MEDICAL CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1825, 11 August 1913, Page 7

MEDICAL CONGRESS.

RADIUM & CANCER.

REMARKABLE RESULTS FROM INOCULATIONS. THE INCREASE IN INSANITY. By IWosraph—Press Afeociatlon—CoßTiisht (Rec. August 10, 5.5 p.m.) London, August 9. A number of important papers havo been read at t'lio International Medical Congress during tho last few days. Professor Paul Ehrlich described the effects of his famous drug, Salvarsan. In a disease which, for years had been the scourge of tho tropics single injections had cured three hundred patients, and tbo samo results had been obtained in tho case of recurring fevors aad forms of malaria. Professor Vincent reported on tho antityphoid inoculations in 1912 of the French troops in. Morocco, and stated that sixteen per cent, of the men not inoculated contracted tho disease, as'against one in five thousand of those inoculated. Dr. Barlow, of Middlesex Hospital, in the cancer discussion, stated that ho liad found radium elements in a considerable number of cancer cases. It was therefore clear, whether they considered it from the viewpoint of chronio irritation or chemical pathology, that it was necessary to determine whether radium played a part in tho problem. Dr. W. L. Braddon considered it established that beriberi could bo avoided by changing the native diet from deglutenised rice to wholo rice. ■ Dr. R. Blitz suggested that frozen meat formed the nucleus of cancerous toxins. Tho chairman stopped tbo speech, and tho idea was greeted with laughter. Dr. Beale, of Texas, U.S.A., described tlio pollagra disease, from -which three thousand Americans died in 1912, and from which fifty thousand aro now suffering. Tho victims aro mostly 'women tied to housework. The d.isease had been of purely academic interest until six years ago, though before that it was well known in ItaJly. Investigations showed that it was fairly widespread in Scotland,, and thtero had been isolated oases in the south of England. It first' produces an itching in tho hands, usually in tho spring-time; lator itho digestive organs are attacked, and finally there are melancholia and insanity. Tho disease is generally attributed to fungi upon corn maize. Sir James Crichton-Browno, the famous authority on insanity, said there was no good reason in a vigorous expanding race like tho Brifcisdi for tho present increase in lunacy. Notwithstanding tho successful treatment of diseases hitherto contributing to lunacy, tho, accumulation of chronic lunacy rolls on, and tho rate of recovery had fallen during the last halfeentury. ("Times"— Sydney "Sun" Special Cables.) London, Augrnst 8. Sir James Oichton-Browno 6poke of tho increase of lunacy, which was out of proportion to the increase of population in all settled countries. In Britain in 1859 the insane numbered 3G.7G2; in Jaauuary, 1913, the number was 138,377, an increase of 27G per cent, compared with 87 per cent, increase in population in tho same pea'iod.

~ Dr. Harold Smiles, suirgoon to tine Royal Edinburgh Hospital foir Sick Children, said tliero was a great prevalence of tuberculosis among Soottish children, duo •to diseased dairy cowis, also to milk not being storilised.

Major Liton, of Bombay, declared that thwo had been a declino in plague in various centres, irrespective of rcstriotivo measures. This, he thought, was due to tho production of a race immune from tho disease and the process of the survival of the fittest.