The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-22

What is there about injury which, by it
self, can produce at one time tuberculosis,
at another syphilitic gumma, or at yet
another cancer, save that either at the
moment it has permitted a surface or deep
injection, or that directly il has so far
changed the vulnerabiity of the tissues
as TO permit of their more easy subsection
TO minute enemies from without? Trar-
ma, therefore, must be disregarded save
as it plays subsidiary role
Inc occurrence of cancer i'm certain fam
lies and its prevalence in certain locali-
ues, especially in the so-called epidemics
OF cancer which writer's in various parts
Of the world have described. permit Of
scarcely any other explanations except the
transmission from one to another of a con-
fagium viVum. = .
1t is, of course, altogether too soon to
enter upon any detailed or systematic re-
port of results obtained. To attempt any
thing of this kind now would be prema-
ture ana unfortunate l do not want to
say this however that results obtained
already within the past six months have
peen Almost startling, or even dramatic,
ana give promise of great advance in our
knowledge in the future. In virtually
every case of cancer yet examined where
we nave had excess TO the fresh speci-
men II has been possible by improvements
IN technic, which are due to the ability
and ingenuity of DIR. Gaylord. to find
bodies which cannot be other than para
sites present in vast numbers. These are
undoubtedly the same bodies which some
observers in the time past have called cell
degenerations, others fat globules. bur
Whlch are now quite generally recognized
as parasites, though opinion is still divid-
ed as TO whether they are sporozoa or
fungi. They can now be demonstrated in
our laboratory to any one who will take
sufficient interest in the problem to come
and See for himself Their life history ia
now being carefully studied both by cul-
ture and incubation work with results
that are in some respects exceedingly sat
lsfying and in other respects exceedingly
promising. 1t will be enough for the pres
ent II l say that both cultures and inocu-
lauons have been so often successful as
to leave no doubt in the minds of those
who are doing this work that cancer is
Enthusiastically parasite, j. e., an infec-
tious disease
DR.. Park is not alone in his conviction
that cancer is rapidly on the increase. The
best English and French authorities on
the subject are agreed that the affection
is much more prevalent among their res
pective countrymen and country women
pointed out in the early nineties how rapid
was the increase of cancer cases in re-
cent decades in the Vienna general hospi-
tai Nothnagel in 1897 confirmed this re-
port for later years, and in the volume
on Intestinal Diseases lin his system of
"Specielle Pathologie and Therapie," re-
ports conversation with BIlroth just
before the great surgeons death, in which
they were agreed that the increase in the
frequency of cancer was noticeable, not
only among hospital patients and the poor
err classes, but also in their private prac-
tice and among the wealthy patients
Nothangel finds that the experience of the
last five years has only confirmed this i'm
preston.
It is evident, then, how important sub
ject the etiology of cancer is becoming.
State aid has been asked for its investi-
cation, and it is clear that the object is
an emnently proper one. a great question
Of public health, one that is every year
becoming more urgent and serious, is in
volved. If, as Prof Parks Investigations
and his copous gleanings from medical
literature all over the world seem to in
dictate, the cause of cancer is a parasite,
its discovery and the investigation of its
biological history would probably confer
upon mankind one of the greatest bless
ings that medical science could bestow The
subject is a most interesting one TO med
zeal men, and while no effort should be
shared TO make the personal observations
of every cancer case as complete as posi-
Bile so that il may be of scientific medical
value. every member of the profession
should encourage by every means in his
power the present earnest effort to m&ee
The serious investigation of the etiology OF
cancer one of, the great problems that our
Empire state shall solve for her own and
the worlds benefit.