The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02
THE SPREAD OF CANCER.
4 Further STUDY INTO rs FIRE
OUENCY AND NATURE
Roswell rark, VI. D., vt Buffalo. y. ", Pro-
lessor NJ surgery in the Medical Depart
m-nt OF the University of Buffalo. De-
srrihes It rs Parasitic, y on-Heritnhle Per-
hapS Contagious aud Certainly Increasing

~" '' N'Af H''"H
The object Of this paper * threeto'i; First,
t. emit hasize the ever.inrrcaSinE mortality
ratr in this state from cancer. secondly, 70
cpitDnisr some IT the more recent studios IN
rcgar! 20 u "tiOlpgy. and especially the arSu-
mruts whIch Point more and moro toward It's
parasitic origin; thirdly. to bring to YOUR no.
tee the work already done and III prospect b"
the new laboratory started under the auspices
II this state and located in BntIaio.
With regard TO the Increasing mortality rate.
it would consume too much OF yuur time II !
were 20 read tables which have been carefully
rrerarrd from the returns OF the state Boar't
OF Health. but ,he principal facts brought out
can be briefly laid before YOU.
Those tables show with regard to another
disease whose cause used to be- equally I'M
known that since the discovery Of tn" peculiar
organism to which it is due its mortality rate
has steadily declined. | alludc. OF course. 10
consumption. Since its cause has been known
Intelligent and properly directed efforts have
produced a very marked decrease in is
ravages. On the other hand. the death rate
from cancer is steadily increasing. not alone in
New York state. but apparently in all parts Of
the world. There is, furthermore. every rea-
son to INFER that this increase will undoubtedly
continue urtil its minute causes are positively
determined.
So far "a we have been able to learn. cancer
is now the only disease which ia steadily
upon the increase. In England and Wales.
for instance. where most careful statis-
ties are kept. the cancer death rate has
risen from l in 1916 OF population In 1910
to | in every 1905 OF population In 1896:
that is. in fifty years the proportion has in
creased nearly Ave times. All over this coun-
try the increase is quite as alarmirg g. while the
figures pertaining especially to our own state
are equally significant and quite incom patible
with its increase in population. Thus. for in
stance. in 1887 there were in this State 2.SS3
deaths from cancer and 1l.GH from consump-
ton. In lStS there we're 1856 deaths from
cancer and only 1852 from consumption.
This increase in cancer mortality Is certain
ly not due - improvements in methods Of
diagnosis. but rather the reverse IL the
case. since many cases which were formerly
diagnosed as cancer are now properly clas-
sided where they belong in other lists. In none
OF ths other d seases tabulated ~ the state
board OF Health. nor In any Government re-
ports, has there been such an immense ia,
tabulat.d which shows a progressive aud
steady Increment by. months and by years.
4 careful study Of all these tables permits
one 70 make tn" following startling prophecy:
II during the next ten years the relative 'eath
ears from now. Viz. in lHO8. there Will be
more deaths in New York State from caucer
than from, consumption. smallpox and typhoid
1t IS most interesting. again. to see how can
cc.r i particularly prevalent IN certain regions,
cal officer OF Bath. England. who has found
that in his territory cancer is 80 per cent. more
graphical and STATISTICAL study q recent time!
the tsuirnG,G6 t,r BiEtsrIoGg,s for Uses.
which r~ertain- To- the Hide town Of Luckau. IN
ysars there have been seyInty-three Deaths
from cancer IN an area roverrd by tw1 or three
city, -9Ha!Gio n o a, R msng as n1d io Wn. 5st tn iE .4a !, II
has assumed the proE1rt!hns ana the ImIIr-
given the careful consideration D; all who are
interested IN this study. though. I? BE- sure.
similar endemic. appearances OF the disease
have been noted in other parts Of the world,
and n miIn"r f1rm may be said 10 have almost
p~-ovs.e4 in ,!me rast in certain localities IN
t~ionaliv PREVALENT. Prn' ably il is not necessary
t. do more than - rehearse these very brief
sart- IN order - bring wildly To ynvr miGls
TINS great and increasing source o. GlnSer -
II IS p".-tht. 70 sweep aside. with one or Two
a. Tii,na,.on Of 'hf. disease The ~ the
ortA- ~ irritation. ot p-rvertct nerv" ~''-t.ee.
