The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-08

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FRANCE AND ENGLAND
BY c. +. BERTEIAa.
international News staff Cores
pondent.)
Paris April TT h alarming
spread or cancer and malignant
growths In France and England, due
directly and indirectly to the war. is
now seriously occupying the atten-
ton Of some Of the best known spe-
ctalists in both countries.
According to DR. Theodore Tuffier,
widely known expert on cancer and
officer Of the Legion of Honor. one
OF the reasons for the increase ia the
excessive mental depression Or melan-
cholia caused by undue hrooding over
the loss OF a dear one
DR. Ernest Gaucher who has oh
served over $4,000 cases of skin and
external affections of the body with
In the past few years. is inclined to
the belief that the increase is due
rather to the presence of certain
dread diseases In the rank and file
of both armies.
In England the secretary of the So
ciety for the prevention and relief
OF cancer has just published a re-
port. in which 1t is stated that for
the first time In history the mortality
from consumption has been surpassed
by that from cancer. Forty thousa nd
people die annually in England and
Wales alone from malignant growths
flreiAnd and Scotland not being in
ciuded in the fgures.}
Develops From Old Wound.
The report says English surgeons
in general are of the opinion that
cancer frequently develops at the site
of a wound or an old scar. and, what
ever the underlying cause of the mall
ady, the men in the service of their
country are likely to suffer from
malignant. growths in addition to the
other horrors of warfare.
Both DIR. Gaucher and DR.. Tuffier
believe this is not entirely the case.
In explaining his views to the In
ternational News Service correspond
ent.< DIR. Tuffier declared he believed
a person whose morale was low was
infinitely more subject 10 cancer than
| one in good spirits.
One case had come under his OBJ
servation, DIR. Tufsier pointed OUT of
a man who discovered "a slight erup-
ton on his tongue such as might
have been caused by excessive pipe
smoking. Although the patient APP
parent1y showed no predisposition to
cancer, his state of mind. because OF
the recent fpss of his TWO sons in
battle. was very dismal.
This appeared to accentuate the
eruption, which developed into can
Ger of the epithelium, which. while it
does not spread so rapidly. nor pro-
duce secondary growths in the other
organs of the body like the other
varieties of cancer. nevertheless tends
| TO involve the neighboring Emphatic
glands and to recur after removal.
| 1T is far too early" said DIR Tuf-
! fer. ito be able to give with any
degree of accuracy specific figures on
cancer due directly to wounds in
!. fiicted in the. war, as the srowths are
slow in making their appearance.
J Cancer Is much more current after
/ the age sof sixty or sixty-tive than in
4 earlier yeArs.v
At the game time the physician de-
clared hesSwas continually searching
| for a better and. more satisfactory
RENE dys m the general examination
and treatment of cancer. the present
methods of microscopic investigation
and treatment having proved made
quate and risky.
! DIR. Gaucher. in stating his belief
/ that the increase was due rather to
the presence of another disease in
| the patient and to predisposition. ad-
7 mitted that in his opinion cancer is
really contagious,
DUO TO Other Diseases.
I'm nine cases out OF ten said he,
f.tA III
iial carcinoma could be traced to
syphilis or predisposition. Cancers
| of this order appear as rule upon
/ the exposed portions OF the body,
starting in the form Of skin erup-
ton. or on the adjoining mucous
membrance, or in the closed cavities
/ OF the body.
| Cures if the word may be used
are exceedingly difficult and Of
| doubtful length. A man may have a
cancer removed. but it is very likely
! to recur in later years. 7 recall one
case in particular Of a man who de-
veloped cancer which was cured
at an early age. But thirty years
after. when the patient had reached
the age of sixty-five, the cancer re-
appeared and he eventually died Of
1T
I
at the age Of sixty four. say from
amy ether disaa se- II would have been
pointed out that here was success
1 fui case of cancer cure Evidently
II was not. The cancer had not had
time to replace itself or make its
reappearance."
! According to DR. Gaucher, there is
nothing for the general public to
take alarm at sxccptthe hidden dis
ease isyphilisl which he described
as ever menacfng.. AZ for cancers
developing at the sites Of old wounds.
| the doctor said he did not believe
| there had been noticeable increase.
Statistics show that the mortality
/: from cancer. as tabutated in England
| and Wales for 1901 70 1904. was SCI
/ persons out OF every million, an iu-
| crease of more than 100 per cent over
| the period from 1871 10 1875. when
!, the mortality was 44S out of every
million. For the period of from 1904
/ to the present tinte. this mortality has
| increased to about 1,060 persons in
| every million.
As for the influence OF the mental
condition upon the spread of the
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