Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1916-08-10

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periods of time often become noteworthy
for one or another advance in knowledge
or prosperity. Thus, the last half OF the
nineteenth century will always be remem-
bered for the great advances in mechani-
cal and other scientific knowledge that
were made within il, and that have al
ready led TO such enormous changes in
the welfare and in the methods of life OF
mankind.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CANCER.
II now seems probable that in the same
way the opening years OF the twentieth
century will belong remembered for the
great advances in preventive medicine
that have characterized them, and that are
rapidly leading to far-reaching results.
In the virtually complete control of yellow
fever and malaria, we have already seen
the beginning of the advance by which
The pest spots OF the tropics are fast be-
ing rendered habitable for the white man.
We have seen, too, more than the begin
nings OF the process by which the great
white plague of northern regions is be-
coming controllable. The control OF ty-
phoid fever is well under way, and we
are taking up the other great diseases
one by one.
In each Of these great campaigns the
advance of scientific knowledge, which
usually first points the way toward Sue
cessful treatment, was later followed by
practical tests that convinced the world
that the labor and expense required to
control the disease under investigation
were economically we'll worth while.
The degree 10 which scientific knowl-
edge had been perfected before practical
control was undertaken has, however,
varied considerably in these instances; in
some, practical work has followed only
after scientific advance, and in others they
have gone hand in hand. In the case OF
cancer practical advances have become
possible before our scientific knowledge
is in any degree complete.
The great importance TO mankind OF
the disease known as cancer is shown
by the degree of its mortality, TO say
nothing of the dreadful suffering that it
causes. Cancer is to-day the cause Of
more deaths than any other disease ex-
cept tuberculosis and those that affect in
fants only. Ii is disease of mature life.
Among persons who have taken their full
place of usefulness in the world, cancer
causes to-day more deaths than any other
known disease. OF those who have
reached the age of forty, one in every
eleven dies of cancer-one woman in
every eight, one man in every fourteen.
In the United States alone during the last
year for which the figures are now COM
plete, there were more than IS, 900 deaths
from cancer.
Ii is important that the public should
know about the proper care OF cancer (;
high authorities believe that, if every
member OF the medical profession knew,
all that il is now possible to know about
the early recognition and treatment of
cancer, and if every member OF the COM
munity knew all that every layman should
know about its symptoms, probably Co.
600 of those $1,000 deaths could be pre-
vented. 1t will, of course, be long be-
fore we attain so ideal a position as that,
but the hope that we may in time accom-
plish il is what makes the campaign of
education that is now under way worth
going on with.
The chief obstacle with which the CAM
paign for the control of the disease is at
present confronted is The general popular
impression that it is hopeless disease
OF which little is known and for which
nothing can be done. The first thing that
must be taught the public is that, although
that impression was correct not very long
ago, il is not correct now. On the con-
trary, the disease is entirely curabIe-we
may even say preventable-in cases that
are under proper direction from The start.
Although our scientific knowledge of
the disease has made great advances, it
is still far from perfect. Our laboratory
workers have not yet found any bacteria
that cause cancer; indeed, many of them
At. ~ &c
We do not yet know what causes it, or
how the cause works. We have not yet
found any generally applicable method
OF managing if by ideal means or any
method by which il can be totally stamp
ed out of the community; but from the
practical point Of view OF preventing
threatened individuals from suffering with
it, or dying from if, our knowledge is now
fairly complete. We have learned cer-
tain all important facts in its natural his
tory, and we can set forth those facts in a
manner that is comprehensive 10 the lay
man.
The different tissues OF the body are all
made up OF cells that vary in kind. Ger
tain of them, such as the skin, the lining
membranes OF the digestive tract, the
glandular organs like the liver spleen
and many others, are made up OF one
kind of cells that differ from one another
only in detail. Another set OF tissues,
such as the es, muscles and connec-
tive tissues, are made up OF cells of diff
ferent kind that again differ from one an
other only in detail. Each OF those two
distinctive kinds of cell occurs properly
only in the organs in which il normally
belongs-only among cells Of IFS own
kind.
1t occasionally happens that few cells
of one kind appear at spot where they
do not belong-among the other kind OF
cells. We do not know why that hap