On the painless extirpation of cancerous growths by congelation and caustic : including a report of the recent use of prolonged congelation in the cancer wards of the Middelesex Hospital / by James Arnott.

  • Arnott, James (James Moncrieff), 1794-1885.
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the painless extirpation of cancerous growths by congelation and caustic : including a report of the recent use of prolonged congelation in the cancer wards of the Middelesex Hospital / by James Arnott. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    A means of extirpating malignant growths which is unattended with pain, and productive neither of shock, inflammation, nor permanent debility, would not only be free from immediate danger, but, by re¬ lieving the patient’s sufferings from the disease, and removing a perpetual source of irritation, would strengthen the constitution and thereby put it into the most favourable condition for overcoming the tendency to relapse. I have discovered that such a means exists, in the combination of long continued congelation with caustic. Although I had been for some time aware that this expedient constitutes an infinitely better mode of extirpating cancerous growths than either excision or caustic, I was unwilling to bring it forward with¬ out the most indisputable evidence of its excellence. The past year was especially unpropitious for such an announcement. A persuasion very generally pre¬ vailed that a mode of removing cancer had been discovered in America free from the hazards and objections of former modes; and although it is now ascertained that this was only a well known caustic in disguise, the very exposure has had an unfavour¬ able effect. It has strengthened the long existing prejudice and incredulity in regard to cures for cancer. Under these circumstances it was desirable that the strongest evidence should be adduced. With this view, permission was requested of the Governors of the Middlesex Hospital to exhibit the new remedy