An Exhibit of Important Books, Papers, and Memorabilia Illustrating the Evolution of the Knowledge of Cancer: For the Graduate Fortnight on Tumors at the New York Academy of Medicine, October 17 to 28, 1932

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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Nur wer die Wissenschaft und Kunst der Ver, oangenheit tind Gegenwart genau kennt, wird ihre Fortschritte init Bewusstsein fordern.—BALLROTH. In these days of world-wide political and economic turmoil, when it is commonly said that the decline of the Western world is evident on all sides, it is interesting to make an historical survey of man's accomplishments in a single field of natural science such as that treating of cancer. This is as good a ground as one could want for meeting Spengler's challenge to Western science. In tracing the evolution of the knowledge of cancer we hope to demonstrate that the knowledge of the disease has shown an irregular but progressive growth since early historical times, that this growth has been continued in Western civilization, and that during the past two centuries it has increased enormously. A point has indeed been reached where the available knowledge concerning the disease is so extensive that it requires the full time of the physician to encompass it, with the result that a new medical specialty devoted to the investigation and treatment of cancer is being created. The facile statement that nothing is known about cancer is too often heard. Although the ultimate cause of the disease remains hidden, man has learned to classify it with precision and to cure it by means of a highly refined technic in an appreciable percentage of cases. This is certainly a great advance beyond the “hands off” attitude of the ancient physician, who in fact called cancer noli me tangere.

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