[125] Mr. Hunter supposes, that the mere absorption of schirrous substance before matter be formed, will affect the glands; but it is difficult to ascertain the certainty of this, as small abscesses are formed very early. I have formerly mentioned, that every part of the animal is changed in its nature, at the moment of being absorbed: If so, schirrous substances lose all specific property, and cannot affect the glands. Pus, again, being a foreign matter, is absorbed unchanged, and continues so until it reaches the glands. [126] It may be said, that different parts have different susceptibilities of assuming the morbid condition; that the bones are longer of becoming affected than the soft parts, &c. Admit this, and still it must be explained, why every part of a similar structure, &c. should not be affected at the same moment. All the glands should become diseased at once; all the bones should inflame at the same time; and, instead of finding one or two organs affected, in consequence of the previous existence of a local disease, we should find the whole system rapidly becoming diseased. In this particular complaint, the consequence of sympathetic action, or the propagation of action, is sometimes the induction of the same disease in other parts; but most commonly the effect is the establishment of the hectic, or diseased formative action; for an explanation of which I refer to the dissertation on simple inflammation. By examination, we find, that, in many instances, cancer is evidently produced by the same causes which are capable of producing simple inflammation; and, in every instance, I apprehend, that although the causes may be obscure, yet they are exactly of the same nature. It is, however, a general opinion, that this disease arises frequently from some unknown and mysterious cause which we cannot detect, and which, therefore, has been resolved into some constitutional taint, or cancerous ferment. But, so far as we know, the constitution is perfectly healthy in the commencement of this disease; nor is there the smallest of that it resembles scrophula, in depending upon any peculiarity of constitution, before the causes operate.