CANCER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18182, 19 September 1924, Page 9

CANCER.

SOME KNOWN FACTS. ADDRESS BY DR. TELFORD. Before the Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Sanitary Inspectors' Association last night Dr. T. Fletcher Telford, Medical Officer of Health for the Canterbury and West-Coast Health District.-, gave an interesting address dealing with some of the known facts relating to cancer. Mr J. T. Caldow, president of the Centre, was in the chair.

■£ )r - Telford, after dealing with the etiology of cancer, said that no one really knew what cancer was really due to: no definite organism had been found constant; whatever the infecting element was it was not regarded as dangerous, or infectious, in the ordinary way unless irritation or injury was previously present; and whatever was the infesting, or causative element, was, apparently, something ultramicroscopic.

Many things had to be considered in respect of the present increase in the incidence of cancer. In the industrial world arsenic, either ay an oxide or other form, was a very potent factor in producing the disease. As far back as 1772 Percival Potts observed that chimney sweeps developed cancer of the scrotum r.s the result of soot finding its way to that. part. Soot contained a certain percentage of arsenic, the effect of which was to set up irritation when it came in contact with the skin. Furriers used an arsenous fluid and developed industrial cancer; employees in tanneries, when engaged in the de-hairing process, were also liable to the same trouble. Arsenic was associated with tin, iron, copper, azid zinc, and in the tin mines in Britain the workers were liable to get severe ulceration and skin cancer. Other workers liable to contract cancer were those engaged in tho distillation of bituminous coal, the distillation ai shale waste, and those dealing with the 200 substances derived from coal-tar distillation right down to green oil and aniline dyes. It was found that furs and clothing dyed with these i-.oal-tar dyes gave rise to irritation, duo to the associated salt. There was also the aspirin 3eries derived from coal-tar. These were easily obtained by the public in tablet or tabloid form, and were used to relieve headaches, influenzal colds, and ordinary colds. Some people used these drugs without any discretion whatever, and took as many as they liked. Sometimes they got a warning that they were doing themselves harm —they experienced a. sense of giddiness, or deafness —and they eased off in their use of them. Salicylic acid, which was used as ;i preservative substance for certain liquid foods, was an irritant; when ingested rapidly it must do some harm—it certainly did no good—and in the speaker's opinion it would be better if it were not used for food preservative purposes. Quite a number of aniline dyes were harmful; all those associated -with the heavier metals were so regarded. The attitude he took, personally, with regard to these colouring matters was that, as there was a known number proved to ho harmful, there must be others equally harmful—though not yet proved to be harmful — therefore the use of aniline dyes for various beverages, jelly crystals, jelly cubes, and confectionery should be much more prohibited than was the rise at present. Sulphuric acid was known to contain arsenic, and was used in sugar refining, and occasionally gave rise to trouble owing to tho greed of some men purchasing sulphuric aeid at a cheap rate. Evidence of that was given some year 3 ago in the Manchester beer-poisoning outbreak. Beferring to the use of arsenate of lead for spraying fruit trees, Dr. Telford suggested that there was a possibility of the arsenate of lead falling on the ground being made soluble by the acids in the ground, and taken up by the roots of the tree, and affecting the fruit in its inner substanee. The leeturer also dealt with the effect on those men, like sailors, whose skin was exposed to the atinic rays of tho sun; they sometimes developed warty growths, ulcers, and cancerous conditions. He also dealt with tho irritant effect of boric acid taken constantly in Bmall quantities. Certain people were more susceptible to boric acid than others. It was allowed to be used in butter, chiefly butter for export. Fortunately, some butter factories made butter free from boric acid for local consumption, and had derived a good market by taking such action. In Britain, bone acid had been found (amongst other foods) in lemon cheese, cream cheese, meat pies, sa - ages, and currants and sultanas. Dr. Telford also dealt with mould m cool Btores as irritants and possible causes of conditions that induced cancer, and said that in some instances the ventilation of such stores had had to be altered, and the interiors disinfected. Alcohol when used to excess, was also a irritant and led to a definite change in the mucous membrane of the stomach this led to ulceration of the cells of the stomach, and these ulcers gave rise to TeST'said that there were many aspects to be considered in connexion with cancer, and t rush to conclusions from the limited S of the established facts was not likely to lead to satisfactory results. t\t Telford replied io a number of and stated that it had been shown that there were no ' cancerous " thoueh it was asserted tha* areas, „j a y 80 ii where the timicns on f ' water was near the surface, were more productive of cancer cases than those bU On the^hairman^s'motion and by aclonfition Dr. Telford was accorded a vote of thanks for hia interesting and instructive address.