The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-11-04
RAvAGtS OF CANCER
An Address On This Death
Dealing Disease .
MARX WHITE SPEAKER
Doctor> From University Dis
cusses Need of Public Educa-
ton On Subject

While the meeting called at the
high school assembly room last night
by the Blue Earth County Medical
society, the Mankato Bureau of Pub
lie Health, and the Mankato Civic and
Commerce association, for the pur-
pose OF bringing before the public as
lorcibly as possible the terrible in
roads of cancer, was not as largely
attended as was desired, some very
valuable suggestions were given out
for the prevention OF the plague. DR..
5. Marx White of the state rlniver-
sity. was the principal speaker Of the
evening, and his talk was listened to
with great interest.
Just preceding the speaking, the
audience was favored by a number
of beautiful vocal selections by quar-
tet composed of Guy Butts. Glenn
Shoemaker, 9r. Hiram ]. Lloyd and
Joseph Kendall; The singers were
heartily encored and graciously re-
DR.. Hiram ]. Lloyd in explaining the
object of the meeting to the audience
| said that it was the hope of the
American Society for the Control of
Cancer to bring more forcibly before
the public that many Of the causes
which may lead up to cancer can be
prevented If taken in time. The main
object of the meeting was to spread
thus check the inroads Of the dread
disease. DR.. ]. w. Andrews was then
introduced, and gave a short talk.
Was Not Propaganda
DR.. Andrews said that be feared
that many of the laymen who read
the notice in The Free Press of the
meeting, you'd think that it was
merely propaganda Of the physicians
for the helping of theisAbusiness, be-
some of the suggestions in the paper
made 1t strong that physician should
be consulted. The speaker said that
there is nothing farther / from the
| truth, than that a physician keeps a
patient waiting as long as his money
lasts before bringing about IA cure.
That Is the most untrue accusation
ever made. Every physician welcomes
a speedy recovery of his patients.
drews said that he did not know of
profession That does so much TO
hurt Its own business as that of the
physicians themselves. DR.. Andrews
spoke Of the terrible scourge of diph
liberia number Of years ago, and
how now through advanced know
ledge 1t is under control. 1t was with
considerable feeling that the speaker
spoke Of the fight against tuberculo,
sanitorfum been built In this coun-
ty some years ago, when the cam
paign was on for that purpose, that
a large number of the young men and
women now laid to rest in the Gene
teries on the. surrounding hHlsides
would be alive, and taking their use
ful part in the affairs of this commu-
nifty. Much is being done in the way
OF educating the public In the proven
ton Of tuberculosis.
Now the medical. profession has
turffed its attention to the prevention
of cancer. The object Of the move
ment Is to educate the great mass of
people in methods of prevention of
cancer, by taking steps In time to
prevent its hold In the system. He
said that 1t is not contagious dis
ease, and is cureable If taken in time
H. G Address By Or. Marx
ical school was produced.
DR.. White in opening his address,
which was listened to with great in
terest, styled cancer as the Captain
of the forces of death"
Dr. White said that the entire ma
ton Is now back of a movement to
educate the people in the prevention
of cancer. In order to show the ter
rlble ravages of the disease, DR.: White
the state board of public health, which
shows that right in Blue Earth
county, which includes Mankato the
plague in decidedly on the increase.
Deaths from cancer in Blue Earth
county during the year 1913 were,
thirty six; during the year 1919, forty
two; and during the year 1920, forty
eight. The total deaths from cancer
in the entire state of Minnesota for
year 1913, 2115; and during the year
The speaker said that the Amerl-
can Society for the Control OF Cane ar
says, that $4,000 people are due to
die yearly from cancer. 1t Is stated
that the majority of these cases
could have been cured If taken in the
early stages Of the disease. The
speaker said that in the early recog-
milton Of the cancer lies the hope Of
its cure.
One out of eight women, and one
out of fourteen men die cancer. The
excessive mortality among women is
due to cancer of the breasts and gen.
erative organs. 1t is chiefly a dis
ease Of adult life. Eighty three per
cent of all deaths from cancer occur
at or over the age of forty.
. DR.. White said that increasor
knowledge of the disease is going to
have telling effect on the battle
against the scourge.
Deaths by Cancer
During the great world war the
United States lost $4,000 soldiers, and
during the same two years 10000
people of the United States died OF
cancer. Cancer is now killing one
out of every ten people in the United
States. Increased knowledge of the
disease of typhoid has brought about
a preventive, in large sense. The
increased knowledge OF the probable
causes Of cancer can be used in the
same way. For that reason DR..
White said, that, many of these
deaths are preventable, since cancer
- frequently cureable, il recognized
and properly treated in its early
stages. If the public only knew what
the, physicians know today as to ths
probable causes Of cancer, many OF
the deaths from that source could be
prevented. It is to spread this know