Investigations of late years, however, might seem to indicate that cancer is more prevalent in India than previously supposed, but its incidence still bears no real relation to that in many other countries, and an analysis of some recent reports explains in an interesting and curious manner the reasons for the diversity of opinion as to the actual frequency of the disease. Thus, Benratt collected a total of 1700 cases only from 5 years’ statistics of 15 Mission Hospitals and 34 Government Hospitals, representing, of course, many million inhabitants, whereas in New York City, according to the weekly Bulletin of the Board of Health, there were 2193 deaths from cancer in the last six months, a striking illustration of the rarity of cancer in India. Moreover of these 1700 cases, over 1200 were about the mouth, a very large share of these arising from the very common habit of chewing betel, which contains also much calcium, which latter is one of the salts incriminated in the causation of cancer. Sandwith attempts to show that cancer is prevalent in India, but refers to only 2000 cases reported in the hospitals there, in three years, also among many millions of people, and he refers likewise to the betel chewing cancer, and the “kangri burn” on the abdomen of men, from the charcoal furnace worn for warmth: these peculiar local disorders vitiate any deductions which could be drawn from such statistics. In China, according to a recent writer, “cancer is comparatively uncommon in those parts where the bulk of the people live on an almost exclusively vegetarian diet, being too poor to purchase any of the various flesh foods, which are there used for culinary purposes.” But in places where cancer is said to be more prevalent, the reporter adds, “All Chinamen there eat fish and pork at morning and evening meals: fowls and ducks are always on the table of all but the most humble of the coolie class.” In regard to the occurrence of cancer in the Far East, however, some of the modern investigators, such as Bashford, have endeavored to overturn the generally accepted view as to its infrequency, but I do not feel that the evidence presented can at all weigh against the unprejudiced opinion of most capable medical men who have long lived and practiced in those regions, some of whom as medical missionaries have had most intimate contact and acquaintance with the natives. Only very recently a medical missionary, who has long been connected with the medical college and hospital in Beirut, Syria, told me that cancer was practically unknown among the thousands of patients who flock there from all over the Near East, he adding that they were all largely vegetarians.