The Causation of Cancer

Abstract

THE notice which appeared in the issue of NATURE of October 4 of my book, “Cancer: How it is Caused, How it can be Prevented,” contains several misstatements which I must correct. The reviewer puts into my mouth the statement that “cancer is due to constipation and lack of vitamins” as a summary of my teaching, although I have stated in every chapter that cancer is due to chronic poisoning and to vitamin starvation, a totally different matter. The reviewer also states that “Almost the only authorities he quotes are surgeons” and “Their statements [are] mostly from the general press.” From the bibliographical index at the end of the book every reader can see that the majority of my witnesses are physicians, physiologists and chemists, although there are a great many surgeons. Besides, my quotations are not “mostly from the general press” but from the leading scientific periodicals, as will be seen by reference to the section “Periodicals Quoted,” contained in the bibliographical index.