RADIUM.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18015, 6 March 1924, Page 4

RADIUM.

DIFFUSION OF EFFORT DEPRECATED.

(special to "the pbess.") AUCKLAND, March 5. A warning against too great diffusion of effort in the provision of radium institutes for the treatment oF cancer was issued by a leading New Zealand authority, who is at present in Auckland attending the Medical Conference. He said there were already proposals afoot to establish radium institutes at Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Wanganui. To have so many institutes, all working independently, would not only Be unnecessary and wasteful, but it would prevent that concentration of study that would .be possible in central and highly efficient hospitals. A suggestion had been made that all Hospital Boards at their forthcoming conference should decide in what way New Zealand could best bo supplied with an adequate amount of radium at a reasonable cost, and how patients could get adequate treatment. The suggestion was not unreasonable. if cancer and radium institutes were established, one' in each island, say at Palmerston North and Timaru, two could adequately serve both islands. Experts in the use of radium would still be available in each centre, and from the two central institutes emanation could be sent to all parts of both islands. The advantage of such concentration of effort 'in the treatment of cancer alone was obvious. Cancer was the chief cause of death in New Zealand to-day. Every aspect of the dread disease should therefore be studied, with special reference to its cause. If research work, were undertaken, and uniform methods and modern treatment carefully applied in the institute focusing all the activities over a large area, more information and more reliable clata would be obtained as to methods of treatment. Discussing sources of radium stipply, an Australian delegate mentioned the valuable deposits of radium and rare earth minerals recently discovered at Mount Painter, 400 miles north of Adelaide. Sir Douglas Mawson and the whole scientific staff of the Adelaide University had been engaged this summer testing the ores, and their' conclusion indicated that ono of the most valuable and extensive radium bearing fields in the world had been located. A company was being launched to exploit the area, and the results, it was hoped, would have an important bearing on future supplies of radium.