Observations on the Causes, Symptoms, and Nature of Scrofula or Kings Evil, Scurvy, and Cancer | Page 5

cures which I have
published have been of from two to twenty years' standing.
I would now particularly direct the attention of patients to the nature,
causes, and symptoms of scrofula, as detailed above, the more
especially as I have patients daily coming to me who do not know what
disease they are really labouring under, and express their astonishment
on being told its real nature. By attending to the symptoms they might
then attack the disease before it becomes fully developed, when it
"often produces the most miserable objects of human wretchedness;"
and when it frequently becomes impossible to say, "Thus far shalt thou
go, and no further."

CANCER,
ITS NATURE AND SYMPTOMS.
Cancer is, unfortunately, one of those desperate diseases to which the
human frame is liable, and more to be dreaded than any other,
inasmuch as it is insidious in its approach, and destructive to the
greatest degree when it is perfectly developed. It is so intractable and
malignant in its nature that it is generally considered an incurable

disease; and not without reason, as notwithstanding the great increase
of knowledge amongst that valuable portion of the community, the
medical profession, yet it baffles all their efforts to subdue it, and sets
at defiance all the triumphs of science. This disease rarely occurs in
young subjects. An eminent surgeon states, that in the course of nearly
forty years' extensive practice, he has seen but two instances of its
occurring under 30 years of age; most usually it commences at the age
of between forty and fifty years. Like many other diseases it is
frequently hereditary, many members of the same family having
become the subjects of cancer. It most usually attacks the female breast,
the lips, particularly the lower one, the tongue, the skin, and the
glandular parts about the neck and arm-pits; the stomach, the liver, the
lungs, and the brain, may also become affected with this terrible
malady. Sometimes it commences without any ostensible cause, and
the attention of the patient is frequently directed to the case by mere
accident; at other times, blows, bruises, or continued pressure upon a
part, may often be traced as the exciting cause. In either case, however,
it is generally found in the state of a hard lump or knot, varying in its
size, it is loose and moveable, without pain or discolouration of the skin.
It may continue in this state for many months, or even years; it then
enlarges, the surface of the tumour becomes more or less knotty or
uneven; it becomes hot and painful, and the pain is of a peculiar darting,
piercing nature, or what the faculty technically call lancinating; and the
patient's health, which had hitherto continued tolerably well, now
begins to suffer from the irritation of the disease. In process of time the
part ulcerates, a discharge of fetid ichorous matter issues from it;
sometimes it bleeds freely, and there is a burning pain in the part. The
ulcer becomes of considerable size, and assumes a frightful aspect. The
patient becomes dejected in his spirits, his countenance is sallow and
woe worn, his appetite fails, his days and nights are full of sorrow and
pain, the disease still progresses, till, finally, death comes to the aid of
the unhappy sufferer, and closes the scene of anguish and misery.
Such is the progress of this appalling malady. It commences apparently
in a trifling way, it terminates in destruction of life.
I have said that the patients' spirits are usually dejected in this disease,

and I wish this to be particularly noticed, as it points out how cautious a
medical man ought to be in stating positively to the sufferer the real
nature of his complaint. The mind is so depressed by the disease, that
the simple communication of the fact to the patient often produces such
a shock to the feelings as he rarely recovers from; indeed, it often
accelerates the death of the patient, and such being the case, I am quite
certain that no man of experience, judgment, or common sense, would
ever commit himself so seriously. Whenever it is done, it is usually
committed by some daring unprincipled empiric, who often finds it to
his interest to pronounce a case cancerous when in 99 cases out of 100
it is really not so. Now, with respect to the cure of cancer, I can
confidently assert, that when the disease is really cancer, when it occurs
as a constitutional disease, (as it almost always does) and when it is
perfectly developed, no known remedy is in existence which has the
power of destroying it. It sets even the knife at defiance, for I have
repeatedly seen that when the disease has been scientifically extirpated,
it either returns to the same part, or