THE CANCER SCOURGE

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1929, Page 2

THE CANCER SCOURGE

A NEW SIDE REVEALED. DR CHERRY’S STRANGE THEORY. Dr Thomas Cherry, whose strange theory that cancer flourishes where T.B. has been fought and beaten, sprang a bombshell at the Medical Congress in Sydney recently. This was the result, just to hand, of human cancer apparently cured by tuberculin injections, vouched for by Professor Raymond Pearl, the well-known American authority. His own theory, said Dr Cherry, first occurred to him many years ago, when ne was professor of bacteriology at Mel bourne University. Professor H. B. Allen was then professor of pathology, and he remarked to Dr Cherry how rare it was to find (on post-mortem; T.B. and cancer in the same patient. So rare was it that specimens showing both diseases were preserved in the museum as curios. “HANGERS-ON” TELL STORY. Dr Cherry then delved into the death statistics of England, going back as far as 1850, and was able to trace an antagonism between cancer and T.B.

He found this even in statistical classes which showed high death rates from both. Loafers 'and hangers-on round hotels, for instance. At early ages these had high T.B. mortality; later, high cancer mortality. Living unhealthy lives, they were exposed to T.B. infection, and those who acquired immunity were just those who later suffered from cancer.

Dr Cherry then quoted the work of Professor Raymond Pearl, of America, who was the world’s leading authority on £he statistics of-disease in population, and their significance.

After analysis of an enormous number of U.S.A. cancer and T.B. figures, he came to the same conclusion—thai cancer and T.B. represented antagonistic processes. Finally there is just to hand experi--raqntal proof-in seven cases, which flight be described as “super-cancer” ■pages. . ■

o:. Each. of these had been operated on ,for cancer, the growth removed, and '■identified as malignant. The cancer •Jiad recurred and waa again removed, -and again recurred.

-The patients were then pronounced ' Each Was then given injection of tuberculin (a vaccine of dead T.B germs). - All are believed to be alive tq-day. , Two have disappeared; two have gohe back to work cured; three are rapidly regaining health. , i As Dr Cherry concluded, a new side of the cancer question has suddenly been revealed, fraught with many possibilities.