FIGHTING CANCER

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 22, 25 July 1936, Page 15

FIGHTING CANCER

GIFT FOR NEW PLANT

CHRISTCHURCH TO LEAD

Unless- assistance is refused the Christchurch Public ; Hospital will' soon lead New Zealand in the treatment of cahcer.(states the "Press"). It was announced- at a. meeting .ol the North Canterbury -Hospital Board on Thursday that a gift of £I^so had been offered to the board by- the CanterburyWestland branch of the British Empire j Cancer Campaign Society .for the purchase of deep'therapy X-ray plant, and on the recommendation of its finance committee the" board accepted its gift.; The committee's report stated that the cost of '■ the plant and the necessary1 buildings would 'be about £3750. v A 1 committee^ has been set up to apply to the Minister of Health, the Hon. P.i Fraser, for_a;subsidy to bring the fundi to the-fequiredr amoUnt. r-"'^ T ' r ' \

'Deep therapy work'is being acclaim-; ed.th'ro'ugh'ouit'lhew6r}d as'the greatest ally of surgery;: in the. fight against cancer, and Dr. .P. Clenneli Fenwick,; who is in charge of the radium department'at' theI"Christ-church Hospital,: stated to a reporter on Thursday: that the plant which it-was-proposed to ac-; quire for .'this 'ftospj'taT wb"lild: be more powerful than-any'similar: plant at present in New':2iea}and-.!.l:§ome hospitals in Jfew Zealfin<Ji:ha'd Seep therapy plants; he: said ;buf"they: were'not' as effective! as the ChfistcHurcK'orie would be. " ••'■ • V:'-'-' '-!:'> ■' ' \l\"'' -vi ;■■ .. : "In this, greater; attack against the disease 'the operationl of-the- plant when it is installed \yjjJ >!be>!aVi extension of the present.work of tN'-'radium department1 tfii'd, the" appbirittrieWE 6t art expeH 1 frott': Wei-seas"wlji'riot" be -necessary. ' Similar plant -to .that-'which1 it is proposed to purchase"'i?'af present in use in. Sydney.

- "We hope to get it very soon," said Dr: Fenwick, "but it all depends on the funds. The gift announced today, is a very fine one, and, if the Government gives the assistance which is hoped for, there seems no reason whyi the plant should not be operating ht the near future."