Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-06-18
CAUSE OF CANCER

An appeal is made for e100.OO SO
that continuous investigation 81
cancer. costing E3U00 a year, may be
carried on. About 100000 has alrea.
dy been promised.
A Medical Correspondent Of The
London Times. in an article on this
subject, expresses the opinion that the
work In the immediate future will he
turned to settling the great question
whether the disease, in all or any OF
its forms, is due to me growth of a
minute organism in the part affected.
Many profound difficulties must be ov.
ercome before this doctrine can be
either universally accepted or univer.
sally rejected by pathologists.
For present practical purposes. we
must bear In mind two things. First,
we may be sure that the secret rene.
dies, quaCk medicines and the like
cures for the disease are at best en-.
tirely useless, and often seriously
harmful; and that to prescribe for the
cure of cancer stun like Matters fluids
and Adam microbe killer is to prac-
tice on human Credulity. Next, we
may be sure that, ii only all cases of
the disease were at once subjected to
operation in the very first stage a
very considerable number of them
would be absolutely and permanently
cured. II Is the freedom from pain the
apparent inslgnif!cance OF the disease
at first. that cause the delay till II Is
too late for surgery to be successful
once and for ever.
The same writer says:
There Is some reason to believe that
q tendency or predispOsltIon to the
disease may be transmitted by inheri
lance; but this belief must be qualified
by a great quantity of evidence as to
the geographical dlstrtbntion of the
disease. The charts and statistics If
the disease seem to show that 1t Is in
some way related to the soil. and that
1t prefers clay and aluvial deposits tc
gravel and elevated land.
Further, there Is evidence, not vo.
luminous at present, but not to be dis.
regarded altogether that 1t may occur
with especial frequency among tho
occupants OF particular village. or OF
particular group Of houses; and It
has been supposed that the water sup.
ply may be in some way concerned
with this strange visitation.
But the doctrines that emphasize
the influence of environment must be
checked by the other facts of the dis.
ease; for example, by the fact that L
may follow an injury. and by the fact
that II may appear as the final stage
of slight chronic irritation of the skin
or mucous membrane, and by the fact
that 1t has many affinities with dis.
eases that have nothing to do with en-.
vironment.
Though the disease, In the vast ma.
Jority OF cases shows no power of ret.
recession or Of natural cure. and Is not
altered by any medical treatment, yet
a few cases have been recorded, II
may be less than one in a thousand.
where the disease has at last tended
at least Tor time, to get well of It,
self" These cases are so infinitely
rare that they give no guidance to
practice, and no sure help to science;
only II Is possible that they may In the
end, be brought into line with those re.
searches in immunity and immuniza
tion that have done so much good in
the treatment and the prevention Of
certain infective diseases.
There is some evidence, and there
may be more to come, that the course
Of the disease In one Of its many forms
is or may he influenced by the action
Of other organs of the body that are
remote from the seat of the disease;
and that this action is probably part
of the natural chemistry of the healthy
body.