Time does not allow us to go into this matter very fully, but this erroneous impression is so widespread, and one so constantly meets it in conversation, that it is desirable to present briefly the grounds and proof for an absolute denial of the assertion that there has been very little or no real increase in the mortality from cancer. First, it may be stated that most of the arguments quoted against the correctness of statements regarding the steadily rising death rate of cancer date back to King and Newsholme, who, in 1893, some twenty-three years ago, attempted a study of early statistics and drew certain conclusions from them. This was long before the era of careful research and reliable diagnosis and statistics, and can have little, if any, weight. Bashford and Murray in the Second Scientific Report of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, in 1905, attempted to show the same thing. But even this was eleven or twelve years ago, and the utter fallacy of the sophistical arguments appears in the absolute, steady increase in the death rate of cancer as shown by official tables from many countries, and as especially collected and seen in the remarkable book by Hoffman on “The Mortality from Cancer Throughout the World.” It is impossible in a brief lecture to give even a faint idea of the immense and valuable amount of research represented, and consequently the most useful information furnished in this monumental work; the material is taken from original documents with new information, freshly obtained from original sources. All is given with an impartiality and clearness which are refreshing when compared with some recent writings on the subject. With the immense accumulated data on record, some of which will be referred to, all showing a steady rise of mortality up to the present time, and that during a period of especial study of cancer such as the world has never known before, it is quite unreasonable and impossible to believe that this advance is only apparent, and that it is influenced by the three suppositions mentioned. While accuracy of diagnosis may be important in early cancer, it is certain that in late stages and at death, from which the various mortality tables are taken, there is rarely any question as to the diagnosis. There is evidence, however, to show that cancer is increasing even more rapidly than appears from mortality statistics.