O. heyed y. &c cannot for a m',nrgr sth"! in
view OF the .H4rrhing s"'e0-.tl' meth is J''n.
thar W" kn5w ,ha, &c j. act a. they do in pr.
Gur.H- n" t.-"a1e either as m" rc,llr o. some
"yterual or, internal. stimulus. Inc e1ac-
tauly lAmrnstraten. though things on.
NOR" aGi more ,townr! II parasitic. T. ?. -
anal"g,~- betwe,n ,anr"r and other Diseases
which are snown TO be infectious :ha, these
alone Should be enough Of themselves O. al
tons - IN" MICROSCOPE and the .n,iuZs OF m"
f]f4Sctti"n il must be acknHwrodced that. as a RUS.
II = tx 'railngiv slow. This. however. zoos not
proven, ~ from accepting such tlsoas4s A.
snntial m re parasitic We know very we'll
that Injections vary within the widest lin
g.. 10, ,h.t- pfnns|ty and r.,iyirr ~ a,.F-n
sub a. yellow, fever. cholera and the Ike.
qnircj. ike typhoid fever. or those which orti-
Marty are much slower YET, like tuberculosis
asaatnstt h" tn1t~Gtt@u,s nature q cancer based
Siinr y On the time limit. We know now that
Wn rGsi lon 10 j. il hI may .g" be. and ' we En i"S h ,he
sam" hing ~ be- true OF cancer. But anything
which r",nts 10 = iirsct 'nncHiaai"n from 2ne
whether recently observed or a thousand years
Further analogy Is found in the undoubted
canNnvia u iti later stages. or lot Us
,ay The more pronoqrced staG's. Of
W. rarely get from any conditions saw" IN"
genuine infections, Tie supposed tntimat"
]re,ation which injury bears 10 cancer is u no
rjnicians. amt even the Psychologists. used TO
plare:-o much stress IN tuherru,osis There
.au-c Of most tutercu!a FONT LESSONS - pre-
vi2ps injury ~ some charart"r. and th"r" are
| ~'llt 'l'F~'- IL l'fh VI q NliH llNl IIf-
caanica' 'al-e NJ cancer in virtually every
,a-" What is there abont injury which. by
itself. car produce n one time tuberculosis. A.
arothAr syrhli1tIc gumma. or a. vet another
c.ucrr, save that either at the moment II has
p"rmitrei a surface or deep Infection. or that
4 irrcrly y has So ar changed the Tuln"rlbiilty
Of m" TISSUES a. 10 permit 81 their more easy
4uhInrtion 10 minute enemies from without ,
Trauna. therefore, must be disregarded save
a. = IlayS a subsidiary role.
tn" occurrence II cancer in certain families
and It's Ir"va.anre IN certain localities. esTe-
cia!ly IN the so-cailei "ptiemics ~ cancer
which writers in various. parts ~ the world
have. deScrlhai. permit OF scarcely any other
nNp,anatI'u except H." transmission from one
To another II a "uH'r y'Ur1 rirlGI,
II il, - course. altogether too soon 10 enter
upon any detailed IT systematic report ~
KIND now wrnId b.. rrnmlturr aud inform
Hl'". / TO- wa2ttp say trls. however. THAT r"-
suits obtained already within th" past six
months have h""n almost Startling. or even
iramarc an! give pr"ulls" 81 great advance
il our En0wledga In u" future In virtually
every raS" Of cancer yet examined where We
have had access 10 III" fresh specimen II has
DHHu possible ny improvements IN tachu!c.
which mr.. iun 10 rho aUiIirv and ingenuity VI
r. - =. Al 1 IL -. \,