The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-02-18
incubation For
Cancer.

There is strong hope. held out OF
curing cancer, or at least ameHorating
the condition Of cancer patients by
means of incubation, according to a
report Of DR.. Harvey r. Gaylord, d.
rector of the cancer laboratory of the
State Department of Health at Buffalo
n. Y. This happy hope is based on
extended experiments during the past
year in the incubation or vaccination
of various animals, mainly rats, with
the cancer virus. The report says.
That where the resistance of the
animal is not sufficiently awakened by
one incubation of the tumor, this re-
sistance can be heightened by repeat
ed doses, and in considerable proper
ton of cases, immunity can be raised
to a point which will bring about a
cure. 1t is needless to point out that
this process of repeated vaccination
which has cured in the proportion OF
"a to 40 in rats, might well be applied
to those cases of late cancer in human
beings in which surgery has nothing
to offer and the outlook Is hopeless.
LAS we strongly urged the legisla-
ture in previous reports, the time has
come when we should begin expert
mentation with human beings To do
so it Is necessary that a number OF
patients should be maintained for this
purpose. Funds sufficient to enable
us to mailman ten patients is the least
that can be of value to us if this work
is to he carried on.
Other Investigations of Importance
conducted by the laboratory have had
to do with the prevalence of many
forms of cancer in fish and the posi-
bility of infection by human beings.
1t has been found that cancer of the
thyroid in particular is of frequent oc-
currence in fish of the trout family
1t is a very remarkable coincidence
that the area of the United States
which includes the greatest concentra-
ton of human cancer cases is almost
identical with the area through which
the various members of the trout
family are distributed.
Statistics are given to show that
cancer continues to increase. The re-
port says that in the United States it
has increased from 9 to 100000 popu-
lation in 1850, to 43 in 1900, an aver
age Of about 65 in 1901, and an aver
age of more than 70 in 1906.
Everyone sincerely trusts that this
new discovery will serve to alleviate
the suffering thousands of cancer vic
Tins of today. Science has made a
stubborn battle for long time, but
little material progress in the cure of
the deadly affliction has resulted.
| Other human ills with their frightfuI
terrors have been conquered and the
| victims thereof made happy again.
| But cancer and tuberculosis are two
apparently irresistible foes of human
ity. They beat down with their slow
and merciless strokes thousands OF
people each year that rolls by.
No death is more horrible and pitiful
than that brought on by cancer or
consumption. Science has got to win,
Even now the march of tuberculosis
has been slightly checked through the
use of preventives. And while no eff
| IoSt1Ne eneuly W The curse OF cancer
has yet proven successful, let us hope
the report of the New York physician
is full of truth
The man who conquers cancer is
greater than any hero OF military his
tory. and the man who is first to land
a cure will receive the eternal plaudits
of thousands of helpless sufferers and
their loved ones.