man of middle age or over,
which persists, should demand the immediate attention of a surgeon,
because early removal is more successful in cancer of the lip than in
any other form.

There are, of course, many comparatively harmless or benign forms of
tumors which will not return if removed and do not endanger life
unless they grow to a large size. Among these are the soft, flattened,
fatty tumors of the shoulders, back, buttocks, and other parts, and
the wen. This is often seen on the head and occurs frequently on the
scalp, from the size of a pea to an egg, in groups. Wens are elastic
lumps, painless and of slow growth, and most readily removed. Space
does not permit us to recount the other forms of benign tumors and it
would be impossible to describe how they could be distinguished from
malignant growths.

=Causes.=--The causes of tumors are almost wholly unknown. There is no
other branch of medicine which is receiving more scientific study the
world over than cancer, and some definite and helpful knowledge may
soon be expected. A cancer can be communicated by introduction of
cancerous material into healthy tissues. This and other reasons have
led many to believe that the disease was caused by a special germ; a
chemical cause is thought to be the origin of cancer by other
authorities. Neither of these theories has been substantiated and we
are still completely at sea in the matter. Cancer appears to be
excited sometimes by local irritation, as in the lip by the constant
irritation of the hard, hot stem of a clay pipe; cancer of the tongue
by the irritation of a rough, sharp tooth. Blows and injuries are also
occasional agencies in the development of cancer. Malignant growths
not rarely arise from moles and warts.

=Treatment.=--Early removal by the knife is the only form of treatment
which is to be considered in most cases. Delay and neglect are
suicidal in malignant disease. Cure is successful in just so far as
the operation is done early. If dread of surgical operation were not
so prevalent, the results of removal of cancer would be immeasurably
better. The common, bad results of operation--that is, return of the
disease--are chiefly due to the late stage in which surgeons are
compelled to operate through the reluctance of the patient and,
strangely enough, often of his family medical man. Cancer should be
removed in so early a stage that its true nature can often not be
recognized, except by microscopical exam