Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1915-01-20
copyright. 1914. by A. S. Gray)
MORE ABOUT CANCER.

MORE ABOUT CANCER.
1t Is coming to be quite generally be
lieved that cancer Is essentially prob
lem of growth. IL this be true, then the
search for the cure" or for the pre-
rention of cancer leads US inevitably
into the broad field of biological study
OF reproduction, because, as Haeckel
says, reproduction is nothing more
than a growth of the organism beyond
It's individual mass, which erects a
part into whole" 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
aF is the prevention of fire.
/ firmly believe that any consistent
evolutionist can, after a comparatively
superficial examination of the biolog.
ical facts pertaining to the most log.
zeal theory as to the cause of cancer,
maintain himself immune not only to
that disease, but also to many other
unwholesome and distressing condi-
lions 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. It
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 q menace to the
whole world of orderly thought. Be-
sides. 1t requires 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 1t is very obvious
that most Of our physical and social
ills would speedily be corrected.
It Is 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 country in gen.
eral we find but few children in the
family. This is universal biologIc
law we'll worth the consideration of
some of our eminent statesmen" The
phenomenon of decreasing birth rate
confronts every nation progressing in
well distributed wealth., and 1t is not
matter to be reached by legislation
Only starvation will correct it, 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 III nourished children because
nature, recognizing life to be secure
from danger Of starvation, automatic
ally would reduce the number repro
duced, 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 !
multi plication 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. 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
10 prolific reproduction in the face
Of determination. they begin to pro
Iiferate again in a frantic effort to
the species.
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
avery department of life. forms what
We call Juvenile" tissues. better
known as cancer. And 1t is for this