The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1914-04-30
Facts Cited by Scientist to
Bear Out Theory.
NERVOUSNESS is SHOWN.
Sir Thomas oliver Experimental With
Mice-AnimaIs Kept In Infected Cage
Were Attacked by the Malady Until
It Had Been Disinfected Many Times.
Chronic irritation a Cause. e..

An interesting contribution to the
discussion as to whether cancer can be
acquired by inhabiting house previ-
ously occupied by a sufferer from this
disease was made by Sir Thomas o.
liver, the noted medical expert. In a
recent lecture at Newcastle Sir Thorn
as pointed out that this question had
claimed the attention Of medical men
for long time and that references to
''cancer houses abound in medical
literature, but nothing had been con-
clusively proved.
Sir Thomas said that the evidence in
favor of the theory Of righteousness
was too strong to be ignored. He gave
instances Of several remarkable cases
in a village Of Norway which had a
population of 800 persons. There had
never been more than one case of can
Ger annually until one year there were
eight cases, which seemingly centered
around a single sufferer from that dis
ease.
Eleven Deaths In Block.
In French village of 400 inhab-
itants there had been eleven deaths
from cancer in seven years in the same
block Of houses, while three years later
there were seventeen deaths in the
same block
Sir Thomas said that LOOP houses in
Paris in which deaths from cancer Oc-
CURED are being watched. In twelve
| Of these houses there have already
| been two successive cases Of the dis
ease. There We're, he said, nineteen
| deaths in short street in an unnamed
town between the years 1893 and 1908
and in several of the houses there had
been more than one case. The circum
stances were such that these deaths
occurring in the same houses could not
| be regarded as merely a coincidence.
| The lecturer cited several striking in
| stances where more than one deatE
from cancer occurred in single house!
or even in the same rooms.
There was case of vicarage in tn
north of England, where two success
sive Wears died of cancer Anothe
was in Somersetshire, where a maj
died some time ago of this disease
Since then his wife, her second bus
band and two other occupants Of th
house have died of cancerous affec
tons.
Sir Thomas said he found furthe
confrmatory evidence Of the theory 0
"cancer houses by experiments whicl
he conducted some time ago with 81
infected mouse cage. in which b.
placed healthy mice which had bee1
collected for laboratory purposes. (
large proportion of the mice becam
cancerous until the cage had been re
.peatedly disinfected. Other mice whicl
were kept at the same time in an un
tainted cage remained healthy.
| Food as Cause Of Cancer.
Chronic irritation is the most in
portant condition which predispose
tissue to cancerous growths, accordin
to DR.. William ]. Mayo of Rocheste
Mimi, president of the American SUI
gical association.
The peculiar cancer which attack
the mouths Of natives of India, D
Mayo says, is due to the irritation 81
up by the juice of the betel nut whic
they chew. Cancer of the groin is a
most entirely confined to sailors an
chimney sweeps. Cancer of the ston
ach forms one-third of the case
among civilized people, but is less fir
quent among savages and animals.
DR.. Mayo seems inclined to blam
; the prevalence of cancer more on tt
quantity of food eaten by people
civilized countries than on its qualit