The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-02 00:00:00

FREE CANCER HOSPITAL.

Yesterday the annual general meeting of the Free
Cancer Hospital was held at the establishment, Bromp-
ton—the Hon. Colonel Ogilvy in the chair.
Previous to the meeting taking place, the company
were made acquainted with the details of the hospital
by personal inspection, and the internal arrangements
for the comfort and convenience of the patients appeared
to give general satisfaction. Though the building is
small, it has been made available to the utmost extent
of its dimensions, and every facility has been afforded
to the medical officers to deal successfully with the fear-
ful malady for the alleviation and cure of which the hos-
larhas been established. Diagrams were exhibited of
most of the serious cases which had been brought under
treatment, and one glance at them was sufficient to
convince the most cursory observer that an institution
like this must confer a great boon on suffering humanity,
as well as materially add to the advancement of scientific
inquiry in a branch of disease which has hitherto baffled
the skill of the most eminent men in the profession. It
is impossible to conceive any bodily affliction more
appalling than cancer, attacking, as it frequently does,
the most tender and delicate'parts of the frame, defying
eradication even by the most painful operations, and
gradually consuming, with fatal certainty, the strength
and bodily substance of the agonised patient. There can-
not, therefore, be two opinions as to the humanity which

actuated those who, seeing that no hospital existed in
this vast metropolis, exclusively devoted to the

reception of poor persons afflicted with cancer,

should have undertaken the difficult task of found-
ing one. Having succeeded in their object, not-
withstanding considerable opposition, it is to be hoped
the charitable public will not be backward in tendering
to them a liberal amount of support. •
The annual report which was read to the meeting by
the secretary, stated that, owing to the liberality of the
subscribers, the committee were enabled to take the
house at Brompton at 631. per annum ; and, in Nov.
last, it was opened for the reception of 23 in-patients.
The premises and the situation were considered so well
adapted for the purpose by the medical officers, that it
was contemplated to purchase the land, and to extend
the accommodation for patients to 60 beds. Up to the
present time, 371 patients had been under treatment.
The subscriptions and donations amounted to 2,8421.
19s. 4d., but there had been necessarily a heavy out-

lay in repairing, entirely furnishing, and otherwise
adapting the premises for an hospital. The commit-
tee trusted that, by 'the study of a great variety
of cases, concentrated in one building, a deeper know-
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of 300 cases, the average age at which mankind was at-
tacked by cancer was 43 years. There were a greater
number of sufferers among females than males,. the for-
mer being 5 to 1 of the latter—a conclusion somewhat
different from that arrived at by the return of deaths of
the Registrar-General, which showed there were 3 fe-
males to 1 male. Great anxiety had been shown by the
children of cancer patients to know .whether they in-
herited the disease from their parents. At present that
question had not been satisfactorily answered by the
medical profession. The records of the hospital, though
at present insufficient to decide the point, led to the con-
clusion that hereditary taint is by no means a necessary
law of cancer ; and the circumstance, that the disease
did not multiply its victims as those subject to it
multiplied their families, would be a consolation to those
having relations who had suffered .from the malady.
The microscope had rendered some aid in having
shown the presence of two kinds of living animalcule; in
cancerous ulcers, especially of the tongue. This was a
discovery of much physiological interest. Though the
operations performed had not been numerous, they had
all been successful. It is thought best to give no positive
opinion for some time, in order to speak with more
certainty on the much-vexed question of operation or no
operation. The number of out-patients was 371, being
68 males, and 303 females ; the in-patients numbered
23, being 7 males, and 16 females. Of the out-patients,
52 had been discharged cured, or relieved, 5 had been
successfully operated upon, 15 had discontinued their
attendance, and 14 had died. Of the in-patients, 7 had
been discharged cured or relieved, 3 had been success-
fully operated upon, and 1 had died.
The report and statement of accounts were unani-
mously adopted, and ordered to be printed.
The committee for managing the affairs of the hos-
pital during the ensuing year were re-elected, as were
also the treasurer, Mr. J. Parkinson, and the auditors.
Dr. R. Chambers, the consulting physician ; Dr.
Marsden, the surgeon ; and Mr. Weeden Cooke, the
assistant surgeon, were then re-appointed to their
respective offices.
Dr. CHAMBERS and Dr. MARSDEN returned thanks.
Mr. COOKE, in acknowledging his re-appointment,
said he believed a very great deal of good had already
been done by the charity. As an immense number of
patients, suffering from this peculiar disease had been
brought together, they had an opportunity of studying
its various phases, and of seeing the effect with greater
certainty of the various remedies which had the repu-
tation of relieving the dire disorder, and of those other
remedies which they themselves thought might be usefUlly
resorted to. By such a combination of theory and prac-
,tise in their treatment of the disorder, they hoped to con-
fer some benefit on society; and if not to cure, to even-
tually relieve the poor creatures placed under their care,
and enable them to return to their occupations and fami-

