THE mere impressionist may regard the many-sided problem of cancer as a mountain of flint, round whose sides goes a never- ending procession of explorers seeking for crevices, or chipping off flakes, but, lacking true orientation, get no nearer to either core or summit. Au contraire, many channels and galleries have been run into the solid rock of cancer-knowledge, our of sight of the outsider and this pursuit of knowledge under difficulties may any day lead the enthusiast on to the plane of discernment of the powers that cure.
So considered Sir John Bland Sutton when he said that the cancer problem might be solved on some auspicious day by a student in a garret with a row of test tubes before him. In recent time, seekers for this hidden knowledge are as numerous and enthusiastic as ever. Of all such researches that into cancer treatment is infinitely the most important.
I. THE VALUES OF HIGHLY ATTENUATED SERPENT-VENOMS IN CANCER TREATMENT.
A twelve month ago the Bulletin of the French Academy of Medicine published an extraordinary account of 130 cases of malignant disease treated by attenuated serpent poison. In all these the pain was annulled; in some, the disease was controlled; in yet others the malignancy was to all intents and purposes cured.
The full details were given in the July number of this journal: and the subject was revived in a recent issue of The Times, when it was pointed out by Mr. Rothenburg, a well-known lay homoeopath, resident in Cambridge, that such serpent venoms, homoeopathically prepared, had been utilized by the followers of Hahnemann for a century.
“Homoeopathically prepared,” that is the crux. A trial of the remedies, as used by the French physicians, was made by certain of the members of the Homoeopathic Cancer Commission meeting in London. It was found, as might have been anticipated, that in the dosage recommended by the French school and without safeguarding, cardiac crises of a severe and dangerous type were not infrequently observed. Consequently this as a systematic treatment fell into disrepute.
“But been in our ashes live their wonted fires.” Dr. John Round, a prominent member of the Commission, set about homoeopathising the plan of campaign, and found that by giving Naja, the cobra venom, in infinitesimal doses, the remedial power of the drug was developed and its administration was made absolutely safe. Here is a case in point.
A single lady of advanced years was seen in consultation by Dr. Round with the writer. She was suffering from cancer of the rectum in an advanced degree. All the classical signs of this malady were present. The patient was fast going downhill, and one at least of the consultants gave as the expectation of life about a fortnight. As a last resort Naja 6c was given, supplemented by Yeast tablets to control the intestinal decomposition.
Some weeks later the consultants incidentally met again, and the question was raised as to the issue of events with the aforesaid patient. “Would you like to se her again ?” asked Dr. Round, and took his professional colleague for a second interview. The transformation was spectacular.
The patient was out of bed, had lost most of her former pain, had increased in weight, the physical signs had correspondingly improved, and a few weeks later the erst while bedridden patient was able to walk out of doors without assistance. The further convalescence has continued up to date.
II. THE BALANCE OF ALKALI AND ACID IN THE SERUM, AND ITS CURATIVE ADJUSTMENT.
Another new departure in cancer treatment, with the unmistakable impress of originality, takes us from the cancer cell itself to the fluid medium the serum in which cells live and grow. Should the serum in any organism show infinitesimally more than its normal alkaline content, cancer cells can and do flourish in the tissues. But if the charge is again infinitesimally below the normal alkaline level, the cancer cells tend to drop out of existence. This is what probably happens in that betterment which occasionally occurs in cancer cases. The reverse happens when relapse occurs.
But how to safely engineer such a bouleversement in the human organism and thus cure the case ? It requires the most ethereal chemistry the lightest of fairy manipulations and a merely infinitesimal amplitude of mass. The direct approach of acid or alkali is too gross for such refined reactions. The american cancer specialists to whom this elaboration is due cast about for a sufficiently delicate chemical intermediary and found it in Carbonate of calcium: and for a sufficiently subtilized form, and found this in the methods of homoeopathy.
Our highly esteemed colleague, Dr. Charles Wheeler, is cited as furnishing in a homoeopathic exposition, exactly the idea of infinitesimal attenuation required in serum chemistry.
To keep the Calcium acid result stable for a sufficient time, small doses of Parathyroid are provided.
This indirect method of cancer elimination is spoken of in the highest terms by American authorities. Homoeopathic physicians in general have not utilized the prescription of Calcium carbonate homoeopathically to this end, but Professor Bastanier, of Berlin, has communicated to the writer a striking case of malignant disease where good results were obtained.
III. THE CONTROL OF ACTION CANCER-CELL GROWTH BY EXTRACT OF HEALTHY LOCAL CONNECTIVE TISSUE
But the most original of the newer forms of cancer treatment assumes that the malignant cell growth is controlled by enzymes secreted in the connective tissue of the growth itself, this connective tissue possessing a certain specificity in relation to the organ-malignancy. “It is not an unreasonable postulate that a factor exists to inhibit the tendency of living cells to reproduce themselves indefinitely.
In the case of malignant growth this inhibitory factory is a substance secreted locally outside the blood stream and discharged into the lymph”.
Thus Mr. Searle Baker, the originator of the plan, who published his method and results in the Lancet of September 16th of last year. He thus summarizes his conclusion. “In my experience the result of the treatment has been that the patient loses his cachectic(jaundiced) appearance: the cancer diminishes in size, and becomes attenuated in vigour. There was no lack of response in any case to which it was applied”.
The experimentum crucis of this postulate is the obvious effect of a connective tissue extract, obtained from a contiguous are to that which is affected. This latter is all-important, for when a distant area is utilized, from whence the connective tissue is obtained, the result is null and void. The results were spectacular, chiefly in the hopeless cases. The following are chosen from a list of a dozen:.
CASE II.
Female, aged 59. Carcinoma uteri, recurrent after hysterectomy. An extract was made from the connective tissues of another uterine organ. Only 50 c.c.was available: and a profuse vaginal discharge–the patients only symptom–cleared up completely.
CASE 9.
Female, aged 66. Inoperable carcinoma of right breast. Secondary deposits in humerus, and ulna and liver, also an ulcerating area of growth in axilla occupied 33 square inches. Under treatment, this was reduced to 3 inches. It was considered that although no further continuance of treatment was practicable the patients life had been prolonged in relative comfort for at least a year.
CASE 7.
Male, aged 62. Inoperable carcinoma of tonsils and pharynx. An extract was prepared of tonsillar and pharyngeal connective tissue. The pharynx and tonsils had been covered with a carcinomatous ulcer, foul and sloughing. During treatment this condition cleared up in a very satisfactory manner.
Thyroid extract, liver extract, pancreatic emulsion and other and similar preparations have for many years yielded invaluable professional service, but this is the first time that connective tissue has been used in aid for the cure of disease and the preservation of life.
It will be recalled that Compton Burnett carried out a similar idea in treating malignancy homoeopathically.
“Asthma, to the popular mind, means recurring attacks of shortness of breath. But these may be due to diseases of the heart (cardiac asthma), of the blood vessels, or to Brights disease (renal asthma). In true asthma the trouble is in the finest bronchi.–DR.C.P.EMERSON.
