Historical notes on cancer in married couples
Onuigbo, W.I.
Netherlands Journal of Surgery 36(4): 112-115
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0167-2487 PMID: 6387540 Document Number: 5390
We have had some glimpses of 19th century data on conjugal cancer. Clearly, the old stalwarts were aware of the phenomenon and speculated wisely on it. The element of scepticism was not lacking in those days. For instance, in 1846, Walshe stoutly denied the role of sexual inoculation in cancer. 'I have,' he asserted, 'known women, afflicted with advanced cancer of the uterus, take refuge in hospitals from the importunities of their husbands.' These men,' he revealed, 'were perfectly free, according to the assurances of their wives, from ulceration of any kind.' Remarkably, all the old authorities,' cited above for their experience of cancer in married couples, expressed their views while discussing the inoculability or transplantability of cancer. In particular, William Macewen did so after posing the question, Is transplantation or direct inoculation of the cancerous growth from one person to another possible? He answered the question in the affirmative, arguing that, since carcinoma often ulcerates, the daily shedding of malignant matter would encourage inoculation. Hence, as he surmised, 'More especial opportunity would be afforded for the transference were the persons living together for many months.' Indeed, in his considered opinion, more cases might have been recorded but for 'the fact that our eyes have not been sufficiently open to the possibility of its occurrence.' Today, we cannot but heed the injunction to keep our eyes sufficiently open to recognize such cases. Happily, various research is going on in this intriguing field. Moreover, interest is centring on the question of infectivity, especially of the virus type.
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