TREATMENT OF CANCER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1506, 31 July 1912, Page 5

TREATMENT OF CANCER.

INTERESTING MEDICAL OPINIONS. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) ~ Auckland, July 30. ilic cablegram announcing Mint ])r Forbes Ross, of London, had successfully treated two desperate eases of cancer, anil had succeeded in effecting complete cures by means of potassium and radium, has aroused much interest in medical circles. Dr. l'orbes Ross is an eminent authority on tho subject of cancer, and has devoted considerable study to the origin of the disease. A number of Auckland doctors, when approached with regard lo the reported cure, expressed the opinion that probablv one of the alkaline salts, possibly potassium iodide, a combination of potassium and iodine, with potassium as the base, had been administered by Dr. Forbes Ross. In the absence of details, however, they preferred not to express a definite opinion. One well-known physician stated to a "Herald" representative that he had never heard of pure jwlassium being used in the treatment of cancer. Potassium iodide had been successfully used ill the case of growths in tho human body'. He mentioned t.-no ca=o which was treated some time ago at the Auckland Hospital. The case had been diagnosed as cancer of the stomach. Big doses of potassium iodide were administered, and (he patient was cured. So tho conclusion was arrived at that the disease from which the patient was suffering was not cancer. In real cases of cancer the potassium iodide had been tried in New Zealand, but the results woro not encouraging. It was quite possible that- Dr. Forbes Ross had gained a success by a new mode of treatment by potassium. Another well-known doctor stated that he had used radium very considerably iu tho treatment of skin cancers. The radium proved an absolute cure, he said, for the.cancer disappeared as if by magic. Ho therefore attributed half of Dr. Forbes Ross's success to radium. Potassium was a wonderful alterative to the system, anil its action upon tho excretory- glands of the body was most marked, nence it might be that the glands, stimulated l>v the potassium, were able to more readily and more easily throw off the toxins or poisons whenever they might be produced by the cancer cell or germ, if it existed, and so would more readilv pave tho way for the application of radium. He concluded by stating that a3 far as ho was aware potassium itself w0.9 - not used in New Zealand with the idea of curing cancer.