THE MATTEI REMEDIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4770, 10 October 1893, Page 2

THE MATTEI REMEDIES.

Belief of Cancer.

fFBOM OUB LONDON COBREBPONDENT.] London, August 18. As the Mattei remedies are, I am told, making considerable headway in New Zealand, it may interest your readers to peruae Mr Stead's report on the, second year's tests for cancer cure. This would seem to show that though in oaseß of cancar Mattei medicines cannot cure, they frequently do much to alleviate the agony. Mr Stead sayß :<— Writing in September last year I pointed out that so far as the test had then gone, I accepted the report of the Committee aa to the failure of the remedies to cure cancer, but I a9 loyally accepted it when it certified that the patients said that the remedies have removed the Buffering and lengthened their lives. The evidence up to that point seemed to show that the Mattei treatment would not justify any cancer .patient in expecting to be cured, bat that it would diminish the local pain, improve their general health, and enable them, to make the most of the life that was left to them. Therefore, in the second stage of the inquiry, I merely undertook to report as to whether or npt the admitted buoccss of the remedies in remedying and alleviating the subjective symptoms was continued to the end. From a scientific point of view the experiment no longer concerns the recovery of tho patients. It is confined Bolely to the question whether or not the treatment makes dying of cancer a tolerable instead of an intolerable mode. of quitting life. As to the subjective symptoms, it is well to remember that the patient is the only authority on the subject, and in ascertaining whether or not the remedies alleviate pain, the evidence of the patients themselves is the only testimony worth taking. It will be seen that they all tell the same tale, and that without any exception they persist in asserting that they have been benefited by the treatment to which they, have been subjected, and in which they still have unshaken faith. The following statements have been addressed to me from four of the patients, one of the five having succumbed in the course of last month. Thig unfortunate -patient since the beginning of the treatment had Buffered from two attaois of influenza, a disease which, to say the leaßt, did not tend to facilitate the cure of the cancer. Of course Count Mattei never claimed to be able to cure every case of cancer, and the faot that one of the five patients has succumbed is only conclusive, however, as to the inability of the remedies to cure that particular case. But the inquiry in the second stage is not concerned with possibilities of cure, but solely with the efficacy of the remedies to alleviate the pain and minister to the happiness of the sufferers from this terrible disease. The nurse who attended Mra B. as she neared her end, writes as follows : — " Mrs B. had a very quiet death. I found the blue electricity very good, five drops on a wet pad stops palpitation. Two dropß in a little water taken inwardly relieves pain in the breast." The other patients, including one in whom the oanoer was reputed to be making rapid progress, all report themselves as benefiting by the treatment up to July 28. As before, I only übg the initials of the patients. J. L. writes :— •' lam pleased to tell you that my general health is good, that the cancer in my breast is causing me no pain, and that I am perfectly able to discharge my household duties. lam very thankful for the Mattei treatment, which I think in my case has answered exceeding well." M. R. writes— "The continued heat of this summer has made me feel at times very weak and poorly, but on the whole I keep fairly well considering the severity of the disease from which I am suffering. I am able to attend to many light duties at home. During the hot weather I have suffered with hot burning pain, accompanied by inflammation, but I always find relief by applying a lotion of Augeo, with a little blue eloctrioity. When the paia is sharp, green electricity give3 immediate relief, and I also find it does good to take a few drops of it in water." M. A. M. says : — " The Mattei remedies have given me great relief, ana my health has considerably improved. I have every faith in the treatment." C. L. reports:— "l am pleased to say that I. remain in quite as good health as I did when writing laßt. As I then stated, my health has greatly improved sinoe using the Mattel remedies. I used to suffer from poor health and severe indigestion. I still have no pain from the cancer, and am not troubled by it." These letters are clear enough. Admitting, as the doctors would tell us, that the patients are no j udges of the progress of their disease, they at least are the beßt authorities as to the extent to which they suffer or are free from suffering. So far as the test caseß go, they certainly appear to justify all that has been done to bring the remedies before the attention of the public To those who may be disposed to deny that any good has been achieved, because the alleviation of agony has not also been accompanied by the cure of the disease, it is enough to say that: they evidently have never known what it is to nurse any one dying of cancer. A remedy which would enable all cancer patients to die painlessly wonld be a greater boon to the world than a medicine which cured 10 per cent of the cases and left the other 90 per cent to suffer without any alleviation of their torment.