CANCER RESEARCH

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 175, 20 April 1929, Page 10

CANCER RESEARCH

TRAVIS TRUST FUNDS LIMIT OF ASSISTANCE Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, April 19. “In supplying radium and radium needles to the Christchurch Hospital, the trustees of the W. H. Travis Trust Estate feel that it is as far as they can go for the time being in assisting research work into the causes, cure and eradication of cancer,” stated Mr. O. V. Bergh, one of the trustees, in the course of an interview to-day. “After conferring with medical men at the Christchurch Hospital,” he said, “and from opinions gathered from medical and surgical experts, we are of the opinion that the radium treatment, although not much past its infancy at the present time, is undoubtedly the best method of arresting and eradicating the dread disease, and alleviating the sufferings of its victims. “In such capable hands as those of Dr. P. C. Fenwick, and the medical staff of the Christchurch Hospital, who watch every stage of the attack by radium on cancer, the radium treatment, with the appliances and equipment that the staff have at their disposal, became research into the eradication of the disease. It was also a means of alleviating the sufferings of the unfortunate victims. Regarding general research, the large amount of money required to establish a laboratory and equip it was beyond the present scope of the trust funds.

“Even if the researcher was to be found in New Zealand, there appeared to be no laboratory in New Zealand equipped to carry out general research into the disease, and it must be borne in mind,” said Mr. BJjrgh, “that the interest accruing from the Travis Estate must be spent in the Dominion, and all research work fostered by it carried out in this country.

“Some people think that there has been undue delay in administering the trust funds,” he added, “but it must be remembered that there have been many and varied methods of treatment of the disease, most of which have been rejected after a short period. The

radium treatment, however, still survives, and is being more and more extensively used. We learn that prominent surgeons are now laying aside the knife in preference to radium. These facts, and the various methods of treating the disease, have been engaging the close attention of the trustees since the death of the late Mr. Travis, and it is only after several consultations with medical. experts that they have been able to come to a definite" decision. “The Travis bequest-is a public bequest for the benefit <K suffering humanity in New Zealand for all time, and I. hope it always will be the endeavour of the trustees to spend the trust funds where the ultimate result will be to give the greatest amount of relief to the greatest number of sufferers.” . , ' /