CANCER-MR. ELL'S PROPOSAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 7

CANCER-MR. ELL'S PROPOSAL.

HOW DOCTORS SEE IT. (By. Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Christchurch,' September 3. Local doctors are not all agreed as to the desirability of the project put forward by Mr. H. G. Ell in the House of Representatives- for the organisation of a national cancer hospital where the origin' and nature of the disease should be investigated. i One medical man who was interviewed Tbfy a "Press" reporter considered that a national effort in the crusade against cancer was the, beet lift to an establishment like the Cancer Research,' Institute. London. This institution was well endowed and had the services of the most hiffhlyequipped experts at its command. There was no need for iis to embark on an, undertaking that was already being carried ■ out so ■' much better than we could ever hope to do. The institute abovementioned had both an abundance of money and material to work on, and would be able to do more in a week than we could'do in a year. While, however, there was no. need for an. institution here to devote itself to tho special study of cancer, tho establishment of homes for hopeless cases of the disease was a desirable thing.' Chronic'cases of cancer were not nllowed in the hospitals, and homes for incurables in the various centres would fill a long-felt want. These homes should be ready to take in indigent people and the cases accepted should not, in his opinion, bo confined to the discaso of cancer only. Another doctor was equally .strong in favour of such investigations being conducted in thte country. Tt was all very well to'rely on ithe results of investigations carried out in other and distant lands, but it was highly probable that the causes.of cancer were different here from what they were elsewhere. Cancer of the stomaqh was highly prevalent in New Zealand, and the cause for this was doubtless tq.be sought in certain conditions prevailing here which (lid not exist elsewhere. If an institution devoted to the study of the disease were established in New Zealand it would have the opportunity of investigating those conditions and throwing light on them.