Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-06-03
RAvAaEs OF CANCER.

DR.. Roswell Park, of Bufff'o, while
delivering an address in Berlin this week
made IN allusion to the prevs 'ence of
cancer which has either been misunder-
stood or inaccprately reported. He is
represented as having said that cancer
is almost as common in the Unit1d
States as tuberculosis. This is a matter
TO which DIR. Park has gwen much at
teption for years, and he has made
special study of the condi-.oIs in New
York State, which IS supposed to lie in
what is called the "cancer belt" Hence
it does not seem crGdible that he in
tends to convey the impression which
one would derive ON the language inn
puted to him.
1t appears from the statistics of the
State Board OF Health for 1903, for in
stance, that the total number of deaths
last year from cancer in New York was
1856, while the mortality was consider
ably greater ON each of seven O'1er
diseases, not counting accidents, vio-
lence and unclassifed maladies. "Acute
respiratory disorders" among which
pneumonia doubtless holds the chief
place, are credited with II, 3S9 deaths and
tuberculosis with 13, 1874. From the
same source of information, however,
one learns that there has been COM
palatively little fuctuation of late in
The havoc from most of these causes,
but that cancer is on the increase.
The deaths in 1903 due to cancer
exceeded those of 1902 by nearly 500,
and exceed the average for the pre-
vious five years by 6S4. These 6g-
ures show, therefore, that the r'Se
in mortality from cancer, to which
DIR. PAX called attention in toe page
of the meC y pape,s five years ago,
still continues. He 'Ien predicted that
if it was maintained lor : enough cancer
would rival tuberculosis. That time h2s
not vet arrived, but ne steady increase
for more than decade certainly justlfeS
un, asiness. A .er |, it is re ratio
that tells the stO-. =.
Corroboraliye ,fmony WIS offered
by DIR. Fro TX G. ClemOw, in s"Ge1g-
raphv D sease," wi 'ch appeared last
year. He was disposed TO Xxx that to
a limited extent, possibly, the gf n was
apparent rather than real. la some
measure it might perhaps be attributed
to differences in I agnosis and res ,stra-
ton between ear er and later periods,
but it did not sc IN probable to him that
any such explanation Idld - y ac
count for the increase. The phenome
pon bed been observed in several Euro
pean countries. 1t was especially not
able in the United Kingdom. Still, the
most conspicuous rise, he declared, was
on this side of the Atlantic. AS 10 the
ma n fact, there.C-e, ''Iere can be little
question. 1t has been recognized toe
long and too widely to a Init of mistaE Ee'
! NJ, dical men have at least two reasons
for regarding this 81 alton with peculiar
dismay. No altogether satisfactory meth
cd o. treatment for cancer has yet beer
found. In few cases Roentaeh ray
have afforded relief. Perhaps radiun
viii some day prove helplLl. Surgerl
is the most efficacious resource, but 1t j
not always practicable, nor does it in
variably preclude retr j OF the f-ouble
The wisest and most s. 'lful members
the pfofes ion are almost powerless Il
fight csncer. Again, the exsct cause
this diseas -Jr 10 speak more accurate
. ly, this group OF { seases-has not ye
been determine !. Every few month
! the alleged discovery Of the cancer germ
5 is announced. The men who hav
t been engaged in the hunt and who hay
. thought that they had achieved sue
J. cess have often had a h'gh standing
One of them, DR.. Gaylord, is a fello'
townsman of DR.. Park. Another is d.
Schmidt, one of the advisers of the En-
peror of Gel many. In none of these IL
J. stances. however, has the demonstrate
been complete and convincing. An o
c ganism may be found which is almo
= always an accompaniment OF the oil
5, eased tissue under examination.
h will not meet all the logical Requirement
, II prescribed long ago by Koch, thougl
a unless it be separated from the huma
IS system, independently cultivated an
D. then employed TO transmit disease to
- healthy animal. As final proof OF th'
- kind is still lacking, it is too soon
- place confidence in any Of these claim
Eventually, it is reasonable to hop
the mysteries Of cancer will be reveal'
and an effective method of warfare W
be found, but today the doctors a
sadly in the dark. - New York Tribun