The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-06-28
THE EMrERoR's DISEASE.
An Austin Physician on DR.
Mackenzie's Position.
To the Editor of the Statesman.

l.
To the Editor of the Statesman.
In the course of your remarks in last
Tuesdays STATESMAN upon Doctor Mac
kenzie's failure TO diagnose cancer in the
case of the late emperor of Germany you
intimated a belief, as do most of the
laity, in "cell" which is peculiar to
cancer and which an experienced micro
pist could detect readily, making the
diagnosis of cancer quite certain in every
case.
As n after of public interest permit
me to state that much over a quarter of O
century ago the "pathognomonic cancer
cell" was promulgated, and since that
time the scientific world has been busy
trying to correct the mistake. There is
no cell peculiar to cancer. There is,
however, certain grouping Of embryonic
cell elements of epithelial character that
very much corroborates other evil
dence. Epithelial cells predominant In
cancer and sometimes, not always, by
pressure they take on a peculiar shape in
the alveoli. These cells so grouped and
shaped, if found lying in a stroma formed
of connective tissue more or less altered,
together with other clinical evidence, may
be looked upon "a almost positive proof
of cancer. A cancer is an atypical growth
but all atypical growths are not cancers.
Something more must be added; there
must be the capacity for unlimited growth
by cell proliferation, for invading and de-
stroying adjacent structures, and in this
power of growth and destruction there
must be the popularity of incorporation.
A cancer is never encysted. Watching
the growth, the tendency is noticeable to
become multiple by metastasis; the poison
to travel along the lymph or blood chan
nels and reproduce the parent tumor and
to recur in loco after extlrpatiOn.
The heredity and constitutionality of
cancer are st II unsettled.
The great difficulty IN the way of OBJ
tanning exact knowledge of this disease
lies in the fact that the anatomical struc-
lures of which it is composed are SO com
plicated and change able under the vari-
Gus stages of the Inflammation that CLASH
tication is simply impossible with our
present knowledge.
The microscope is invaluable in arriving
at a diagnosis in doubtful cases, but it
must be stated that the use of this instru-
ment, together with all other means known
to the physician, cannot with absolute
certainty make a diagnosis in every case.
This opinion is from the best authority
ON the subject If to have a cancer we're
a crime, no court of justice could convict
upon such evidence as the medical pro-
fession is able at the present time to
furnish.
The malignapcy of this dreadful
disease is largely dependent upon its
locality IN. the body and the resistant
forces of the patient. If the cancer is
located in the softer and more vascular
tissues, as the throat, the growth and
destructive processes are much more
rapid and the chances for cure much less,
in fact, none at all.
1t is unfortunate that differences of
opinion should arise, but it is not unex-
pected when one remembers the great
difficulties in the way of being certain
about the disease, and then physloians are
only human beings after all. One thing
about which all are agreed, viz, the
treatment: Extirpation in all cases
where the locality of the disease makes
it possible. This should be done at the
earliest moment of diagnosis, and in
case of doubtful diagnosis the patient
should be given the benefit of the doubt
and the tumor removed, provided the risk
of the operation was no greater than allow
ing the tumor to remain. Statistics chow
good per cent of recoveries by thus re-
moving the disease early. There are no
recoveries without it. 1t is truly unfor-
tunate that the public receive so much of
their medical education from advertising
literature, such as almanacs and circulars
from "cancer doctors"
One OF THE PROFESSION.