RADIUM AND CANCER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1984, 14 February 1914, Page 7

RADIUM AND CANCER.

Sir,—A few:montliß ago Sir Frederick Treves' announced that lie. had discovered that tho gas emanation from radium has exactly tho sam,^. properties, and is as efficient'for curatH'e. purposes as the pure radiiim. , The orii.a'ftatibn is therfefore being stored iii holiow plates or glass tubes, and foriVarded to dottors in any part of the country without rh- - dium. - Tho decreasing radium is impregnated with .wotfer,. f.nd this is also producing' astounding results oji. sllffer- . era and certain afflictions. The remarkable elfocts of iradio-activity iii Oases-of rodent ulcer, cafditioma, sar= coma, and keloid are . shown by Sir Frederick Troves in phtitbgfaphs. '-.Rai dium has tho powtr of destroying di* 6eased tissues, whilst leaving the sound parts unhurt, Particularly iii regard . to the treatment of canocr has this selective action been the key id what successes liavo so far heeh obtained. For by - exposing cati'cerbUs . grtwths to ■ - tubes containing relatively huge quantities of radium, and protecting the healthy tissues frofn the possibuity of an over-exposure, it is possible to, destroy in some' instances comparatively hopeless growths. When small Superficial growths and bldinishes of a iion-' cancerous .kind - are - treated the action of radium in destroying the abnormal and leaving unhurt thf normal is al- , most magical. Radium seems to bring to tho body an added power over disaese, and r.ofc Only stimulates the healthy tissues at the same time, hut actually destroys the iriicrobes that dc-: casion so many of our ills. So that,; broadly speaking, radium may be said to cure s iii "three ways. ' First) by. destroying disease-prdcesses which are exposed to it; secondly, by killing gerriis ; and, thirdly, when takdn internally, by stirring up the fires of lite-throughout tho whole system. And it is in this last connection thjit the next great advances will probably bd made, for ra-dium-water is, not difficUll) :td obtain, • and since so niany cpnstitutibrial disorders depend on a general fiijurfe of health rather than upon; aiiy 6ne par-ticular-fault, it follows that, anything that brings new life to the body, in general will help us to #ard off such troubles'as'rheumatism, depression, indigestion, heart weakness, nervous ex--haustjon, and many other nerve troubles. Surely .the above-mentioned announcement ought to be a sufficient guarantee for our local, doctors t-o cTui) together, . and obtain a supply of this gas. .1 think ,'it is tlie plain duty of, thfe Wellington Hospital' Board .to. obtain /a supply,.'and';to do so without feiiy de'a,y. - A supply of radium gas . coilld not be too expensive- for an institution to purchase.. . I fool sure,the ratepayers would appreciate the movetaerit ii the board obtained a. supply, There ' should bo no delay in waiting,fof othd, hospitals to obtain a supply first. This is a- matter : which should be brought ,■up at.the.next meeting of th& Wellington .'Hospital Board, and fully debated.—l am, etc., - ' . ■; ;■ ': MEDICAL.