RADIUM FOR CANCER

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 73, 24 September 1923, Page 8

RADIUM FOR CANCER

NECESSITY

EQUIPMENT FOR EACH CENTRE

.RELIEF FOR SUFFERERS.

Eadium treatirieat for the alleviation, if not the cure, of cancer has been much discussed in Wellington lately. There ia a widespread awakening to the grave i.icreaso in the prevalence of cancer in recent years. While it is not pretended by the medical profession that a satisfactory curative procedure, has yet been found, it is generally admitted that the discharged from radium is a mosL powerful remedy for the most distressing features of the disease. The organisers of Health Week have the subject under consideration with'a view to a; nil discussion of th^ question of having radium treatment made available' in Wellington. The subject fig-Tires'-V-in the. programme of lectures arranged by the Medical '.Committee for Health Week, which'is the first week in October.

Dr. 0. E.. Maguire, superintendent of the Auckland Hospital, was in Wellington -during the week-end, and, in conversation with a "Post" representative, strongly urged the importance of radium as part of,< the equipment of all important hospitals. „-.V-There was »a movement throughout New Zealand, he .said, for the acquisition of radium; and his own opinion was that there should be an establishment in- each of the four centres. There- -was an idea that, on account of ths expense, one institution might be made to serve the whole Dominion, but it .'had. not been found satisfactory. The 1 institution in DuneUin had not enough radium to produce a iargeii-enough-supply'of emanations to enable its?benefit to be extended over the country;, and-the time of transmission ..over long 'distances was such that the emanations lost much of their po-tency-before the patients were reached.

:| COST-OF EQUIPMENT. ' The' eqtiijnnent required, Dr. Maguire said,,included for satisfactory results at least."onß gramme .(about 15 grains) of radium."; Actually the metal itself'was not used, as it was very unstable, and a salt,.either the bromide'or the sulphate was SeptV.Thir-gave- off "the "ffianations,- and 'the. equipment included apparatus for {he collection'of these products, into . suitable . receptacles;- which vere^majl,.glass'tubes, 'sealed up, and used .by introducing them into the aflectedMaasues. Radium now cbst'about £17,000 per-gramme,'including the necessary apparatus. 'Only "a small"4>ecial staff "ttas necessary, consisting of a phyDicist^to see-to,.the-collection of the emanations,<-and-a radiologist' to advise as tooths- .use"<3f the "treatment. About £20,000 would be 1 ample to ■'establish the installation. The ■ emanations would be distributed, to. medical practitioners, who desired to,use them for cases suitable for the treatment..;,.. .(. . , ... ....

EfFIOAOY OF TREATMENT. ;' It .yas beyond doubt, Dr. Maguire ■went;-on, that-radium,Jhad^a marvellous" erfectrfbn the-treatmeni of certain ; condi-? tions^and.Jfs "usefulness was not confin--ed to*cancerr -Profefesof Barnetf, -Profesfior of Surgery in Dunedin, had had a large, experience of its-use, and was en-: thußiajtic about it. The Radium Institute London handled TaundreSs of cases;;; and its periodical reports showed 1. t!'2t-fee results wer3. undoubtedly good. Althou^ii:^uS-"'clirtar?'lome w'casesr'il' n.qt_cure.. i ,a.lj.ji ,bjit,jv-hpn.it. di^,.jiotcure, it alleviated the condition of the patient so much that it made his later years more bearable than without the treatment. ' If,:had great effect on relieving pain.; it. caused hemorrhage to ceneci," cleared, up--foul discharges, and rnade>the general., condition of the patient better';:..ln .addition to its use in ♦he tje^tmerit-.of. cancer, radium . was vevy effect-ire.-in'certain.- 1 forms of goitre, and was used'for'cataract and various skin "disease^. -„./.. "'■' ' /•nubT: tiEdN^ptJE;' hospitals."

Cancer.; Dr.' Maguire said, was probably.la product of. modern civilisation. It wai less 5 prevalent in tha East than in the West. _ He had spent many years in West Africa, and never saw one case of carjeer there;" and indeed it was almost unknown; It was peremptory that modern hosp'italß; should 'equip themselves !Jto deal 'with the disease with the utmost efficiency. In Japan, most of the big hospitals had radium installations, s There wag in America an excellent system of standardisation of hos-pitals.'-and^t :was a''feature of'the'sys--tern- tlfiat before, a. -.-could • attaiiv a certain classification it' must have a supply of radium. He considered it a blot ppon the great hospitals of the Dominion that they -were not so equipped. . ; The outlay required was really small the results. It should lie possible to make 'ah effective appeal to the public in "this matter on sentimental grounds, ' ■ for' there were few families which had not, at one time or another, had reason to suffer from the terrible effects of''the disease.