Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-01-01

& ByALBEaT S. GRAY, MD. II
g l..-s....-.-...-.....
lcooyrisht. 1914. BY A. $. csay'
= MORE ABOUT CANCER.
1t Is coming to be quite generally be-
| lieyed that cancer is essentially prob.
lem Of growth. II this be true, then the
search for the "cure" or for the pre-
vention Of cancer leads u inevitably
into the broad held OF biological study
Of reproduction, because, 40 Haeckel
says. Reproduction 10 nothing more
than q growth Of the organism beyond
Ito individual mass, which erects .
part into aswhole." Unfortunately. be-
cause Of this fact, there Is but little
hope Of any immediate and material
check being put on the scourge.
The prevention of cancer is clearly
matter Of individual initiative. just
~ is the prevention Of fire.
I firmly believe that any consistent
evolutionist can, after q comparatively
superficial examination of the biolog-
zeal facts pertaining to the most log
ical theory as to the cause Of cancer,
maintain himself immune not only to
that disease, but also to many other
unwholesome and distressing condi-
tions apparently closely allied thereto.
The word consistent" Is used ad-
visedly because few of US are consist
ent evolutionists. We are hyphen-
ated evolutionists. evolutionists by
profession, but not by conviction. 1t
Is the fashionable doctrine now and
we must always be In fashion and do
and think exactly as everybody else;
but down in our secret souls we cher.
ish lot Of superstitious nonsense
that makes disciplined knowledge i'm.
possible and that is a menace to the
whole world Of orderly thought. Be-
sides, 1t requires a considerable effort
deliberately to start out to achieve q
comprehensive understanding Of any
given subject, and we really haven't
the time to do that. II this were not
the real situation it Is very obvious
that most of our physical and social
Ills would speedily be corrected.
1t Ii among the poor and the under
fed in our city slums or in the inferior
producing sections Of the country that
you will find the least indications Of
race suicide" BY keeping this idea
in mind we shall not be surprised to
discover that among the highly
nourished rich families in the better
parts Of our cities and on the highly
productive soil Of the country in gen.
eral we find but few children in the
family. This Is universal biologlc
law we'll worth the consideration Of
some OF our eminent Statesmen" The
phenomenon Of decreasing birth rate
confronts every nation progressing in
we'll distributed wealth. and 1t is not
q matter to be reached by legislation.
Only starvation will correct 1t, and
conversely perfectly logical way to
exterminate the slums of our large
cities would be to feed the inhabitants.
The slums would not then swarm
with Ill nourished children" because
nature. recognizing life to be secure
from danger Of starvation, automatic
ally would reduce the number repro
dpced, just as she does in the corn
field, the flower bed, the apple orchard
or among the wild weeds of the field
or the forest.
Obviously 1t is easy now to apply
this same universal law of propagation
to the billions of individual lives that
constitute our bodies, provided we
have. trained ourselves to think
straight. From the instant OF impreg.
nation an intense cell proliferation
multiplication by division) begins and
normally continues along definite bio
logic lines to maturity. Maturity is
that state wherein the individual cells
reach the limit Of their nutrition alb.
sorbing ability, the normal reproduce
i've functions come into play and a
biological balance of the entire organ.
ism is maintained for the normal life
period Of the organism. all parts
of which are composed of stable
adult" cells. d. But il the organism
Is persistently deprived OF some
essential cell element, those starved
cells, acting under the lash of hun.
ger, rebel, and, following the law
which compels all plants and animals
to prolific reproduction in the face
OF determination, they begin to pro
'liferate again in q frantic effort to
perpetuate the species. ..
F. Nature is prodigal of life; on every
hand we see evidence of the sacrifice
OF many millions in order to perpetuate
one type. This intense proliferation,
the exact counterpart of natural evolu.
tionary law visible on every hand in
every department Of life, forms what
we call Juvenile" tissues, better
known as cancer. And it is for this
$~ ~,
CHANGES WROUGHT BY TIME.