Evening star., 1901-07-30

The Disease Is Parasitic in ORIGIN.
He SAYS.

The Disease is Parasitic in ORIGIN.
He Says.
Dr. Roswell Park. professor of surgery
In the University Of Buffalo in an inter-
view with the New York Tribune's corre-
spondent upon THE Nature Of the Cancer
Gus Process" paper he read at the last
meeting OF the American Medical Associa-
tion, said:
The parasitic or infectious theory of can
Ger Is the only one which satisfies the needs
Of both the pathologist and of the clinician
The history of absolute failure during time
past to demonstrate an intrinsic cause.
combined with accurate clinical Observa-
ton and constant contact with cases, with
study OF the disease as II occa asionally oc-
ours In endemic form, with the argument
by analogy and with recent microscopic
studies. all conSpire to stamp the disease
as due to an extrinsic cause-that is, to be
parasitic in origin. Are we now able to
go further and say that the parasites have
been discovered? For myself | do not
affirmative; that Is. l am firmly of this
opinion, based upon work done elsewhere
and especially upon that done. to my own
positive knowledge, in our own laboratory
and corroborated apparently by the inde-
pendent Investigations Of Pfeiffer, Sawt-
schenko. Sjobring. Esen and most recently
Of Max Schuler.
This Is not a question Of bacteria. 1t is
now question of organism, about which
as yet we know very little. We do not know
that koch's laws for the determination OF
the infectious nature of a given disease
are valid here, nevertheless we may still
hold to them until they are proven invalid
In our Buffalo Investigations. in almost
every instance we have found ganisms
In cancer cases. and in practically every
instance by the introduction of cultures
made from these organisms We have pro-
duced fatal results in animals. Where
we have so far failed in complying with
hOchS in H.
rection-that we are unable yet to say that
wherever we find the organism we find the
disease. We do not yet know the cancer
organism well enough to be able to identi-
fy 1t outside the human body A minute
description OF these organisms can scarcely
yet be given, but in the Buffalo laboratory
DR.. Gaylord and our staff have produced
results which afford unmistakable evidence
OF the fnfectivfty OF the disease
OF course, II is yet too soon to formulate
any conclusions regarding its treatment or
Ger must remain. as 1t always has been. a
surgical disease. / believe this general
statement can be made. that IL cancer can
be recognized early in accessible parts of
the body and be removed thoroughly, il can
be absolutely cured. Unfortunately, early
recognition is rare. and thorough removal
too infreduent Consequently we have the
present hideous picture OF the disease dis
played before the profession. For cancer
In inaccessible parts Of the body diagnosis
must necessarily be late, and operative
treatment can Dehent little. al aIi.
If, however. we can establish a parasitic
cause and cultivate a sufiicient acQuaint-
ance with the organisms at fault Il Is not
too much to hope that some agent, be II
vegetable or mineral drug or animal anti
toxin, may yet be discovered by which
the ravages Of the disease may be check
ed or prevented. Drugs are known which
destroy the protozoa that cause malaria
Let US hope that something may vet be
found. and that speedily. which may have
the same destructive effect upon the para
sites which produce cancer, without being
inimical to the~animal cells OF the human
body. Until this can be brought about
cancer Ia still surgical disease.