The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-07


y thrown upon the cancer
problem-the greatest. and
at the same time the most appal
Ting. mystery in the pathologic an.
mails OF the human race.
The fact has been established be-
ycnd doubt by the scientists OF the
United States Department OF Agri-
culture that cancer III plants Is
caused by germ. Furthermore,
the germ has been identified. IL
has been seen, under the micro
scope, al woIk. 1t has been photo
graphed. and it has been bred art-
hcially on agar Jelly and other
substances.
The value OF the discovery Hes
In the fact that cancer in plants
and in human beings seems 10 be
substantially the same thing.
structurally they are alike. and In
their mode Of growth there Is 40
pereentibse difference In both
cases tie cancer IS development
OF cells gone crazy, which act as
devouring parasite.
For more than quarter of a
century the cancer problem has oe-
capied the attention Of patholo-
gists all over tae world. Every
capital in Europe has its cancer lab
oratory, and the subject has been
rersistently attacked from every
possible sida-~without. alas, any
result worth mentioning. Medical
science knows no more about the
cause OF cancer Today than 1t did
& thousand years ago. Despite
ever. effort made TO conquer tns
malady, 1T is steadily claiming a
greater number Of victims. 1t In
the only disease that Is on the in
crease Dr. Roswell Park, the mos.
-au!aea*-.A American authority. says
that ii IL is not checked. It will be-
fare long kill more people In tais
country than consumption and IT,
phoid combined Last year II took
more than 10000 lives i'll tue United
States.
What the experts have been try
ing most earnestly to do ~ 20 find
q germ responsible for human can
Ger. In tals quest, however. they
have altogether failed: aad, az re-
suit. most OF them have fallen back
upou a very remarkable theory
namely. that there Ia no germ. and
that the cancer cell itself Is the
destroying parasite, 4 group OK
natural cells. according to this
theory, undertakes 70 rebel ana
proceeds to grow at the expense OF
the body. which 1t devours
Some supporters OF this theory
heiieve tlas the destined victim OF
cancer is actually born with the
seeds Of the mdlady. so 10 speak, In
his system. A human being. to
start with. is single cell. which
multinlies to form various struct~
ures Certain OF the cells thus pro-
dnced 20 10 make skin, others to
form bone and 80 on. But now and
then IL happens according to the
theoryl that few skin cells md
their way into the cartilage or some
hong calls into the structure OF a
Gland II. lafer In life. some cause
starts them To growing on their own
arrhffhy they aasasGss Jise~eha Eacfss q
Of a PARASITE and cause cancer.
R,t il must be observed. In the
AIRS, Mace, that this is theory pure
and absolute. Secondly. resort 10
had TO II for no other reason than
heranse a germ has not been found
Once discover cancer germ ana
inc whole OF this ingenious struct-
ure of surulise ais to pieces ike
house OF cards because 1t pos
sesses practically no substantial
support In the way Of proven facts
IL there he a germ. however, why
has II not been discovered? The
same question has hitherto been
asked with regard to plant cancer,
which. though paInstakingly studied
for the sake OF the light II might
throw upor human cancer. was I'M
IN Recently declared In most positive
terms TO be growth not due 70
any specific organism NO germ
vas found: therefore none existed.
Nevertheless. the investigators were
mistaken. for there is germ, anu
It has been identified by two sclen.
fists employed in the Department OF
Agriculture. Drs Erwin +. smith
and G. o. Townsend. Furthermore.
thew have proved their case by using
fine micrope to reproduce the dis
ease in healthy plants. The method
of doing this IL simply one OF inocu-
Iation by pricking the healthy plant
With a platinum needle previously
dipped in culture OF the germ.
Experiments are being made to
sroc,,late rats with the germ OF
Miami cancer. II this can be accom-
nIished. II will be an important step
coward proving that cancer In hu-
man beings is caused by germ
and not merely by disordered cell
growth.
The cause of cancer in plants Is
hacterium--a rod-shaped organ
tam. rounded at the ends. and pro-
ytded With an appendage called
..0avcllum, which enables II 70
-irxIs. II u exceedingly minuts.