RETROSPECT
173
of
science and of scientific truth I feel it my duty to record them. The first
intimation was in these words under the above date: “A pensioned fireman had a
cancer of the tongue and jaw removed at King’s College Hospital. It recurred as
a mass the size of my two fists. The case was desperate, and I treated him at
once with my strongest stuff. Five days ago a soft place appeared, which I
thought was an abscess, but I could get out no pus. The softness* is
increasing, and yesterday I put in a needle and drew out some fluid, which I am
sending you in a bottle. You shall see what you shall see. To my eyes it is
already dead broken-down cancer tissue, and that in less than a fortnight.” The
fluid could not be filtered down, and resort was made to a centrifuge. This
furnished a small amount of solid matter, and sufficient to make up about ten
microscopical slides. The examination of these enabled the certain diagnosis of
epithelioma or skin cancer to be made. In this first bottle there were some
remains of epithelial cells, as well as the characteristic “ pearls “ of
epithelioma. In another bottle, obtained two days later, the “ pearls~’ were
the sole
* The mention
of this softness is very interesting in connection with the happenings in the
York case, described in a subsequent chapter. The photographic figures (Figs.
6 and 7) were taken on July 15. In the charts one may read: “July 15, photographs
taken, slough removed, a ragged hole left, but no bleeding; granulations hard
and firm.” Prior to this time the charts contain the following: “June
14, the growth is beginning to separate in the cheek, a little depression is
visible, and on palpation only the thickness of the skin intervenes between the
finger and the mouth. July 6, face very swollen, red margin of demarcation
round tumour. July 6, a small vesicle has formed on the cheek. July 10, vesicle
grows rapidly. July 11, vesicle has burst, and a profuse sero-purulent
discharge pours from the cheek; a pultaceous slough is disclosed. July 13, the
slough increases in size.” Probably the phenomena noted in the two cases were
identical up to a point. The profuse “sero-purulent discharge “ mentioned by
Captain Lambelle, may be identified as liquid cancer.