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11
By far the greater number of deaths occur after middle life. Among
males the age period 65 years and upwards furnishes more than half the
deaths from this disease, but among females the greater number of deaths
occur between 45 and 65 years.
It is now generally accepted that the increase in deaths from cancer
can be only partly explained by more accurate diagnosis and consequent
correct death certification. There is also the factor that as cancer is
mainly a disease of late middle age or old age it follows that since people
tend now to live longer, but must eventually die of some cause, thev
survive until they reach the period of life where cancer holds sway.
Many theories have been advanced as to the probable cause of cancer,
some of those postulate excess in certain forms of diet, others, deficiency
in particular elements of foodstuffs. It is now beyond doubt that
irritation of the skin or mucous membranes can give rise to malignant
disease of those tissues. The instances which occur among workers
in paraffin shale and substances of a tarry nature are definitely associated
with the use of those materials in industry. Industrial cancer is now
regarded as a definite cause of disablement by the medical authorities
of the Home Office. On the other hand, it has been put forward that
workers in lead are remarkably immune from cancer. It is of significance
that in Liverpool remarkable cures have been effected by the use of lead
compounds. The treatment, however, is of the nature of a doubleedged
weapon because of the highly toxic nature of the drug employed,
and it requires special experience and careful judgment in its administration.
The public have been asked to focus their attention on the
investigation of the causes of cancer, and as a result considerable sums
of money have been raised and are being administered by such bodies
as the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the British Empire Cancer
Campaign for the use of a large body of workers who are directing their
entire energies towards the solution of this problem. In July the efforts of
Dr. Gye and Mr. Barnard held the attention of the entire scientific world.
They claimed that they had discovered the existence of a virus which could
be isolated from cancerous material and which, given suitable conditions,
was capable of reproducing cancer experimentally. The virus was
demonstrable by means of an ultra-microscope specially devised by
Mr. Barnard. This discovery is of the utmost importance, and no
evidence has been forthcoming with which to controvert the findings of
those workers. A considerable amount of confirmatory work, however,
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