RADIUM FOR CANCER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 930, 24 September 1910, Page 12

RADIUM FOR CANCER.

Y'-J-v' •■'■rr\'' :■*■''.'■: ■J. V^HYE'CUBES IN ;STONEY;r; iY . : Within'- the ;past -few .months '.five-.cases; of. cancer .have ;becn. cured, in' Sydney by the use': of radium..' In the- isamo- ■'; time: twenty 'cases/of rodent';ulcer', ■'■■which'-'1 in'-' the; majority of; instances failed -■ \a respond: to ■treatment by the;X.'iray/nvero" .-.cured: by; the same - means.: •'. ■■'.' '■'■'.■■-. : . :■' ■'- : : It/must be-uhderstood. that, there is -no .radium in aßy./.'of-the, public; hospitals: in,the ; State! .Where .treatment has been, parried -'out- by. this method it has -been..with,' appliances., : in the -'.:; pos- . session of a' very; limited number/ of medical .men. V< v-l-' ",;■;',., ;';.:-:, ■ -,: : These.facts:;were ascertained;by.inquiry, among _medical' nieh "in : Sydney. Y; As: it costs provide 'decent .equipment, .it,, can .readily .be•'understood the ;number ;of 'medical 'men 'in 7 a: position'to' treaty ,by.-'• this -method' is t limited.;';: One prominent'-medical: man ;,who : has only, re-.' cently .returned f rom a ; ■ courses of l- study at;, the ■'Paris';Kadium.. Institute,;., is.' em-' piratically,-of the Opinion ■ that radium is ,au absolute'cure for certain; cases, of,:cancer.:' 'Within- the last : y.eaf-6ome-remark-: able,cures'have been effected in' Prance, and the r Government have expended' a very,: large sum'.of -money to; provide the. necessary;equipment. ;One,instrument in. Paris:.is..'.fitted:'wlth a grain ; of, -radium' that':albne cost. .£50,000.' This-.informant' pointed., out 'that .the".i£2ooo provided, for this' special" purpose; in. connection.':with; the 'Sydney; Hospital is the; absolute- limitat iwhich ,any 'institution' of .this'.nature could obtain sufficient equipment!;.-, 1 : .-'< ;.; 'fin view, of the'fact,",-he said.!."of the' tremendous demand: there would be for, ■treatment ,in an .institution-'dealing'-with such a. largo number, of 'patients';; it would heed than pro-' vide, all'''the': appliances''necessary.'■;'-■■-.: Of; course, when'l .say' appliances,: I :do ; not mean to' ihfer'f-that ; the .'instruments 'will cost, much : mo.i!ey.;. It .is"the radium . ai-rways-which-will .account;for:over.9o per ■cent.-'of the, cost. . But; you;.must'.:have . this..in sumcientjquantities : if ;you want , to" db,> the. greatest, g00d.;.-:.-.--., 'f';;';;;:- ' : :: ; j' - "The,, treatment: is such-that' an ■ instrument, containing, radium cannot (be.. usedin; the same.'way. as a.knife.; Tt.'is'used ohoneVpatient for a; considerable time,, and. in order, that the work-should ..be done properly'ac'the Sydney Hdspital;it would need: seVeral. sets of Vadium' appliances to deal'with the demand.;■-. • .: ; "As far ; as:'the; public ; who -'have' to -go. ' to medical men and private-hospitals for treatment aire concerned, -'this'-.method .will '• ■always'.be; expensive. The.oiily .way; for tho: poorman-.to reap; the advantages is for him to.bo treated- at-,a;hospital.";. .'Another wel! r knowii medical man. when interviewed said:."We,have at:least-four-absolute . cures'', in .Sydney. -. That; is abqat; .all-: that havebeen treated. We'can cuxe certain , forms of;'.- the cancer: by, :■ tins means., -Especially c'ases-'oh the face.: It' seems-.impossible,: to'-my mind; 1 \fowi: ever,',to: secure sufficient money by'piib-. ;lic' subscription" to,'..'enable; to deal'with ill: the cases-that-can'-be cured. What is. needed is- a'• Government;: grant. Hero we, have ':an absolute cure for one of .the greatest. scourges of humanity, 1 but wo cannot give relief Jand happinessi to.-'thousands .of ■ sufferbrs, simply because we havo;: not ; ';got 'the money."—"Sunday'Times." ; | '' .'■'."