The Ottawa free trader., 1855-06-09
From Newton's Express.
Pathology and Cnribiiity Of Cancer.
BY PROP. Il. s. NEWTON, u. d.

am well aware that the bare proposal to
cure carcinomatous and other malignant dis.
eases, by extraordinary medical means, will
be more likely 10 meet with the smile Of
skepticism than the serious and patient con-
sideration OF the profession. But Of two
things | Am fully satisfied, viz, that the
prevalent opinion concerning the primary
local character Of this class Of tumors or de-
posts, is entirely erroneous, and that the
consequent practice Of relying almost cxclu-
sively on the knife as the means of cure, is
wholly useless. Hence, unless we arc will.
ing to abandon this unfortunate class Of hu-
man sufferers to their fate and leave them
where they arc indeed now left, to very
great extent, in the hands of the very low
est and most ignorant empires, VIC must as
a profession, throw aside our pre- possessions
and thoroughly re-investigatc the whole sub,
jcct ,---r-7z=ISzii,,s. ~. ss..s,,.-,..,.....
From patient and rigid scrutiny Of a
large humber Of cases, have for many years
entertained no doubt but that correct and re-
liable conclusions could be dcducod con.
ccrnlng both the primary causes and the
particular organs through which they act
and the disturbance Of whose functions lead
directly to the deposite; and, If so, we
should cci ,linly find ourselves as capable Of
preventing and curing this, as any other
class OF chronic diseases, But how was such
an investigation to be made? The number
Of cases coming fully under the observation
Of any one practitioner, was too limited for
the purpose; and in our well regulated hos.
pita!s, this class Of patients are seldom re-
ceivcd except for the purpose Of undergoing
an operation with the knife.
could, therefore, adopt no mode Of ac-
complishing this desirable object so fully
and satisfactorily, as by the establishment
Of an institution, devoted to the treatment
olmalisnant or carcinomatous and scrofu-
lous diseases. Such an institution, under
good and faithful management has gathered
in sufficient number and variety Of cases,
not only 10 afford the most ample field for
investigation, but has, likewise, done more
to snatch this numerous and truly miserable
class Of human sufferers from the hands Of
the ignorant, than any other movement that
could be devised.
! ] was not sure Of meeting the countenance
and appreciation Of the profession. DIR.
Daniel Drake said, TO arrive at correct con.
clusion on this subject, experiment Is ne
cessary to an answer Of any kind; no regu-
lar member Of the profession, however, is
much inclined to such experiments, because
/ they tend Improperly 10 place him, 10 the
estimation Of his brethren, in the category
! ofimcre cmprics." Such being the genera
opinion Of the profession, why should We
discourage our patients from placing them.
solves in the hands Of those who treat dis
e1scs Of this class as speciality; Why
should the profession abandon those suffer
iSg with the canccrg DO they not require
tic benefits arising from the knowledge o
an enlightened profession, as well as any
olher class OF suffering humanity? Anc
while the profession acknowledge their ina
bilty to cure this class OF diseases, according
to the above quotation from Prot. Drake, i
is better to let such die, than incur the dis
p|easurc of the profession, by trying to init
lfkatc their suiierings? Under such circum
tstanccs, ard acting upon these suggestions
voluhtecrcd trial, and found the old opip
ions To be erroneous, and this disease to b.
curabc.
1t has required many years Of careful at
tcnton and success in this branch Of the pro
fcssion, TO warrant me in making this All
nouncement; but with this, as with all othc
'ioN"n''' ~ ''I''N' y l'1'h w t's
their radical cure, and the treatment pur
sue has stood that test; hence the curabili
ty Of this disease is as fully established a
any other that flesh is heir to.
am decidedly opposed to the old thread
bare opinion taught by the medical school
for ages past aud adopted by their disciple
as authority without ever investigating th
subject for themselves, that it is primarily
constitutional disease but am fully sal
fled that the disease has a local cause for il
, origin, which ] conceive to be cntozoa, q
conccrous anmaculn (Which fact ! mad
known to the public some years ago. an
that it becomes disease only when this an
imalcula become sufficiently developed an
: strong enough to overcome the natural r.
, sisting action Of the system. They have a
inherent tendency to eat up or destroy cor
tiguous parts, and do not extend by III
power of assimilation; and, as a gener,
, thing, the powers Of the system are not d,
stroyed for sometime. And now, a. this di
ease is clearly local one dependent on the.
=, animalculI, it should be treated by local al
plications, such as will kill entozoa, in i
body and roots or branches which belong ,
, it-these being the reproducing cause whc
the knife is used and then, by the supur
tive process which takes place, the entil
action Of the parts is changed and by III
: method the disease may be radically cure,
S We frequently hear medical men say,
cancer is local disease, why can it not
cured with a knife and that the idea th
. these cancers having roots or tibers is spe
ulative. There is no speculation about
!, and the reason every case, rs gencr
: thing, fails to be cured, in which the kni
, is rcsorted to, is because roots or fibrcs, al
? not reached by it, and they remain as germ
i for reproduction.
. Sir Ashley Cooper is OF the opinion abo,
expressed: "Whcn you disscct a schirri
!. tumor, you will see number Of roots pr
cccdlng to considerable distance" And
to his opinion OF these reproducing disea
, no says: Remember, that in opcratin
> that il you remove the tumor only, and n
, the roots before alluded to, there will be b.
little advantage derived no glandular stru
4 tnrc nor any of the roots should be allowc
: to remain"
The old opinion, that cancer is original
. constitutional disease, was undoubtcd
based upon the fact, that, after an operate
, by the knife, the disease would sooner
later return, because the knife could not r
move the constitutional taint, and the ca
. Ger would always manifest itself again il Il
, constitutional tendency was not dcs,royc
A belief in this tendency Of the disease,
/ no longer sustained by medical men wi
have bestowed any attention whatever upc
I the subject. And it is generally known tn
, the return of cancer, after an operation, is
consequence of the failure fthc knife to r
move ,Al its roots or cells; for If the smalle
portion is left behind, it furnishes the ger
4 for the reproduction of the disease. Now
= must be evident, that as the knife cam
. safety enter into all the tissues where u
-, cancer exists more or less cells must be Il
= nucleus of a new carcinomation. The @
: animation by microscope after an opcratio
a as recommended by some, to detect If al
= cancer cells are present, is both mpractlc
! BILE and impossible, in consequence Of u
= blood etc, present.
The theory maintained by the most Il
=, cntcd ply scians of the present day is, tn
!, cancer originates in coagulated exudatio
) formed i'm tho uS,lal way, manifesting itsc