The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-02-26
NO. 9
PLANT A CAUSE OF CANCER.

PLANT A CAUSE OF CANCER.
When was child neighbor rode
to our door on horseback. While he
was talking with my father his horse
crowded close to the porch and attempt
ed to bite some twigs of an oleander.
The man was greatly alarmed when
he saw that the animal had broken =
stalk, asked for water and washed the
horses mouth thoroughly.
My father asked the reason for his
anxiety. He said a mouthful Of the
twigs would kill the horse almost in
stantly, and told of a horse that died
in severe tremors few minutes after
eating few shoots Of the plant; also
of neighbor who pruned her oleander
plants and threw the branches into q
little pond in the barnyard. The cat
tie drank the water and died.
Some years later playmate Was
under medical treatment for an en-
largement of the throat which seemed
to threaten goitre. Her house was an
oleander bower and the blossoms were
her favorite decoration. She some
times bit the stems off if they were
too long. After months of the most
thorough treatment the swelling disap.
peared.
A young woman who was extreme.
lY fond of oleander plants kept q very
large tree in her room. One day in
midwinter she dug out portion of
the earth and filled in the space with
fresh soil from the florists in order
that her favorite might throw ont
new crop of blossoms. That night she
complained Of serious irritation Of her
throat. A few days later the glands
below the ear enlarged until they were
on a line with her cheek. For nearly
year every remedy known to medi-
cal science was tried. The swelling
at last yielded to treatment and she
permanently recovered.
Another woman transplanted and
repo;ted large number of oleanders,
becoming much wearied with her task.
She complained that night ofa curious
irritation in her throat. A swelling
came in the glands below her ear. All
remedies failed. 1t became malignant
and caused her death about six months
afterward.
Within the past year death from
cancer of the face or mouth has occur
red in household where are the lar
gest and most beautiful oleanders l
have ever seen. Yet another case is
that Of a woman of middle age whose
favorite flower was the oleander. She
kept all varieties, collecting them from
various places as she found new ones.
She had a clearly developed cancer,
took treatment for years and was, 80
the doctors assured her, entirely cur
ed. Whether any symptoms of the
disease have developed within the last
eight or ten years l am unable to
say.
l might give other instances, but
these are to my mind sufficient ground
for belief that there is some connection
between the oleander and glandular
affections of a more or less malignant
character.-NeU York Sun.
"BOOK LEARNING"
VS.. REALITY.
"Have you given up theories on the
training of your children?" he asked,
as be settled back in his easy chair
after dinner.
81 have" she replied, decided
ly.
"I've noticed that you haven't been
reading so many books on the subject
recently" be went on. "What's the
reason?"
"Why, you see, we had q series OF
lectures on the subject at the club,
and learned from them that it was
real science, requiring careful study.
So ! got copies Of several books on
education and began to fit myself for
the work of bringing up children
properly. But the authorities don't
agree"
"Don't they?"
"No, they don't; and they all go on
the theory that one has a nurscmaid
or two and governess.
"And you haven't any?"
"No, l haven't any, and SO none of
the books seemed to fit my case. Be-
sides, while l was studying the chill
dren kept getting into trouble and
hurting themselves and acquiring all
sorts of bad tricks. So I've gone back
to studying the children and have left