body,  a  safe  rule  is  not  to  allow 
any  ulcer  that  does  not  seem  to  heal  or 
any  lump  that  grows,  however  slowly,  to 
continue  without  proper  examinatiou  by 
a  good  doctor. 
A  Scourge  of  Infantile  Paralysis 
The  extraordinary  epidemic  of  infan¬ 
tile  paralysis,  which,  first  attracting  pub¬ 
lic  attention  in  this  city  in  June,  be¬ 
came  a  nation-wide  problem  in  July, 
again  emphasizes  the  fact  that  there  are 
mysteries  of  disease  still  far  beyond  our 
present  knowledge.  The  disease  known 
as  infantile  paralysis  is  not  new.  hut  the 
present  outbreak,  with  its  rapid  spread 
and  high  mortality,  has  proved  baffling 
to  medical  science.  The  manner  iu 
which  it  is  transmitted  does  not  seem  to 
be  understood,  hut  the  health  authorities 
in  many  places  have  made  drastic  regula¬ 
tions,  calling  for  a  strict  quarantine, 
with  all  such  precautions  as  would  be 
taken  with  a  case  of  diphtheria.  The  fol¬ 
lowing  regulations  have  been  sent  to 
nurses  by  the  Philadelphia  health  de¬ 
lta  rtmeut : 
Nurses  must  wear  cap.  gown  and 
gloves  while  <>n  duty.  State  Health 
nurses  are  instructed  not  to  alarm  the 
families;  not  to  massage  or  manipulate 
the  patient,  unless  ordered  by  the  medi¬ 
cal  doctor,  as  it.  often  does  much  harm 
if  applied  too  soon.  Not  to  forget  that, 
the  disease  is  in  some  unknown  way 
transmissible.  See  that  the  patient’s 
room  is  thoroughly 
sects. 
Disinfect  all  body  and  bed  clothing  be¬ 
fore  taking  it  out  of  the  patient's  room. 
Burn  all  unused  food. 
Do  not  permit  visitors  to  the  room. 
Do  not  permit  pet  dogs,  cars,  birds  or 
any  kind  of  animals  to  get  into  the  bed¬ 
room. 
Disinfect  all  waste  from  patients. 
Keep  everything  scrupulously  clean,  in¬ 
cluding  the  clothing  and  body  of  patients. 
Keep  the  room  well  aired. 
Do  not  permit  the  patient  to  become 
chilled. 
Follow  the  doctor’s  instructions  reli¬ 
giously. 
Discharges  from  the  nose,  throat, 
mouth  or  mucous  membrane  must  be  dis¬ 
infected  in  a  1  to  20  solution  of  carbolic 
acid  at  once  and  burned. 
The  mouth  and  nose  should  he  washed 
out  with  Dobell’s  solution. 
rI  he  nurse  should  also  spray  her 
mouth,  nose  and  throat  with  some  solu¬ 
tion,  using  another  sprayer  than  the  one 
used  for  patient. 
As  in  every  epidemic,  cleanliness  is 
imperatively  demanded,  lienee  New  York 
is  flushing  streets,  reforming  garbage 
cans,  and  endeavoring  to  amend  its  san¬ 
itation.  while  parents  are  urged  to  keep 
children  at  home,  and  avoid  public  con¬ 
veyances  and  places  of  amusement. 
Stray  animals  are  being  destroyed,  as 
possible  disease  carriers.  It  is  likely 
that  more  city  people  than  usual  will  be 
seeking  country  hoard  this  season,  and  it 
will  be  wise  for  rural  coin  muni  ties  to 
consider  precautions  against  the  en¬ 
trance  of  disease  from  infected  districts*. 
Some  States  and  municipalities  declared 
a  quarantine  against  children  from 
Greater  New  York  early  in  July,  and  the 
appearance  of  the  disease  in  adults, 
though  rare,  naturally  added  to  public 
apprehension. 
Justice  for  Mother 
IN  most  matters,  The  R.  N.-Y.  has  my 
interest  and  approval,  hut  your  opin¬ 
ions  on  one  point  go  much  against  me, 
viz.:  your  views  on  the  relations  be 
tween  man  and  wife.  You  have  got  fai¬ 
lle, vend  equality,  and  seem  to  hold  the 
wife’s  proper  attitude  to  be  one  of  domi¬ 
neering  arrogance,  tin-  huBbanrFg  winging 
servility.  If  you  think  I  exaggerate,  look 
over  a  few  hack  numbers.  The  wife  is 
never  admonished  as  to  her  duty,  while 
the  man  is  thus  addressed:  “Spend  more 
money  on  the  good  wife,”  "Don’t  be 
ashamed  to  take  her  orders,”  “Ask  her 
advice,”  “Rely  on  her  judgment,"  “Let 
her  handle  the  money,”  “The  wife  boss¬ 
ing  the  job,”  (illustration  in  last  num¬ 
ber),  etc.  If  you  are  right,  farmers 
would  better  give  up  matrimony  alto¬ 
gether.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  happiest 
and  most  prosperous  cultivators  I  know 
are  bachelors.  C.  E.  D. 
Our  friend  does  not  toll  us  whether 
he  belongs  to  this  happy  group  or  not, 
but  we  fear  he  is  taking  matters  too 
seriously.  There  is  much  harmless  ban¬ 
ter  in  many  families  over  these  house¬ 
hold  relations.  There  are  two  extremes 
to  be.  found  iu  the  wife’s  position.  In 
one  she  is  found  a  strong,  dominating 
character,  easily  the  boss  of  an  easy-going, 
good-natured  husband.  In  some  cases 
the  husband  really  owes  much  of  his  suc¬ 
cess  as  a  farmer  to  the  force  and  ability 
of  his  wife.  Tiie  other  extreme  is  the 
feeble  subservient  creature  who  finally 
becomes  the  mere  servant  of  her  husband 
and  children.  Neither  character  is  a 
pleasing  one.  Our  observation  is  that 
many  wives  and  mothers  give  up  too 
much  of  their  comfort  and  personality 
in  their  desire  to  avoid  trouble  or  to  keep 
a  peaceful  home.  In  time  this  spirit  of 
sacrifice  is  accepted  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  without  meaning  to  do  so, 
father  and  the  children  forget  that 
mother  has  certain  household  rights 
which  are  hors  by  every  moral  and  legal 
consideration.  The  R.  N.-Y.  encourages 
no  spirit  of  strife  or  insubordination,  hut 
we  do  try  to  induce  our  readers  to  see 
the  justice  of  giving  mother  her  full 
share  in  the  home.  This  is  done  in  a  good- 
natured  way  which  we  think  will  be 
understood  by  all  who  understand  the 
human  nature  of  family  life. 
Gasoline  and  Ivy  Poisoning 
„  I  have  been  a  reader  of  The  R.  N.- 
for  many  years  and  have  read  from 
time  to  time  the  articles  on  poison  ivy 
and  its  remedies,  hut.  have  never  read 
where  gasoline  had  been  applied.  We 
live  in  a  section  of  Long  Island  where 
the  plant  grows  abundantly  and  have  seen 
some  very  severe  cases  of  poisoning  cured 
in  this  way.  Rathe  the  affected  parts 
with  gasoline  two  or  three  times  daily. 
Any  person  using  gasoline  should  al¬ 
ways  remember  never  to  use  it  near  fire 
or  light.  A.  PETTIT,  JR. 
Long  Island. 
Solid  Comfort ;  Preparing  a  Good  Dinner 
