Evening star., 1885-07-23
GEN. GRANTS FATAL MALADY.
Other Distinguished Men Who Have
Been Killed by Cancer-TObaccO as
an Exciting Cause.

The disease with which Gen eral Grant is suf
fering is one that physicians have never quite
comprehended. It has eaten away the lives of
many distinguished men, and filled their last
hours With agony. Napoleon the First died of
q cancer OF the stomach after great suffering,
and 1t was not until after his death that it was
known what had been his disease Another fa-
nous character in history who died of cancer of
the stomach was Judge Jeffries, whose dispo
sition and deeds are so well described by Ma
caulay. The sufferngs of the late Senator Ben.
Hill, of Georgia, with cancer of the tongue, is a
lamilar ai, TACT to all newspaper readers. A cam
Ger casually observed does not differ in appear
ance from harmless tumor. and, before its de-
veiopment, is essentially local affection, but
later becomes disseminated thr ,ughout the
cerous tumor. which had previously given the
patient no pain, distress annoyance may
suddenly pass from this quiescent state into one
come invaded and in time the neighhoring
lymplatlc glands enlarge and harden. The dis
case mas then passed beyond its local stage. Be-
fore this time, II the surgeon have an opportu-
NIFTY, the disease may be removed with little
chance OF its return.
a famous English surgeon says the principal
0luerence between II cancerOuS and any other
tumlr, pathologically. Is in the predominance
OF cell elements in the malignant growth, and
that the more those elements apprOac ch a GER
tain type, the epithelial, they Increase proba-
blllfy OF cancer. Certain forms of cancer are
made up almost entirely Of cells and nuclei and
these constitute the most virulent tyDe So fa r
as physical appearances are concerned the So
called innocent tumors approach SO nearly the
malignant or cancerous that only the history
difference. This fact has led many persons to
suppose that they have been cured of cancer by
cancer specialists when perhaps the tumor
was a perfectly benign one.
Cancers are frequently brought ON by local in
jury: this is the most common cause tor the
a ease ann young people: The disease is,
that one out OF every thl ee cases that have come
to his notice has been transmitted There are
six varieties OF the cancer known, the hard or
scirrhus the soft or medulary, the open and
bleeding, the skin and allied cancers and final.
ly. the bone Or OSteOid.
The sci rhus or soft are the most common and
viruient kind. The epitheiaI cancer, or epith-
elloma, are terms given to form Of cancer
Which is similar in structure to the elements of
natural skin.
Gen. Grant suffers from an epithelial cam
Ger, which made its appearance in the region of
the root of the tongue. This form of cancer is
that 1t makes its appearance in the skin or mu-
co,iS membrane, and may have its origin in a
wart or tubercle. When il commences tO spread
1T does so with the greatest rapidity, so that in
q comparatively short time it endangers life.
II will invade every tissue and form deep. ex-
cavated sores 1t Is very commonly found
affecting the lower lip, especially in irish day
bnrs AND r,a,es ,b snft n Gaay pre which
place. Here all three causes combine to pro-
duce bad result-pressure, heat and an irri-
tant Tobacco alone will not produce cancer, it
only act, as an exciting cause in cases where a
Constitutional tendency to the disease exists
A proof of this is found in the fact that the
greatest number of cases, and those of the
most viTuent nature, are met with in females
These cancers can be treated effectively only
In their early stages, before they become dis
seinlnated through the system. The knife is
iieaAently used in their treatment, or in it's
stead the galvano-cautery, cautic agent or
pressure. In cases where il is applicable, the
knife is preferred by the best surgeons. In
operating the entire mass is removed. as any
remaining cancerous tissue will cause a repro
duction. In cases where owing to the location
of the disease, or from other causes, a cure can
not be brought about much can be done to
afford relief to the patient by the intelligent
surgeon.
The vegetable and mineral world have been
searched through, and anaiyzed and sifted out
by scientists, but they have ueen unable to find
any curative for cancer. There can be none but
surgical treatment for it.