RADIUM AND CANCER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2006, 13 March 1914, Page 8

RADIUM AND CANCER.

g CtJftAttYS POWEE & A DANGER i Public attention being again turned 3 to the notion of radiuia. on cancel - , it should be noted as mu> of the most ■esjj iraordinarj" characteristics of radium e that whilst in large doses it destroys 0 cancer, in small dsses it is capable of 0 producing it. Tho reason ft* the ap^. ~ parent' inconsistency of action is to v toe a romid {according to a «orresponder4 of 0 the "jVlanelicfrter Guardian") jn tho spee cm) effect of the radium Jay upon the [. animal eelL j Badium in large dases does not burn y or erodo the cell in thc-.flianner of caus- « J;f • J* merely "hastens iii through jtjs t. life history into bid,'age." Tita tlio uar> j, tnal evolution ef the huniaji skiji is f torn n young, rapidly responding celis'm the' h deeper layers to scales on the- surface.. g ftaeii cell begins as an active reproducer: it aad ends as a piece of dead keratiir vrhieji ia thrown off from the body. If [y radium be applied to tie skin i« quand taty and for a long period the satire $ thickness is tajrncd to old soai» and i-, (JfOp-s out,, leaving an ukw. If, en tho iy o|Uer tand, a gaiall"dose l)« appjjod,.the: ii oftect js to- bring into r«pjxJduetivo eo-j j- tivity cells not yet sufficiently matured' i- to reproduce noima%. This seems-to It bo accomplished' witiuwit muclj ageing n a-f tho eldei , cells, -frhicli appa'rontly rei- qmro a, soy.ere d«so to affect tliem. d'he lo result is, an ovefgiro'svthj or hyperig .trophy. ' ; tn . In cases of cancer 'exactly similar <?{-. m fectsare obtained, the largo doss de- - stroyijig the smsfl increasing., tho tub- Dimir. 'flift ae.tion may therefore be- esro pressed popularly thus: If in a ito.mii n all tho inhabitants were suddenly chaug. Jβ cd into eld. into and wptaeii tim pop> 5- latioii would disappeftf; if, on tlie otter M ijand, a,U tho c&ildten were brought, igufc w denly to maturity, the population iv&u.W [■a increase. A suitster sighiijeafice atJj tsthes to this deublo tiction of radium t- from tho faet that, because of it, physi- > wans a«d others employing tho remedy • u liars been .severely "fmntfid" aboat t:he hands, and haro in some cssses actually <v oefttracted esneef. On the other htfndh there is now reason to hope that radumi * ftfttl X-rgy cancers eausea by freq;uentlv : " small doses may he eured by lull .afid P, prolonged applications. - ' e The action <sf X-«ys is almost ictottti- '" cal to that of raduim, but in a, lesser " degree. Bfldiuni possesses the tdvanj" tag© over al] otter ray-eroitting media , that it is easily appli B d, and that its . omanations, ike so-called Oahijnji rays, 1 ,«r6 of j)eculiar ' 'hardness.' ! s.iie X-pay £ titbo, en account of. its size, and bulk, i 0 cannot be- introduced into intimate conw taet M'itfc iho diseased tissues, wHelt r _ nmst bo reached through other stiperjj. imposed structures.. Tiie jay, too, is jg considerably softoi"thaii that" given, off 3( j by radium. Thanks, however, to a re--30 "cattt discovery—that when X-rays i.mu:, pmgG upon a ijietal a secondary ray of jp, , specific quality is predticed—a, new'dc f C velopuwftt in Xirey treatment seems i§ probable, fheso secottdary rays, if sirit--1(j able metals are used, caii be rendered g . .exceedingly lard'—harie.i: oven tliaa t-he |y radium ray. Moreovct , , the metal from ,(j ivliicli tho 'secondary ray is to k> ehtainr \ s ed may bi? t'lnbsdded in tho diseased ifa-: s . s»e. In this way tiro liard ra.y is aetu*- : j. ally generated wi.tlMii the stibstaiico of: 3j. the tumor. fiadio.logi.s.te who have .cin* s _ ployed this sefeondSry X-ra..v. trfialia'ent |..q speak very favourably *f its resultSj es,r pecially in cases of caiicer. It, There are ; hewever, various te^hiiieal y diffieulties m tiro ivay df a unvvefSal e . Application. It is prohabfc that aiehey ,)„ speafe upon investigation of the !X-fa.v a phenotneiia would yfeli a relatively imicii , l r richer ttrvesi of therapeutic efficiency t_ tlian that devoted to the. pn-rclidsp. of a fqifliiii in tho present inflated, state qf j. the madfot. As Dr. Jean Clraiett indw If eated in his recent address to tho Bout* l( ] gen Society at the JtiddjeseX Hospital, i( j the possibilities of tlae X-ray tnuo arc J e not:. ,yet as niush as gttessed at by the ,j general -jmbHc. ; nt |UV*.^V,I!"' i iV-|"'Ji j :^

(SeraW J&cfdeli!,. oiio of Hi.o most ceii-sis-tout Of New iSealaiid and Australasian ehampron*., bowed Mmself out of the,ithlctie a.reiia at the Softth. Island clwiupionsMps at Oliaut'au last week. He inaxb. a gtittl ftnisl.i, Afc..th& close of tlK> ilw Ws ! "hag" .consisted, of witts intho 120 hurdles <lfi 2--3seq.), 440 htifdlos <S7 4-sscc.), and broad jump fl9ft. iliin.). -wd two seconds in tiro lOQj'dss, flat and liigli jump Bis times and distances registered appear: ■ rather mediocre, but reports. o:f tho "meet" juakt) mention of Hio slowness of t%s trask aiid the presence of » cold; Wvistcring hreazo. It was a fittilig finish to a Wllknfe atliletie career, Iμ [ifWitiott to the retiring .chnmp'""'s goad Tvorkj tliers wore at least tvf<7 other porformaMces that eftll for special 'mcit-; tio.n. These *ere rcspofttivclv a pole, vault of Ittft. 10} in. by WhitaW, j Ocnrge Harvey's partaior in tho Km \ Kciiland oh.a.iii.pionsliip &h> ftiid . A Jia.inm*r4hrew of 18©ft. 7ra., .by M.. Kciiiu an es-Now Zealand champion. :