nitrate of silver, preparations of gold, ointments of belladonna, iodine, mercury, camphor, &c.; caustics of gold, arsenic, bromine, manganese, antimony, sanguinaria canadensis, potash, the Vienna caustic, zinc, and the acids. Amongst the surgical means that have been recommended are congelation, or freezing the cancer; compression, performed by subjecting the disease to severe and constant pressure; extirpation by the knife; the ecraseur, or chain-saw; or by the application of ligatures of silk or wire. Cutting and caustics have been combined, the caustic being applied, and after a lapse of time the mass scored with a knife and the caustic again used in the fissures so produced. Each and every one of these drugs and plans has had its strong supporters and been a nine days' wonder; but I am bound to admit none of them can be looked upon as a certain cure for cancer, although in certain cases the most beneficial and gratifying results have been produced.

I cannot refrain here from drawing attention to a pamphlet which Dr. Broadbent rather prematurely published in the autumn of 1866, intended to show that the use of acetic acid in the treatment of cancer is highly beneficial. He gives four cases, the earliest of which had only been under treatment for a few months. Dr. Broadbent builds up a theory "that the acetic acid treatment of cancer will be found to be

a valuable palliative remedy, if not in some instances curative, and that it will be applicable to cases which have hitherto been beyond the reach of any remedial measures." Hasty conclusions, founded on imperfect and crude experiments, are almost always worthless, and such publications as this do, I think, an incalculable amount of harm, for I believe this treatment has not only the disadvantage of being of no use, but that it actually seriously aggravates the disease; and had Dr. Broadbent waited a year or two before he published he would doubtless have come to this conclusion also. Rome was not built in a day, and we must not expect to accomplish in a few weeks what Paget, Walsh, Collis, Velpeau, Marsden, and others, who have made cancer the study of their lives, have not been able to effect in years. Dr. Wynn Williams puts great faith in bromine, but my experience of its use leads me to the conclusion that it is of no curative value in cancer. The waters of the Missisquoi springs in America have lately been puffed off as possessing wonderful powers in cancer. Having tried them, I believe that they are valueless to the cancer patient, if not to the proprietor; it is the same with all secret remedies.

The plans of treatment by compression and freezing the cancer we will at once dismiss as being simply abominable-the former, however,

the worst of the two-and at once pass on to the caustics. Many of these have much to recommend them, the best certainly being arsenic, the chloride of zinc, and the potassa fusa. These are all-powerful, but the two latter cause great pain and are less efficient. The potassa cum manganese is a caustic which the maker vaunts as the most effective and painless yet discovered. Some years ago I came to the conclusion that it was a dirty, painful, and inefficient application, and I have seen no reason to change my opinion. The removal of cancer by the knife I do not intend to discuss here, but when a cancer has exceeded certain limits and continues to increase, it is the most humane and efficient means we command. Removal by ligature is in a few cases, where the growth proceeds from a small pedicle, a very proper proceeding.

CHAPTER V.

THE TREATMENT BY ARSENICAL MUCILAGE.

As before stated, I do not now intend to discuss the treatment of cancer generally, but to lay before you a particular plan that I have now followed for the last thirteen years with the greatest success, and which is applicable to many forms of cancer. This mode of treatment has only been made public, so far as a few cases have appeared in the Lancet; but although my late father and myself have practised it for the length of time above stated, it may be called new, inasmuch as I would not venture to bring it before the profession and public until I had thoroughly tried it myself, and time had proved its value. I had, moreover, other motives for this delay. How many new and wonderful things do we hear of, daily puffed off before the world by those seeking notoriety and popularity rather than truth, that the experience of a few weeks only proves to be a flimsy tissue of vain hopes, which, before their

year of birth has terminated, have been buried in the oblivion they deserve; besides, it has been my good fortune to see as many, or more cancer cases than any other medical man, and on this account I feel that I ought not to offer any suggestions relative to the treatment of this disease, unless they be such as are worth listening to; unless they be such as have not been heretofore before the public, and if new, which I claim for those in this little volume; unless they be such as, by long and practical experience, I have thoroughly tested myself. Many of my friends, knowing my opportunities for studying this disease, have expressed their surprise at my long silence, but I did not wish to add my name to that long list of authors, of whose books it may be said that, if suddenly swept out of existence, nothing would be lost to posterity. The literature of cancer has of late been most prolific, and hardly a month passes but some volume is added, in most cases prettily enough illustrated with coloured plates, but not with new ideas.

I need not say that these remarks do not apply to the works of Velpeau, Walsh, Paget, Cooke, Pemberton, Collis, &c., each of which, at the time of publication, added greatly to our previous knowledge.

The arsenical mucilage mode of treatment is applicable to all forms of cancer, except the cystic or colloid, provided they have not exceeded