The Action of Mineral Oil per Os on the Organism.

Abstract

Leitch 1 has shown that mineral oils applied repeatedly to the skin of animals induce cancer. It is known that these same oils are responsible for cancers in man. This is well illustrated by the studies of the so-called “mule spinners cancer” and the prevalence of cancers of the skin among the workers of the paraffin mines of Scotland. Several paraffin cancers have also been described in America and in other parts of Europe. 1

Our studies have shown that many animal and vegetable oils 2 , 3 are not absorbed when introduced under the skin of animals, but produce lesions quite identical to those produced by various mineral oils and tar. 4 , 5

Our analyses of cancer have shown that it is directly the result of the removal of the excess of the ergusia (fat soluble vitamins) from local areas of the tissues. 6 Such a removal of this lipoid substance or substances leads to a disappearance of the blood vessels, a crowding of the cells and stagnation sufficient for their independent growth. Mineral oils, tars, and especially the animal and vegetable oils and fats, which are largely free from fat soluble vitamins, when introduced into the tissues, induce cancer and crowd the cells in that they are able to dissolve and remove the fat soluble vitamins from adjacent areas of the tissues. 7

Since pastries and manufactured vitamin-free fats are common articles of diet of Europeans and Americans, and since cancer of the stomach is very prevalent in these parts of the world, and not so common in many other parts 8 , 9 it became of interest to investigate these fats and oils as a possible cause of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Mineral oils, when ingested, pass directly through the entire length of the gastrointestinal tract.