tube is attached to a special appa- | in the injured area. The tumor is ratus which regulates the atmospheric usually of the type of a cancer called pressure, and at the same time car- sarcoma, and is situated most freries with it the ether vapors. The quently in the bones or muscles. experience of individual surgeons in the use of this method is increasing, and the efficiency of the many different types of apparatus for accomplishing the same object is being tested.

Cancer. In the Spring of 1913 there was formed in New York, by a number of surgeons and enthusiastic laymen, the American Society for the Control of Cancer, the object of which is to bring before the public the facts already available which demonstrate that the number of deaths from cancer can be decreased. Cancer never begins in healthy tissue. There is always some previous defect or disease known as the precancerous lesion. The precancerous lesions may be little tumors which have been present since birth or noticed later in life, in the form of moles or warts on the skin, or small nodules of different sizes, hard or soft, beneath the skin, especially in the breast and thyroid gland. These little tumors, whether of congenital or later origin, may change into cancer. In another group of precancerous lesions there is an unhealed area of skin or mucous membrane (ulcer). The longer such a lesion, from any cause, remains unhealed, the greater the danger of cancer. The danger is greater when the ulcer is situated in certain localities, especially the tongue and lip and the gum close to the teeth, and such unhealed ulcers are more likely to become cancer in older people, very unlikely in children and young adults. In a third group of lesions the skin or mucous membrane is subjected to constant irritation, for example, by smoking, or using tobacco in the mouth in any form. There may be first a little burn, or a white patch (leucoplakia); in such an area at any time an ulcer may develop, and in this ulcer a cancer. The irritation of the gum about decayed teeth may lead to cancer, or the irritation of the mucous membrane of the tongue or cheek from a sharp and ragged tooth. In a fourth group of cases, there is the history of an injury or contusion, and a tumor subsequently developing

Surgeons have known for years of these types of precancerous lesions. Every patient who comes to the surgeon with a fully developed cancer remembers the beginning of the cancerous growth. Surgeons have developed what is called complete and radical operations for cancer in this late stage, but although the number of cures is greater than what might be expected, it is relatively small. Death from cancer is on the increase. With these facts before them, surgeons have felt for years that to decrease the number of deaths from cancer the people must be educated on the significance of a lump, wart, mole, nevus (whether in or just beneath the skin, or deeper) of the unhealed ulcer, of chronic irritation, and of trauma. Experience shows that if patients seek advice in the precancerous stage, and the lesion is completely excised while the microscope shows no evidence of malignancy, there are 100 per cent. of cures. If the microscope shows beginning cancer, the percentage of cures varies from 85 to 100 per cent. This variation is associated with different types of cancer and different localities. When, however, the patients delay to seek advice until the local disease has grown and can be diagnosed as cancer by sight and touch, the probability of a cure, even after the most radical operation, varies from 60 to 10 per cent. and in many instances the local disease has extended beyond the possibility of removal, and has become in a surgical sense hopeless.

The educational propaganda to be carried on by the Americal Society for the Control of Cancer has received an impetus from the splendid services of the Cancer Campaign Committee, under the chairmanship of Dr. Thomas S. Cullen of Baltimore, who was appointed by the Clinical Congress of Surgeons of North America late in 1912. The work of this committee has inspired an investigation of the cancer problem by Samuel Hopkins Adams, who began in May the publication of a series of articles in The Ladies' Home Journal, Collier's Weekly, and McClure's Magazine, the effect

ANNUAL CRUDE DEATH RATES PER 1,000 PERSONS LIVING, WORLD'S
PRINCIPAL CITIES, 1881-1912

(Annual Summary, Registrar-General of England and Wales, 1912)

