The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-02

Energetic Search Into It's Origin n
Nature-Enorts TO Discover Means
for its Prevention or Cure.

The origin and nature OF cancer with
q view TO the discovery OF "a for
its prevention or cure. are being stud
led at this time with unprecedented
t~horoughness and care. and while
success has not yet been achieved,
some results Of promise and import
ance have been attained. II Is said
ward the solution Of a problem which
that more has been accomplished to-
has heretofore bafied the medica.
science Of the world during the last
two years and a half than in all the
preceding quarter of a century, and
conservative students and observers
are confident that the light Is break
Ing and that in a relatively brief
period the mastery Of this dread cis-
ease will be accomplished. In the
meanwhile some points Of an encour-
aging character have been determined
with degree C. certainty.
It has for one thing been ascertain
ed that there is no good reason for
believing that the occurrence Of the
malady Is increasing in frequency. This
has frequently been asserted by men
~ SEohS "AN4A SSAAAG "a ~ -
their statement is now declared ID be
inaccurate. 1t is based upon statistics
which examination has proved TO be
untrustwortky, and 1t Is now the bet
ter opinion, Of the highly train
ed experts who are carrying on
the studies of the London i'm
perial fund, hat lance Is no more
prevalent today than it has ever been.
The contrary impression is attribute
BILE to the fact that cases Of IL are
more generally reported than they
were years ago, and also, that i'm
proved methods of diagnosis detect
Its development under circumstances
when it would formerly have escaped
detection. The reiterated assertion
that the disease was rapidly becoming
more common has disagreeably i'm
pressed the public mind. 1t is a relief
to be assured that the contrary is
true.
Another point which has been pretty
we'll if not absolutely settled relates
! to the question of heredity. There are
probably few families in which some
case Of cancer has not occurred more
or less remotely. The circumstance
Is usually as far as possible concealed,
but to many of those who become
aware of it the anxiety which it occa-
stoned is none the less distressing be-
cause it is likely not to be disclosed.
They worry about the possibility OF
their meeting the same fate as some
or other of their relatives, and
this is the very worst thing they
could do. The whole subject is SO OBJ
| scure that on hesftates to speak OF
any phase of it with any assurance,
but the observation that the occur
| renee of cancer is often connected with
| prolonged mental anxiety may NOT be
! without some significance. 1t is there
! fore gratifying TO note that the re-
| searches of the imperial fund, while
not absolutely disproving, very seri-
| ously discredit the prevailing belief
| about the hereditary nature Of the af-
Fiction.
They are also ~reassuring in a third
| direction. They show that the disease
, is not in the slightest degree infec-
| tious. 1t can be communicated from
| one person TO another, but only by
means of a surgical operation OF the
utmost delicacy and difficulty, and so
[ for all practical purposes it is no more
| infectious than govt. This means n a
a patient may be visited without he
least risk and there are many to
whom this will be welcome informa-
ton. These are all valuable discov-
, cries and it may fairly be !Supposed
that they will lead to others. Already
the Investigators are on the verge OF
the great secret. That they will pres
entity apprehend it need o be
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Inquirer.