lies. The committee were very liberal in their supply of
good things for the nourishment of the patients, such as
beer, wine, and meat, which were so necessary in a
disease that worked so much on the constitution.

The re-election of the Rev. Thos. Pearson, incumbent
of St. Mary's, West Brompton, as honorary chaplain,
the re-appointment of the secretary, and a vote of thanks
to the committee and lady subscribers, concluded the
business of the day.
Dr. MARSDEN, in moving a vote of thanks to the Hon.
Col. Ogilvy for his conduct hi the chair, said he thought
the statements which the committee had made in re-
ference to their efforts, must be highly gratifying to
every friend of the charity. Certainly a more zealous
or hard-working committee could not be found in con-
nection with any hospital in London. He trusted that

the medical report would also be considered satisfactory,
but it should be borne in mind that great caution had to
be observed in making a report of the cases which came
under the notice of the institution, for however success-
ful they might be in the treatment of the malady, there
were those connected with the profession who would
laugh and scoff at them if they dared to say there
was a cure for the disease, or even ventured

to assert that they had cured a single case. They were
determined, however, not to be deterred by any opposi-
tion, whether it came from the medical profession or any
other body of scientific men, for they had made up their
minds to do everything that lay in their power to dis-
cover, if not a certain remedy, at least some means of
alleviating the sufferings of those who were afflicted with
the horrible malady, and if they only succeededlin doing
this, he conceived they would do some service to the
community. It was well known that the disease as-
sumed various forms ; some cases were considered truly
cancerous, others of a doubtful nature. The latter
generally gave way to remedies, but the true cases of
cancer had not yet yielded to medical skill to the extent
they desired, though a very great number of patients,
who had the disease in its worst form, had derived much
benefit by their mode of treatment. He hoped that in
the course of a year or two they would be able to pre-
sent a report which would throw an entirely new light on
the malady, for he felt satisfied it-was yet within the
scope of medical science not only to cure it, but to
eradicate it from the constitution. That, at least, was
his opinion, and he hoped to live long enough to see his
hopes realised. (Hear, hear.)
The motion was then put to the meeting, and caiTied.
The CHAIRMAN, in. acknowledging the compliment,
said he thought the community at large were greatly in-
debted to the medical officers who had, gratuitously, and
at great inconvenience to themselves, given the institu-
tion the benefit of their learning, skill, and experience.
He ha-dtpo doubt they would succeed in alleviating much
of that. human suffering which was occasioned by the
dire malady of cancer.
The meeting then separated.
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MEDICAL REMUNERATION.—We cannot help noticing
an advertisement in an Edinburgh paper, which inti-
mates that a medical officer is wanted for the parish of
Dryfesdale, in the county of Dumfries. Salary, 201. per
annum. To offer a man who has passed through a long
and'expensive education, and whose duties, in a country
place especially, must be of the most harassing and la-
borious description, wages that an errand lad would at
once reject, deserves the strongest condemnation.--
Greenock Advertiser.