[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—My appeal in the
Spectator has brought me a number of valuable letters, most of which confirm my theory that cancer is due to chronic poisoning and vitamine starvation. A retired printer has written to me as follows I was born in June, 1858, and from my earliest recollection I have been costive. I have taken pills, ike., twice and thrice a week for years. Ever since I was a child I have had hot curries, chutneys, pickles, &c. I have eaten curry till the perspiration has stood out on my forehead. The same may be said of the other poisonous stuff. For years I had a most terrible bad set of teeth, and about. thirty years ago had a ragged tooth which caused my tongue to become ulcerated. This lasted for some considerable time until I mustered up enough courage to have
the tooth extracted. I seldom if ever took vegetables, eating bread. About thirteen years ago my eyesight failed me and could not distinguish night from day. I consulted Dr. Hosford, of the Temperance Hospital, N.W., and he was horrified at my teeth. He told my wife to take me and have all my teeth removed, which was done. He then informed me I was suffering from septic poisoning. I attended the hospital for some time and am pleased to say my sight returned.
In the year 1913 a very small white pimple appeared on the centre of my tongue and, having occasion to consult my doctor, he informed me of the serious condition of it. He tried for about six months to remove this pimple without success. So I thought I would go to a hospital. Well, I went to the Mouth Hospital, Fitzroy Square, W.C. and there saw a Dr. Jones. He told me almost word for word the same as my doctor and warned me of the consequences. I attended this hospital for about six years, having my tongue cauterized once a fortnight, but without success. After so long a trial, I consulted a Harley Street doctor, and ho advised me to go to the London Hospital, Whitechapel. I did as he advised. Mr. Walton saw me and he stated that I had gone there just in time to save my life. I was an in-patient for twelve weeks, and in that time had best part of my tongue removed and the glands taken from my throat. Now I am pleased to say that since that time I have enjoyed the best of health. I often am examined by a doctor, and he is of the opinion that I am free of cancer. All my life I have been a moderate drinker of stout and ale, but never had spirits, except as a medicine. I have been a smoker since a youth, always using a pipe. In my youthful days, about 1879, unfortunately, I had a chancre and went to a quack instead of going to a hospital."
In a subsequent letter, the writer informed me that the bread he used to take was white bread and that he took such a lot of pills that they caused haemorrhage. The man had been poisoned for decades by terribly septic teeth and constipation. The two seem frequently to go hand in hand. Besides, he was vitamine-starved to an extreme degree. In his case, cancer was preceded by chronic poisoning and vitamine starvation during the usual period of about twenty years. This case was obviously not merely one of smoker's cancer of the tongue but a case of syphilitic smoker's cancer of the tongue. The matter was more complicated. There was general poisoning and vitamine starvation.
A gentleman writing from St. Leonards tells me :—
" A friend of mine, a man I knew intimately, died at the age of fifty-six with cancer of the liver. He was a life-long teetotaller, but he liked a good dinner and drank plenty of mineral water. He was rather a bilious subject and took aperients frequently."
Cancer rarely originates in the liver. Liver cancer starts as a rule in the bowel, invades the liver and forms a large growth in that organ. His bilious appearance proclaimed that he was highly toxic, that he suffered from chronic poisoning due to constipation. Very likely he suffered from toxaemia since his early youth.
A lady, writing from Lincoln, tells me :-
" I should like to draw your attention to some facts about coal miners. During the last quarter of the nineteenth century my sister's husband was vicar of colliery parishes in Staffordshire on Cannock Chase. From about 1870-1894, his wife noticed how few, if any, cases of cancer were to be found among the coal miners, and at last, about 1893, she got permission to examine the Registers of Death in the Cannock Union, which fully confirmed what she had observed. I drew the attention of Dr. J. S. Haldane, F.R.S., the Director of the Doncaster Coal Owners Research Laboratory, to this. In a courteous reply, May 19th, 1919, he wrote : On going through the Registrar General's statistics as to the causes of deaths in old colliers, I was struck by the unusually low pro- portion of deaths from cancer.' This is very striking, and seems to open an avenue for investigation."
The letter is indeed very striking, and I am communicating with Professor Haldane. The facts, if correct, and they appear to be correct, strongly confirm my contention that cancer is due to chronic poisoning and to vitamine starvation. Colliery work is very arduous and the men labour for hours in a stooping attitude. Work done in that attitude is the finest means known for promoting the activity of the boWels. There cannot be much constipation among the colliers who relieve themselves freely in the workings whenever they feel the need. They have the habit of squatting on the ground when taking rest, which again promotes peristalsis. Besides, the poisons in their blood are freely eliminated by profuse perspiration. Lastly, in the colliery districts, allot- ments are particularly frequent. Almost every collier seems to grow vegetables and fruit.
I hope that other readers of the Spectator will come forward and add important evidence to the valuable information already received.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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