OPPOSITION THAT IS UNWORTHY

NZ Truth, Issue 1302, 27 November 1930, Page 1

OPPOSITION THAT IS UNWORTHY

STUPID ATTACK ON a THE CAMPAIGN DUTY IS CLEAR There are many thousands m the. Dominion who only vaguely realize the grave extent to which cancer is taking its toll of human life m this and other civilized countries. During the past year this frightful scourge was responsible for the death of " one New Zealand woman m every. six over the age of forty years, and over the same period and at the same ..'... age one man m every seven m this A -country died from the disease. ¥ET, strange to relate, the Auckland . .y''' ■'•■'Gance'r' Campaign Committee which is doing wonderful work to raise finance for "research work, has met with opposition and this has come from the Auckland Anti -Vivisection Society. This society is making a determined effort to thwart the Cancer Campaign Committee m its endeavor to raise funds for the benefit of humanity. To such an extent has the Auckland Anti-Vivisection Society gone to defeat the objects ofthe .cancer campaign, it has circularized every householder m the Auckland province to the, effect: ". ■■.. : The cause and prevention of cancer are known, but m order to preserve the sacred vested interests by the protection of a thriving industry, which ' battens on human disease, tacts with regard to the cancer scourge are purposely suppressed . and— the cancerresearchers are out for a raid on the gullible public. : In fact, this society has, of late, been persistently trying to make the public believe that the funds which are being raised for cancer research and other purposes will be used for. the purposes of vivisection. ']'•'- Such a contention ( is sheer nonsensical twaddle and will receive scant consideration by those who have been inundated with the exceedingly stupid propaganda. The money that is raised m the Auckland province will be expended m two proportions. Eighty per cent, will be used for th* immediate treatment of patients m the locality and the' special recording of the treatment which they undergo. Any reactions that occur to that treatment wjll also be carefully obtained. Some of this money will also be used for the establishment of the follow-up system because there is the need of , figures at the end of each treatment -ao that all results may be catalogued. Then there is the question of aftertreatment and the necessity of periodic re-examination. And finally there will be 'the necessity ' of; the purchase of supplies of radium which will inevitably entail considerable financial outlay. Following On that there will be the establishment of central cancer clinics and a full compilation of statistics to keep a definite check on cases attended. .The radium that will have to be purchased will be available to doctors m varying forms from infinitesimal to larger quantities. New Zealand has not as yet had an adequate nor satisfactory supply of this valuable commodity. Considerable technical skill is required to break up radium into suitable doses and so a. considerable amount of this money will also be used to bring to a satisfactory standard the supplies m use—^a standard of radium equal to that of the radium institutes m other parts of the world. • The remaining. 20 per cent, of the locally-raised money will be Auckland's quota to the central administration of the Dominion Cancer Campaign. This portion of ' the money raised" will be used by the Central Committee Executive m its' statistical department which will' Vecord all work done for the minimizing of cancer by the various .clinics in.New.Zealand^ . The central executive will also '- use this proportion of the funds at their disposal to bring radium experts to the Dominion, who are expert m the handling of. this sub- > stance, and who are skilled m the treatment of cancer m general.