The Prescott daily news., 1915-06-05
FIRE IN THE HOUSE WE LIVE IN

Not so many years ago when in-
 terest in personal and public hygiene
 began to be more general, the elemen-
 tary facts about the structure and
 care of the human body were set
 forth in lectures and books about
 "The House We Live h." A more
 sophisticated and perhaps a more eff ticent generation is now inclined to laugh at the somewhat sentimental methods of those earlier years. There
 IS, however, one respect in which the
 comparison between the house and
 the body can still be emphasized with profit. Cancer attacks the human sys-
 tew much as fire does a house. In
 respect to orgin, spread and the right way to stop the damage there is con. siderable similarity.
 A fire in most cases starts in one small corner of the house. Whatever
 the cause, if not caught in time it will spread from this little spot throughout the entire structure, con- suming as it goes. Exactly so with cancer; from small often times scarcely noticeable beginning it
 spreads through the body At the
 start 1t is just as preventabe as the fire Is at the first sign of smoke. Dis covering a smoulderino rag in the
 basement, one keeps a cool head, steps
 on 1t with courage and the danger is all over. But leave it alone until it
 bursts into flame and spreads and then
 the whole fire department with all it's apparatus and skill cannot put it out.
 It is not otherwise with cancer.
 The inspectors that come around to
 look at the ruins of the home know
 that most likely some carelessness
 gave opportunity to do all that dam
 age. We are all well enough versed in the codes of fire prevention to know
 that it is reckless to leave oily rags lying about the house. They are very likely to start fire. Certain condi- tions if allowed to exist in the body afford just as good ground for the development of cancer. Cancer never begins in a healthy spot. If the con- ditions leading to cancer were realiz-
 ed and no longer tolerated the death rate from this disease could be cut in half. For instance, to allow a simple little ulcer of the tongue, caused by irritation of a jagged tooth, to go un- healed until 1t begins to form a white hard center, Is nearly as good way
 to start a cancer as throwing a match into a pile of shavings in the cellar is to set the house afire. To allow any chronic irritation to continue is taking just as much of a chance as dropping cigarette butts promiscuously about the house. To be sure of fine big fire the best way is to shut the cellar
 door, sit down and speculate about it and wish 1t would go out. So with
 cancer, one may always wait few months and consult q quack. This will destroy the only chance of life about as surely as anything.
 It is pity that occasionally the fire department is called out on false
 alarm. False alarms have their dan gers. However, this doesn't affect the or no need of anyone getting unduly
 worried on reading of the symptoms of cancer and starting a false alarm.
 Every fire isn't factory disaster. Bonfires far outnumber confiagrations.
 Read the fire code and you learn to be
 careful not to let the bonfire become
 a confagration. Understand the sym ptoms of cancer that you may easily prevent what seems to be a harmless condition from taking you unawares and developing into a serious disease. | Look at the matter calmy and sanely
 and act in the light of reason and cou- rage.
 "In the early recognition and treat ment of cancer is the hope of cure" --O--