The Hawera Star. SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 1924. WAR ON DISEASE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 August 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 1924. WAR ON DISEASE.

Delivered every evening by B o’clock in Havrera, Manaia. Nonuanb;Okaiawa, Eltham, Pateb, Waverley, Uokoia, Wliakamara, Ohangai, Meretnere, Fraser Road, and Otakeoc Manutahi, Alton, Burleyville, Mangatoki, Ksponga, Awatuna, Opunake,

The conference of the British Association at Toronto shows plainly that it is a council of war, meeting to discuss campaigns against the great armies of enemies oi human beings, enemies the more dangerous because they are invisible to the naked eye, and have remarkable powers of “digging in’’ and resisting the efforts of doctors and scientists to dislodge them. The war against disease has been in progress for centuries, and though, many of the outposts have been forced to. surrender there are still great and cruel armies to be defeated. Scientists and doctors have, however, made much progress and have consolidated the ground gained, and are moving forward to the attack of the foes which have yet to be defeated. Many of the diseases which at one time took heavy and constant toll .of human life have bfeen robbed of their terrors through the discovery and scientific use of anti-toxins, and through the wonderful powers of surgery. One recalls the very heavy proportion of deaths from typhoid during the South African war at the end of last century, the loss of life from the dread disease being as great as the loss, in battle. Scientists and doctors set to work, and in the Great War typhoid took an infinitesimal toll of the British armies, in spite of the enormous problem which was involved in the handling of such huge numbers of troops. By vaccinating the troops they were reinforced to such effect that the disease was unable to attack them. Diphtheria has also been robbed of its terrors by the discovery of the anti-toxin which so quickly arrests attacks and helps the patient to recover. Diabetes has had its powers severely curtailed by the discovery of insulin, and although tuberculosis is still proving a. most difficult enemy to dislodge, there are hopes that the serum to defeat it; will yet be discovered. So with all diseases, the war is being continued with the keenest determination and with improving prospects of success. The greatest and most terrible enemy is cancer, which has gained ground in recent years and seems to defy iall efforts to defeat it, except in the early stages, when surgical operation is generally effective. In diseases caused by germs the problem for the scientist and doctor is one in which the human mind has a chance, but in the case of cancer scientists have as yet been unable to find the cause. “If we could only find the cause,said a doctor in conversation some time ago, “we would soon make progress in defeating it.” Cancer, when discovered, has often too strong a hold of its victim for surgeons to eradicate it, and until the cause is discovered the toll which it will take of human life will probably continue to be heavy. However, the greatest scientists and doctors in the world are giving their best thought, to the problem of how to combat it, and ultimately, we believe, the cause will be discovered, and then we may expect greater progress to be made towards defeating it. For the month of April cancer claimed sixtysix victims, while tuberculosis caused the deaths of twenty-six people in the Dominion out of a total of 419 deaths during the month. In. the month of May, of a total of deaths cancer was responsible for sixty-one and tuberculosis thirty-four. The Year Book giving statistics for the five yearly period 1918-1922 sh'ows that the percentage of' deaths to total cases in the public hospitals in the years mentioned was thirty-three. The percentage is high, and the fact that cancer cases have increased in recent years shows that there is a great need for every possible assistance being given to the scientists and members of the medical profession who are working very hard to discover the cause and defeat the cruel enemy. We may be sure that once they locate the source upon which cancer depends for its existence, they will speedily carry out the “offensive” which Sir David Bruce declared to be necessary in his address to the association at Toronto. The spirit that is inspiring doctors and scientists to undertake a great campaign to stamp out disease throughout the world encourages one to believe that the day of victory after the long decades of very strenuous fighting against disease is approaching. May all who are working so nobly for the welfare of unman beings and to drive diseases from the earth be rewarded with complete success in the near future. Tt is a big thing to hope for, but so much has been achieved in recent years through scientific discovery that we look forward to the future bringing solutions to the problems which have hitherto proved so difficult.