CANCER RESEARCH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 210, 17 June 1933, Page 3

CANCER RESEARCH

NEW ZEALAND ACTIVITIES.

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, Juno 16. Satisfactory progress in the search for the cause and cure of cancer was reported at to-day's meeting of the New Zealand branch of the Empire Cancer Campaign Society. At the same time the Wellington division and the central committee met.

Dr. Elliott, who presided, said that New Zealand was playing its part in the world-wide cancer campaign and the world had learned more about cancer in the last 20 years than it had learned in the 30 centuries which covered the recorded history of medicine. Knowledge of the causes of cancer was being gradually crystallised, and it was not improbable that its successful treatment would be discovered before its cause. At present early cases of cancer were often curable, hopeless cases could be greatly relieved, pain greatly lessened, and life prolonged. The following delegates to'.the central committee were present: Otago, Sir Louis Barnett, Professor E. D'Ath, and Mr W. E. C. Reid; Canterbury, Sir Hugh Acland and Mr W. S. Newburgh ; Auckland, Dr. W. Young and Dr. C. H. Morice;. Wellington, Dr. J. S. Elliott, Dr.. P. P- Lynch, and Mr P. Eraser, M.P.

Research Officer's Report. 0 Dr. A. M. Begg, the society's medical research officer, submitted, a report upon the work carried out at the cancer research laboratory in Dunedin. He pointed out that the investigations were of extreme complexity and difficulty. Several months might elapse before any result, affirmative or negative, was achieved, and the investigators' courage and tenacity were, taxed to the extreme. As regarded the experiments and studies in immunity, it seemed at least true that partial and sorhetimes complete resistance can be produced by an inoculation of mouse tumour extract into other animals.

At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Society Dr. Elliott was reelected president, Sir Louis Barnett and Sir Hugh Acland vice-presidents, and Mr 11. Darroch secretary and treasurer.

Sir Louis Barnett paid a high tribute to the research work being carried out by the society. It was only right, he said, that the public should know of the great work being carried on and the good use being made of the funds so generally subscribed by the people of the Dominion.

Sir Hugh Acland expressed, similar views.

It was decided that the next annual meeting of the society should be held in Christchurch.