The evening times., 1899-09-20
THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER.
New Vigor in the Attempt to Check
the Advance of This Disease.
tl,o Nan N.rl- Gu.


Disease is nowadays being attacked on
every side with renewed vigor. and in most
instances with much success. The more
rational methods in the treatment of con-
sumption, which have been pursued during
the past few years, have already had the
effect of considerably checking its ravages.
Vaccination has for long taken the sting
from smallpox. Yellow fever vanishes
wherever efficient sanitary measures are
enforced, while it has been demonstrated
that typhoid fever can be completely driv-
en- out by strict attention to the laws of
hygiene generally and by insisting upon
thoroughly pure water and milk supply
There is, however, one disease which has
thus far baffled the skill of scientific men.
That is cancer. In spite of laborious re-
search cancer stilr remains a mystery, and
although at intervals within the past few
years scientists have announced that its
origin has been traced home, upon a care
full analysis of the various theories Fro
pounded it has always been found that
when put to this test they were found
wanting. The theory of parasitic origin
Is the one which appeals most forcibly to
the minds of medical men, AID the search
for the cancer germ has been, and is now,
being vigilantly and persistently carried
on.
In the mean time the truth remains that
no disease has made such rapid headway
within the past thirty years, and especially
in this country and State, as cancer. Dr.
Roswell Park, of Buffalo, one of the most
distinguished authorities on the subject
declares that the disease is progressing
at SO rapid rate that if it continues it
will cause more deaths in the State Of
New York than consumption, smallpox, and
typhoid fever combined. In thirty years
the deaths per 1000, due to cancer, have
almost trebled in the United States, and
during the same period nearly doubled
in Great Britain. Mr.. W. Roger Williams,
in the Lancet Of August 20, 1898, shows
that in 1910 cancer caused 2,786 deaths,
the proportion being one in 5,646 of the
total population, and one in 129 of the
total mortality. In this country statisti-
clans have endeavored to explain away
this increase in the mortality from cancer
as misleading, and assume that the in
crease is.only apparent, and is due to
improved methods in detecting the disease,
but even II this to a certain extent be so
the increase has been too rapid for this
explanation to cover the whole ground
Fortunately, there is bright side to
this dark picture. In this State, DR.. Ros-
well Parks statement on the subject has
aroused the authorities, and already a
laboratory has been established and equip
ped at the expense of the State for the
purpose of studying cancer and placed IN
der the direction Of DIR. Park. In Great
Britain, the literature, both lay and med
ical, bearing on the question is voluminous,
and the Government Of that country has
recently decided to send bacteriologist to
Buffalo in order to inspect the new labora-
tory as well as to gain fresh ideas. Thus
1t would seem that the fight against can
Ger promises to be as snergetically waged
as that against CONSUMPTION. and there is