The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-05-12
RAvAGEs OF CANCER.
ITS INCREASE HERE AND IN
ENGLAND.

ITS INCREASE HERE AND IN
ENGLAND.
Overindulgence In Rich Food the Prin-
cipal Cause.-The United States Has
an Army Of 100000 Cancer Victims
Well.Fed People Are Victims.
The frightful increase in the ravages
made by cancer is n of the most
alarming facts Of the closing century.
Sir William M. Banks, the eminent
English surgeon, attributes the in
crease in the mortality from cancer to
overindulgence in eating rich foods.
Sir William is a cance expert of long
experience and wide repute. In the
United States, according to competent
authority, there is a vast army Of 10O,-
600 victims of cancer. The army is
increasing all the time. not only in
size, but out of proportion to the nat
ural increase of population. DR.. G.
oSSS0A NAdSSOy VI ulldOV1puld las
gathered a mass of statistics, and pub
llished an article based on them, show
ing that in seven of the largest cities
in the country-excluding Chicago,
whose records, presumably, are too re-
cent to be of value-with a combined
population Of 8,207. 464 in 1870, the ra-.
ton of deaths from cancer in that
year was 1854 to 100, 1000 living persons.
Twenty-Five years later, in 1895, in
these cities. which then had a com
bined population of 1905, 235, the ra-
ito of deaths from cancer was 66.4 to
100000 population, the ratio having
nearly doubled in a quarter of a cen
fury. If this rate of increase is main
tanned for the next ten years, DR.. Mas
sey finds that in 1910 there will be in
each city an average of 80 deaths from
cancer to 100000 population. The
greatest increase in any Of the large
cities Of America is shown by San
Francisco. Here the ratio leaped from
1875 cases in 100000 population in 1866
to 1896 in 1898. In England and
Wales the increase in the thirty-one
years from 1864 to 1895 was from 1876
to 75.5. DR.. Roswell Park Of Buffalo
predicts that eff the present rate of
increase of cancer in New York state
continues during the next ten years,
its mortality will become greater than
that of consumption, typhoid fever and
smallpox combined" Discussing the
conditions affecting the increase in
canoe cases in England Sir William
Banks notes that it is the well-nour-
ished people who fall victims. For the
past fifty years, he says, bread has
been cheap and plentiful, while during
the last twenty years the importation
of animal food from other countries
has been enormous. The increased
wages and emoluments of all classes
in this country have enabled them to
purchase freely of the best there is to
be had in the whole world of things
to eat and drink. Our working classes
fare admirably. Our better classes eat
infinitely too much-especially Of ami
NAL food partaken of at breakfast,
lunch and dinner. But for the ath-
letic tendency of the age and the gen.
eral passion for games and exercises
which pervades all classes this over
stufing must have proved very danger
Gus. / am pretty we'll convinced that
when a man is ove As years of age
excess in food is perhaps worse for
him than excess in drink. Apparently
one of the results of too much noYr-
ishing food is the production of a wide
~ spread second-rate kind Of govt of
a different type from the acute and
furious attacks produced in former
days by the copious drinking Of beer
and port wine. Moreover, I think dis
tinctly that it has also to do with the
production OF the cancerous predispo-
sition. It is curious to note that among
the very highest mortality rates for
occupations are those which include
commercial travellers, coachmen and
grooms, merchants, seamen, maltsters,
brewers, innkeepers, butchers and
plumbers. Most Of these certainly are
persons likely to eat and drink album
dainty and not take too much exer-
cise-persons who live well and do not
work of their spare products. Singu-
larly enough, medical men figure low
in the list. Certain it is that the dis
ease has not appeared to me to affect
the weakling, tea-shriveled, mummy
like old maid, or the ill-fed, more
than-half- starved drunkard, who new
Ell has any money to spend on good
food. It's most numerous victims are
well-nourfshed persons, with plenty Of
beef and fat about them. and often
with a fine, healthy color to their
cheeks. In summing up the many op-
erations I have done for cancer Of the
tongue my recollection Of the patients
is for The most part Of biggish, pow
erful men, with large, strong jaws
which were hard to saw through. The
better the nutrition and the younger
the patient the more deadly and rap
idly growing is the cancer.
Proof Of Heredity. I
"Do you believe. in heredity. Mrs.
SIMPSON, Indeed. I do; every mean
trait Bobby has I can trace right back
+o h1o FofharO ssnoao hio father he-