The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-10-15
HEALTH TALK s. !
BY the County Health q fficer.


a lew udSS ago HOtbdtl tctB1fsuit-
ed me with regards to SONS trouble
in her breast. An examination dis
closed wide spread cancer. too far
advanced to offer any hope of cure.
She said she had noticed lump
in the breast three years before.
and when j asked her if she had
consulted a physician then. she
said no. ! asked why and she re-
piled, i was afraid it might be
cancer. She was doomed to die
a horrible death from cancer be-
cause she was afraid to have an
honest diagnosis made early enough
to get cure.
Early operations are without
danger to life; delay results in death.
Early recognition and early opera
ton often result in a permanent
years ago A woman found lump
near the nipple Of her breast. 1t
was not sore and was freely moya-
BILE, and no larger than a pea. This
woman went at once to her family
physician. who referred her to a
competent surgeon, who immedi-
ately performed a clean operation.
A microscopic examination showed
the lump to be the beginning of a
cancer. There was no cancer It's
sue elsewhere and the growth at
that time had not gone beyond the
little lump itself This was twelve
years ago. and the woman is today
in perfect health
Cancer and tuberculosis are ex-
acting most terrible toll of human
life. Boards of health are anxious
to arouse the people to full reali-
zation of the dangers. Leading sta
tisticians of the United States tes-
tify to the fact that cancer is in
creasing. and that it has become
one OF the most important causesl
of death to people As years of age
and over. The public, in general is
ignorant of the symptoms of can
Ger and do not realize the impor-
lance of early treatment. if cures
are TO be had. Few patients go to
their physicians In time to procure
satisfactory treatment Those who
have tumors or chronic sores should
consult their physician promptly.
The time was when we physicians
were careless, and with wise look
told some lady that the menopause
was the cause of her hemorrhages
and pain. or at least agreed with
her that such was the case, only
to sign her death certificate a year
or two later - Died of cancer of |
the uterus
The best opinion among those
who specialize on cancer is that it |
is neither a germ disease nor con-
tagiOus, but springs from some alb
normal growth of the cells in the |
body. 1t cannot be handled by
such public health measures as
have so greatly diminished typhoid
fever and tuberculosis. Our efforts
are naturally turned to the direct
cure of the disease, or of any slight
trouble or irritation, such as might
lead to ccncer. The most able
physicians and surgeons know that
taken internally do cancer
no good. Pastes and non-operatiye
methods. advertised by quack
doctors. is only a waste of time and
money. We read in the newspa-
pers and in the advertising mate
rial and testimonials. sent out by
these charltans. of wonderful cures.
put when traced down we find that ,
hey were simple ulcerating growths.
which were not cancerous.
Cancer kills one in ten of the
people OF the United States past !
Is years of age The leading ply
'icians of the country believe that
he best results at present are OBJ
aimed by cutting out the tumor as /
ioon as it appears. and not waiting
or it to grow. as it always does.
F. J. UNDERWOOD, M. d.,
County Health Officer