THE CANCER INCREASE IS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 69, 15 December 1923, Page 15

THE CANCER INCREASE IS

Almost world-wide. It is an invasion of human life. The cancer deaths per 10,000 of the population were two in 1875 and were nine in 1920. That is to say, in forty-five years they increased by 350 per cent. The above are New Zealand’s figures. United Kingdom figures show that the deaths per million of the population were, in 1828-42, 173; in 1921, 1215. As a British authority observes, it is like A Sum In Compound Interest.

let us suppose that be so. In that case, if the sufferer must travel, it is far better for him to travel to a Radium Department at the Wellington Hospital than to the Dunedin Hospital. Hear what is stated on this point by the highest medical authority, the Wellington Division of the British Medical Association: . ... , “Sufferers from cancer from Auckland to the Bluff are travelling under painful conditions to Dunedin for treatment. In our opinion, if treatment by Radium were available in the four centres, considerable expense and pain would be spared these unfortunate sufferers. In addition, their treatment would be begun earlier, continued longer; and their cases more carefully observed if undertaken nearer to their,own homes. Thus the results shc .ild be even better. This committee confidently anticipates that the residents of Wellington district will see to it that the unfortunate sufferers from cancer in their own district may very shortly be able to receive just as efficient treatment as those in the Dunedin district.” Clearly this remark about the painful pilgrimage to Dunedin has special interest to dwellers in those country districts within an effective radius of Raxlium treatment from Wellington. That is why the Radium (Radiation) Appeal is directed to the large district bounded on the north by a line from New Plymouth to Napier, via Taumarunui (inclusive of these towns), on the south by the southern boundaries of Marlborough and Nelson provinces. Whether the country dweller comes for treatment, or whether emanation treatment is sent to him, it is clear that, for the middle belt of the North Island, Wellington is the centre and the Wellington Hospital is the location for a Radium Department. ONE PURPOSE ONLY AT ONE TIME The emanation treatment is a wonderful feature of Radium. Its transmissibility singles it out among Radium agents, in somewhat the same way as electricity is singled out among motive powers. But the reader should at the same time understand that the “long-arm” method has its limitations. Like transmitted electricity—though for a different reason—Radium emanation loses power in transit; one-sixth or 15 per cent, of its strength is lost every twenty-four hours. When Radium is placed in a centre like Wellington, it may be used to provide treatment of patients by Radium (that is, by what is known as Radium salt), or treatment of patients by emanation. But the same quantity of Radium cannot be used for both purposes at the same time. IE the Radium is used for the purpose of taking from it emanation (which operation needs an emanation outfit costing £5OO to £600), the Radium cannot be used at the same time to apply directly to a patient as Radium salt. If you have only a limited quantity of Radium, you have to decide which of the two purposes you will put it to. If you have a greater quantity of Radium, then you may have enough to split it into halves, keeping half m the form pf Radium-in-solution (that is, in the form suitable for the collecting of its emanation) and half in the form of Radium salt (that is, the form suitable for direct application of Radium to the patient). Now, if the community wishes “to have it both ways,” if the community wishes to make an effective use of both Radium and Radium emanation, the community must subscribe the full sum appealed for; and in this the country dweller has a special interest. THE DECENTRALISING OF TREATMENT In the light of the foregoing explanation, the point of the following paragraph in the report of the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital (Dr. D. Macdonald Wilson) at once becomes plain:— “I am personally of opinion that each main centre should have its own supply of Radium, and that in addition there should be an emanation depot which could augment the supply if required. I would suggest that if Radium is obtained for the whole Dominion, and not by each local centre, that as a