CANCER CAMPAIGN

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1930, Page 2

CANCER CAMPAIGN

FUNDS FOR RESEARCH WORK. DII. ELLIOTT’S APPEAL. WELLINGTON, Sept. 1. 'The urgency and necessity of combating cancer on properly organised lines in New Zealand was emphasised by l)r J. S. Elliott, president of the New Zealand branch of the British Empire Cancer Campaign, when he appealed lor adequate funds to finance research work at a largely attended concert supplemented by a screening of the cancer film, at the De Luxe Theatre last evening. It was the aim of the British Empire Cancer Campaign to promote research into the causes and cure of cancer, not only in the British Isles, but in the overseas Dominions, said Dr Elliott. It was hoped to attack the enemy on a wide front. The problem was complex, and there "ere many avenues to be explored, 'but there would be no overlapping, as each centre would be co-ordinated and arranged under a central control. Already at the Otago University was established a research centre under the control of Dr A. M. Begg, a New Zealander, who had been trained in the Cancer Research Hospitals of London, and who had taken a prominent part in important and fruitful investigations, The Society had also created cancer elinic9 in the 'four big New Zealand cities and these were now in process of collecting and collating valuable statistical Information, while they had also purchased radium in suitable form, to be used In accordance with the methods recently shown to be most eucoessfu.l.

MONEY WANTED. Many facts had already been added to the present knowledge of cancer, said Dr Elliott, and if the necessary financial backing; was forthcoming it was hardly conceivable that the problem would evade solution much longer. Already cases that were treated in the early stages showed a good proportion of recoveries. The luture. appeared bright, with promise radiant with hope. The key tp the cancer problem would probably be found by some independent worker untrarn,moiled by routine, one who could firing more originality’ to bear upon the subject. The Government and the British Medical Association strongly, supported the campaign, and the Society could have had a. grant from the Government.. That, however, was not the Society’s,,policy, for it v,-ant-ed to bring borne the urgency of the problem personally to each individual in the community. What was v-ant-ed was an endowment fund for research purposes, and the appeal was made direct to the .people. The sum of £50.000 was not too much. Already Otago and• Canterbury bad raised £16,000 each for the tnining of the Central Research Institution, and for local requirements. Wellington, he was pure, .would not be behind. Supplementing Dr; Elliott a appea , Professor D’Ath, of Otago University, said it was a fact that New Zealand had lagged behind other countries in the matter of cancer research. There were one and a quarter million people in Sydney, as many as in the whole of New Zealand, and in six months a. sum of £184,000 had been raised in that city, comprising over 100,000 separate donations.