Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-05-15
Cancer Cares and Caacer-Curers.


The discovery OF cancer cures" began in
the last century. and has been pursued with
unremtiing industry to the present day. Pre-.
tenders to the possession Of a specific can
even now get wealth by liberAlly advertising
in religious weeklies, but 80 aud 100 years
ago they got fame aud honor also. The can
Ger curers have been the most numerous Of
all quAcks
In the latter part OF the 18th century there
we're two famous men OF this class in London,
named Plunkett and Guy. They "cuTed"
cancer by the application OF a paste, known
a. "PlnDkett's Poultice." Lord Bolingbroks,
who had cancer Of the face, was one of the
victims, his death being hAstened by this
poultice. Plunkett, who seems to have him
self believed in his remedy, finally published
the formula, which is as follows Crows
foot handful; dog fennel, sprga, well
pounded crude birthstone, middlirg thin
blefuls white arsenic, same quantity. NIX,
make into balls the size OF 4 nutmeg and dry
in the sun.
The successors in London to Plunkett and
Guy were DIR. Paitison and DR.. Fell men who
We are sorry to say, fourished as doctors by
virtue OF American diplomas. These men
also used an external application, the basis Of
which was chloride OF zinc. To this DIR. Fell
added sanguinaria. During this period spe-
CluC AuONu hb AloIu cure was hlhO
extensively used. 1t consisted of q corrosive
sublimRte wash and An Arsenical powder. In
1857 Spencer Wells showed the inutility OF
the methods of a clerical caneer-curer known
as Rev. Mr.. Reed. This gentleman made
large sums OF money by his pretended RENE
dy, which seems TO have consisted mainly in
the forcing Of chlorine gas against the tumor.
But the prince OF cancer-curers Of all ages
was LandOl6, of Naples. Flourishing about
80 or 40 years ago, he practiced his method
not only throughout Italy, but in Paris, vi
enna and other capitals Of Europe. He was
knighted by the Italian government, and re-
oeived the order Of the Red Eagle from Prus-
sia. He claimed to have cured 1000 out OF
1000 cases, prince OF Prussia and the duch-
ess OF Anhslt. Cohen being among his grateful
patients. He used chiefly q substance known
as "Landoli's Paste" which was composed
of equal parts OF chloride OF zinc, chloride OF
bromine, chloride OF gold and chloride of an-
timony.
After the paste had destroyed the tumor,
he applied lettuce poultices He also gave
the bromine chloride internally. II must be
said of Landolh, az OF some other cancer
quacks, that he apparently believed in his
remedy, and showed . willingness to have the
faculty try its efficacy. When careful tests
were made, however, it was shown TO have
| tic applications.
Turning now to the efforts OF regular ply
sicians to find some remedy for cancer, we
| find that the juice OF the hemlock, bslladon-
ma leaves, poke weed, pulverized verrucR equi-
nls and strangle-weed were in the last century
credited with wonderful curative powers In
late years the use of poke-weed (phytolAcca)
and hemlock has been revived. The virtues
of arsenic and zinc we're known long before
| the London quacks utilized them. In the
history of cancer therapeutics for the present
century we find q long and curious list Of
drugs and other measures that have been put
thooorton, juice of mAncenillier, thuys occi-
dentals (aTbor vite), smilaI, ergotine, house.
leek, tar, pipsissewa, cundurango, and Ohian
turpentine are among the vegetable remedies
recommended for internal and external use.
Arsenic aluminium, iodine, the bromides sui
phur, iron, corrosive sublimAte, acetic, citriC
and carbolic acids, chloral chronic acid, the
zinc salts and caustio potash have all had theiI
| virtues eItOlled.
Among methods of cure, the congelatior
| process of Arnott deserves oOmmendation
Rubbing, friction and compression are usefu
measures in some forms of cancer. Boyle re
ports II cases out of 127 cured by compress
sion. Carrot poultices, introduced by Sultzel
in 1860 and revived by Marsden, are spoken
we'll of by some authorities. The use OF eth
or the carbonate or oxyphosphate of iron, the
internal and external use of arsenic, the in
lection of acetic acid according to the method
of BroAdbent, are among the best measures
recognized as Of utility in the treatment o.
cancer. Spencer Wells believes that bromid,
of potassium aud cod liver oil are the two
best things TO be employed but he also speak
highly of iodine, iron, and especially of thu
iOdide Of arsenic.
Despite all, we are no nearer curing cance
than We were 100 years ago. We can post
pone death, relieve suffering and make lif,
more tolerable. In q small per cent of oase
the knife removes the disease permanently
aud to the knife belongs, 30 far, the chief tri
umphs in the therapeutics of carcinoma.
Cancer is a dathetio disease, and speoih,
for ii will probably never be found. The bes
hopes for the future lie in discovering tht
causes OF the development of the dread dis
ease and in preventing its appearance. Mean
while cancer quaoks will thrive, because maj
wants to live, because hope will not die, ant
because the diagnosis of cancerine from Othe
tumors is not always easy Most cases of ul
oerating cancers" cured by quaoks have beel
cases of syphilis, while the other 'cures" ar
cases of non malignant tumor.