The daily Alaskan., 1914-07-23
A PUZZLE
In Many of Its Phases 1t Battles
 Medical Science.
ITS CAUSES ARE NOT KNOWN.
Neither Is lt Revealed Whether ths Disease Is Hereditary or Not--In It's First Stage It Ia CurabIO-How the Malignant Growths Spread.

BlSeaSo IS HsFedlSary or Not-iH lts
 First Stage It ls CurabO-How tho Malignant Growths Spread.
 "The word cancer" says Worlds Work, though it figures largely in popular speech, is used with less and less frequency in medical literature. There is probably no word comprehen. sive enough to include all the kinds of abnormal growths to which the human frame is subject. Cancer is merely one shape in which this tendency to malfOrmatiOn manifests itself.
 "The human body in It's ideal condl. ton is a symmetrical product. It. con- sists of a multitude of parts, each de- veIoping not only with reference to It. self. but in perfect harmony with the rest of the organism. 4 subtle infu- ence. known as the power of organiza- ton, regulates this highly important matter An arm, leg, nose, a chin any organ or member which one cares to nume-does not develop independ- entity. but preserves important rela- tions with the rest of the body. Our four fingers and thumbs have constant ly in mind the rights of one another. When one reaches a certain size 1t does not keep on growing but stops. If it still went on a single finger would reach a length of several feet in life time.
 Any obscrvunt person, however, Is aware that this law is constantly viO- lated. on almost any part of the body little independent growths start into existence. These are composed of mi- mute groups of rebeIliOus cells, small colonies which for some reason ignore this law of development and start on an fudepeudent existence of their own. They serve no physiological purpose. When harmless, as they frequently are. they are merely incOnvenient blemishcs. When dangerous they end by destroying life.
 Mild manifestations of this lawless tendency are the queer formations com mouly known as warts and moles. There are other more noteworthy pro- tuberauces, such as 'wens,' that grow fncxnrcabIy, frequently upon the scalp reach certain size, and then stop, This latter growth belongs to the gen. pral class of tumors known as be- ufgn. They are benign simply because after developing sluggishly to certain n0fDt their growth is mysteriously ar rested. Between benign tumors and the most malignant cancers there IS only this difference: That the latter have the power of unlimited growth.
 "Thc true cancer, once started on its riotous career, keeps on and digs deep into healthy surrounding tissue and destroys it. until finally, for q variety of reasons. it kills the patient In some cases a benign growth which has re- maiued quicscent for years suddenly ! develops new vitality and becomes malignant. There are those who main tain. though the occurrence is certain Iv rare. that a harmless wart may sometimes develop into a genuine can | cer. The point to be brought in mind is tbat all these abnormal grOwths are related: that the snly thing that makes one malignant and another not is this | tendency to keep growing.
 "A genuine cancer in it's final stages has another development. It no long ar confines its activity to the original ] saa- but starts new cancers In other parts of the body. Certain groups of cancer cells break away from the pri' mary headquarters, escape into the blood stream and start new groWths elsewhere. This is the phenomenon known as 'generalized cancer
 Millions of dollars have been devoted to tba study of cancer and its cure, and every known scientist is wide awake 70 the study of the disease and to grasp hold of anything that may indicate a possibility of its aleyiatiOn. The 1ofpts upon which the authorities on cancer in this country agree, says the New York World, are as follows:
 Ffrst.-Cancer in it's first stage is local and is curable.
 Secoud.-The causes of cancer are not known.
 Third.-It is not known whether oI not cancer is hereditary.
 Fourth.-There is absolutely no cure i for cancer except to cut 1t out.
 Firth.-Go to a physician at the first sfgn of trouble. Preferably, be exam | ined by a physician at frequent inter vals anyhow.
 Sixth.-The idea that cancer in plants may give rise to cancer in man is fan tastic. Tumor5 are not contagious
 Seventh.-Radium does not perma
 nently cure internal cancer. It may
 check the growth for awhile, but soon
 or or later it comes back. Popular be
 lief in radium is based on the fact thai
 only the occasional cures are hearl
 from-not the failures. The failures
 outnumber the cures 100 to 1.
 A Good Sign.
 In digging out an apothecary's shol : in Pompcfi the workmen brought t' ri,bt o pCtfrp thgt confronted visitor