WAR ON CANCER

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 538, 23 May 1933, Page 2

WAR ON CANCER

PREAD DISEASg NE1W DIAGNOSIS METHOD S ; , DISCOVERED IN -rIjssia.. SPECTROSCOPE USED. What is descri-bed as a new discovery- for the • early diagnosis-Pf cancer, which, ,-if corrohorated by further invfcstigation, may hecome one of the most important weapons found so far in the world- lwide filght to rer du'ce the : large' death-Tate'" from the disease) . M'repoffted in '"Krafenaya Gazetta," the' "official?daily newspaper of tbe Leningrad. Sovieti 4 . The discovery, according to the newspaper, was 1 made, recently at the Division of Experimental' Biology of the Institute of Expe'rimehtal Medicine a.t Leningrad1 by Professor Alexander Gudwitch, internationally knovm research worker in medical and biological science. Dr. Gurwitch contends that he discovered that the blood, as well as the nerves, brain aiid other organs of the body, emanates specific types of ra.ys, generally known amonlg scientists a,s mitogenetic rays, and named by Othef s ' "lif e-ray s" or 'M-rays! These M-rays are of the ultra-violet ' type of radiation, and- , are said to result from- definite chemical land physical processes of the- living; body, as. well as of plants, bacteria, yeast and similar living organic entities. Dr. Gurwitch declares he discovered that all the organs of the living body, ■as a result of these ' "lif e-rays," have ■ their -owri Specific "biological spectrum." Norma.1 blood, for example, he holds, has a spectrum cpnsisting ofone band extendinlg from 1900 to 2050 Angostrom units, another band extending from 2150 to 2225 Angstrom units, and a, line at 2175 Angstrom units. • • •' • ' "As soon as cancer begins t'o develop in. the body, according to Dr. ' Gudwitch' s theory, as set forth in the newspaper, this nor mai spectrum of the blood disappeaxs. • The permanent disappeanance of this normal blood spectrum would therefore, hecome a "health signal" to the examining physician, so that he may take .the- proper measureS for treatment. Curable if • Caught Early. Cancel specialists everywhere now agree that "eancer is curable if caught in its early stageS." The -difficfilty lies generally in the fact 'that no effective early diaghosis for internal -cancer has so far been found. Should Dr. Gurwitch's claims pfove true, then periodic examinations of the blood spectrum 'will at last give medicine the tool it has been seeking for miany years. Dr. Francis Carter Wood, director of the ' Crocker Institute for Cancer Research, Colombia University, U.S.A. the editor of The American Journal 'of Cancer, has said that, "if t^ue, the discovery of Dr. Gurwitch will he of very great importance, but that^ it will take a Igreat dea.l of investigation before the medical world in general could accept it. Theoretically, this claim is not unreasonahle."

"It is now generally known tnar growing cells give olf radia.tio'n, •h'ut the claims of Dr. Gurwitch that all the organs of the living body give off mitolg'enetic rays are still the subject of considcrable controversy, many scientists doubting that such rays exist except in growing cells. Cancer cells, which grow at an enormous rate, may, perhaps, give olf radiation; but it remains to be proved! whether, such rays, if they exist, would register in' any way in the constantly cirCulating blood stream." Dr. Dmitry N. Borodin, a Russian research worker, now in New York; declares that 23 different biological spectra have so far beeni establish'ed. by Dr. Gurwitch and various other" European investilgiators. These inclu-de two specific spectra for cancer. Different Wave-lengths. "It is! quite interesting/' Dr. Borodin said, stjates the- "New 'York Times "that the spectra of cancer tis-sue-are not indentical during "the different stages of the disease. The ■cancer tisshe with Ringer solution and glucose- have a wave-length of 1900-2000 Angstrom units, and another band 2170-22&0 Anlgstroni units, helonging to the glucolytic type. : The necrotic and peptic decompositions of the cancerous areja have a wavelength' of 1960-2120 Angstrom. units, another band of' 2190-2440 Angstrom units, and belong' to the proteolytic! (decomposed proteins) type of spectrum." : ' . ( The mitogenetic rays, Dr. Borodm added, have been extensively studied in' Europe, ' ibut have not as yet re-i ceived proper recofginition in the United Statds' hecause American investigators "have "not had the opportunity to familiarise themselves iwith the special 'histological technique worked out by Dr. Gurwitch. Several' American scientists, he said, are preparing to go to Leningrad toVwofk with Dr. Gurwitch.- • • ' Dr. Gurwitch further found, ^ Dr. Borodin added, that extreme fatigue and severe ' pang's of h"unger WOul'd. cause the rays to disappear tempo-l rarily from the blood. Only permanent disappearances of the normal spectrunv indicates the presence of cancer. '