XXXI. RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

H. K. CARROLL

CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS

BAPTIST

It

sion, the two Baptist women's foreign missionary societies, one having its The Northern Baptist Convention.center in Boston, the other with its The annual meeting of this body, headquarters in Chicago, were united representing the Baptists in the north- and became the Woman's American ern states, convened on May 19 in De- Baptist Foreign Mission Society. The troit, and remained in session seven apportionment committee reported days. Over 1,600 delegates, besides that the campaign of the previous many visitors, were in attendance. The convention, which is incorporated, tional benevolences had resulted in year for $3,000,000 for all denominahas been in operation five years. an increase of $250,000 in the income was projected for the purpose of uni- and recommended that the objective fying denominational forces and in- to be sought the present year be terests, and it is said to have ap- $5.20 per member. The convention proved itself as "a medium through reëlected Henry Bond, Brattleboro, which the denomination can speak as Vt., as president and F. Wayland a unit and express its sentiment and Ayer, Camden, N. J., as corresponding desire." It has no legislative author- secretary. A committee of seven was ity and may hot in any way interfere provided for, to serve two years, in the control of the individual whose duty it shall be to consider churches, which have complete auton- the desirability and possibility of omy and manage their own affairs in centralizing all the denominational accordance with the spirit and plan societies in one place and advise the of Baptist fraternity, coöperating denomination what is the best course freely with one another in all mat- to pursue. The convention represents ters of denominational concern. The the Baptists in 34 states, with more purpose of the convention is to secure cooperation and efficiency in the work of the missionary and benevolent societies. The convention and the societies have practically the same membership, and the societies have a set of by-laws in common. A finance committee appointed by the convention passes upon the estimates of the several societies and coördinates these into a unified budget, which represents the askings of the societies for the ensuing year. The convention at Detroit considered proposed amendments in its by-laws and adopted a plan for voting by states when desired. Measures to increase the influence of the state conventions were also recommended. During the ses

than 12,000 churches. Resolutions were adopted concerning prison reform, temperance, child labor, and recommending that a day be observed as annual denominational day in the month of March, to acquaint Baptists and others with Baptist history, principles, and achievements.

The Southern Baptist Convention.— The Baptists in the South have held an annual convention, with representatives from the various states in that section, for nearly 60 years. The convention of May, 1913, in St. Louis, Mo., was the fifty-eighth. Rev. E. C. Dargan was reëlected president and Drs. Burrows and Gregory, secretaries. The reports of the various denominational boards showed an advance, ex

an

cept that of foreign missions, in the | land, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, income of which a decrease of $40,000 Rumania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and had occurred, increasing the debt to Switzerland. Russia reported 43,955 $76,000. A warm discussion arose Baptists. In August it was over a petition from the General As-nounced that the Government of Russociation of Kentucky, asking the con- sia might, through the Holy Synod vention to consider the matter of of the Russian Church, proclaim the withdrawing from the International Baptists "as a sect especially harmful Committee's Sunday School lessons, to the state." This would carry with and providing denominational lessons. it deprivation of the right of public This was strongly opposed and it was worship and of the privilege of regisurged that Baptists are under every tration. The threatened action was obligation to cooperate with other supposed to be due to the refusal of Christian denominations. It was Baptist citizens to take the military pointed out that the International oath. It will be remembered that the Lesson Committee simply selects the Baptist World Alliance in Philadeltexts and each denomination prepares phia in 1911 raised $70,000 for a its own lessons. Baptist educational institution in St. Petersburg, and much was said concerning persecution of Baptists in previous years (A. Y. B., 1911, p. 741; 1912, p. 728).

The Free Baptists.-The thirty-fifth triennial session of the General Conference of this body was held in Ocean Park, Me., in July. The Conference approved the steps thus far taken for union with the Northern Baptist Convention; but the conference will continue its legal existence and meet every fourth year hereafter. Of denominational funds $147,587 has been transferred from the treasury of the Conference to the treasuries of the Home and Foreign Mission Societies of the Northern Baptist Convention. Dr. Joseph Mauck was reëlected pres

ident.

