Whenever a physician finds that a patient has a pappy, insipid taste with a furred, pale, rarely dry and red tongue, and is suffering from continuous, dull sensations or pain in the region of the stomach, periodically increasing to paroxysms, often induced by pressure or increased by it, together with a sensation of weight, drawing pains of varying character, and frequent pain in the shoulder, loss of appetite, frequent belching of fetid gas from the stomach, severe and frequent vomiting, often periodical, often occurring before partaking of a meal but more often afterwards with slight indigestion, but vomitus being more or less watery and containing mucus and blood, usually decomposed and recurring frequently, together with constipation of the bowels, the skin being sallow, yellowish, dry and flaccid, and losing weight and strength, he should suspect cancer of the stomach and where possible advise an immediate surgical operation for the removal of the cancer.

Cancer of the uterus.—­What women should know regarding it.  The menopause or change of life comes on gradually, rarely suddenly.  It is not preceded by excessive flowing or discharge or pain in a healthy woman.

By cancer period is understood those years after forty, although rarely it may occur earlier.  The first symptoms of uterine cancer are: 

1.  Profuse flowing, even if only a day more than usual.  Flowing or spotting during the interval or after the use of a syringe or the movement of the bowels.

2.  Whites or Leucorrhea, if not existing previously.  If existing but getting more profuse, watery, irritating, or producing itching is a very suspicious symptom.

[Constitutional diseases 335]

3.  Loss of weight, if no other cause is apparent.  Pain in the region of the womb, back or side.

If any of the above symptoms occur after the age of thirty-five or forty, a woman should seek relief and insist on thorough investigation of the cause and prompt treatment.

Cancer is always at first a local disease and can be removed if early recognized and an absolute, permanent cure brought about.

Cancer of the breast.—­Eighty-one per cent of an tumors of the breast are cancer or become so.  Whenever a woman feels a lump in her breast, particularly if she be at the cancerous age, she should consult a skilled physician at once and keep that breast under medical observation.  If so advised by her physician or by a skilled surgeon, she should have an operation for the removal of the cancer, as it can be completely eradicated when operated upon in its early stages.  If left to grow and develop it will get beyond the aid of even the most skillful surgeon.  Early diagnosis plus surgery is the only hope for a cancerous person.  Operation offers a most hopeful outlook for those afflicted with cancer.  It is more important to make an early diagnosis in cancer of the breast than it is in appendicitis.