Statistics of the Denomination.Statistics covering both the Northern and Southern Baptist Conventions, the National Baptist (Colored), and, in part, the Free Baptists, the union of many congregations having been effected, show that at the end of 1912 there were 5,529,573 members, indicating an increase of 75,375 during the year. There were 50,188 churches, an increase of 408, and 36,027 ordained ministers, an increase of 852. The contributions for church expenses were $20,561,041, an increase of $508,578. Including benevolences and all purposes the income of the year reached an aggregate of $27,078,231. Second European Baptist Congress. This body, representing more than six hundred thousand Baptists in the various countries of Europe, held its second session in Stockholm, Sweden, July 19-24. Nearly 1,100 delegates were present from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hol

CONGREGATIONALIST

The National Congregational Council.-This body has been meeting triennialy since it was organized a generation ago. It has had, however, no administrative or executive functions of importance until the present time. Convinced that the Council as representative of all the churches of the denomination should have a vote in directing denominational work, the Council of 1910 appointed a committee to prepare a constitution for consideration and adoption. This report, presented unanimously, first to the denomination at large and then to the National Council at its regular triennial meeting in October, 1913, in Kansas City, Mo., is commonly spoken of as the "new polity," although it makes no change in the system as applied to local churches, which it confirms in their autonomy and "freedom from all ecclesiastical control." Under the moderatorship of Dr. Charles R. Brown, of Yale University, the Council took up the report and after a discussion of three hours, in which a few amendments were proposed and rejected, adopted it with only one dissenting vote.

The new constitution affirms the allegiance of the churches to the faith of the fathers as expressed in the historic creeds of the communion and their loyalty to the basic principles

budget. The Council also passed resolutions protesting against negro seg. regation and discrimination in the Government service.

Statistics of the Denomination.The number of delegates attending, including those of societies and educational institutions, was 543, the largest in the history of the Council. Of these 217 were from west of the Mississippi and 326 from the east. The statistical report showed 743,026 members at the close of 1912, an increase of 4,285; 6,064 churches, a gain of 16; 717,230 Sunday school members; and 124,654 in young people's societies. The total amount contributed to benevolences was $2,363,584 and to home expenditures, $9,307,618.

of our polity. It sets forth a suc- of the Brotherhood, was authorized cinct statement of belief in non-theo- with an executive secretary and s logical terms, recognizing the Fatherhood of God, the Sonship and Lordship of Christ the Saviour, and the revealing, renewing, and comforting power of the Holy Spirit. It holds to the Gospel for all mankind and promises to work and pray for "the transformation of the world into the kingdom of God." The constitution provides for one society, the American Board, to conduct the foreign mission work of the denomination; and for the continuance of the existing home organizations, the Congregational Home Missionary and American Missionary, the Church Building, Education, Sunday School, Publishing, and Ministerial Relief societies. The members of the Council are constituted members of these societies, each of which chooses a certain number in addition as corporate members. A Commission on Missions, to consist of 14 members elected by the Council and one each by the several societies, is provided for, its office being to "prevent duplication of missionary activities, to effect all possible economies in administration, and to seek to correlate the work of the several societies so as to secure the maximum of efficiency and the minimum of expense." The Council is to meet every two, instead of every three, years, and a provisional committee is to represent it ad interim. The moderator is to have representative, but not authoritative functions, and the secretary is to have certain prescribed duties and is to be available for advice and help in matters of polity and constructive organization.

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

The New Constitution.-This denomination has been discussing with sharp division of sentiment the new constitution, adopted in 1912 by the Louisville convention for the "unification of their various missionary, educational, and benevolent organizations and a more general fellowship of the churches" (Ă. Y. B., 1912, p. 729). This constitution provided for a representative convention in place of the annual gathering in which all ministers and members of the denomination who wished to attend had place. This departure from what was regarded as a precedent hallowed by long usage was deprecated, and opposition to it did not subside after its adoption.

The General Convention.-The secThe Council commended the efforts ond convention under the new constiof the Protestant Episcopal Church tution was held in Toronto, Canada, to secure a World Conference of Faith in October. The instrument was and Order, and adopted resolutions again approved; but the presiding offiapproving a campaign for national cer ruled that, though delegates duly prohibition, appointing a committee appointed had come, all present might for observance of the centenary of the vote on all questions. A committee American Bible Society in 1916, con- reported a resolution stating that the stituting committees on the moral new constitution does not contemand religious welfare of enlisted men plate a "species of ecclesiasticism conand on moral and religious education, trary to the history, spirit, and aims" commending the cause of international of the churches, disclaiming any depeace, and creating committees on sire or intention that the convention temperance, evangelism, and public should exercise any control over the worship. A Commission on Social local churches or mandatory authority Service, to take over the present work over congregations or denominational