A DREAD DISEASE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 October 1924, Page 7

A DREAD DISEASE.

IS CANCER CURABLE? IMPORTANT INVESTIGATION. EXPERIMENTS ON ANIMALS. BY CABLE —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. NEW PORK, Oct. 25. The College of Surgeons conducted a notable symposium on cancer. The discussion developed principally into a consideration of the question as to whether cancer is a parasitical or bacterial disease and can it be caused artificially, in animals by inoculation ? Dr. Newsome (Chicago') detailed extensive experiments in connection with -mammary cancer, where he isolated a definite microcosm and this was injected into mice and dogs, producing what he believed was true carcinoma. Dr. Wood, of Columbia University, outlined the major recognised theoretical objections against the holding that cancer is caused by parasitic organisms. Dr. Ewing (Chicago) praised Dr. Newsome and verified the scientific exactitude of the latter’s work. He intimated that Dr. Newsome’s microcosm might actually prUent cases of mammary cancer, and the inoculation of animals therewith might produce carcinoma. Yet other things might he the real cause of the tumorous condition. Dr. Ochsner. ex-President of the College of Surgeons, endorsed Dr. Newsome’s findings and expressed the belief that the microcosm is conveyed by animal and other secretions. He outlined the tremendous ravages of cancer, exceeding yearly the great war’s total deaths. Dr. Heyman (Sweden) outlined the effectiveness of X-ray and radium for the destruction of cancer cells and power to stimulate healthy cells to combat the disease Dr. V' orall explained the operation for pelvic suppuration, based, on new technique which he had devised. He declared that put of ninety-three operations only one was a failure, and expressed the opinion that this disease required immediate surgical treatment. The College of Surgeons elected 536 new among whom are . fourteen Australians and. nine New Zealanders. Honorary fellowships were conferred upon Dr. Carrick Robertson. Sir Lindo Ferguson (New Zealand)' and Drs. Ralph Worall and Hamilton Russell (Australia). During the clinic Sir Lindo Ferguson sounded a warning against excessive reading. He said: “The eyes were not meant, for reading, but were intended for use in the jungles in looking out for wild animals and searching for food. It is only within the last two centuries that reading has become a matter of course for the general public, arid it is hugely responsible for the great amount of eye trouble to-day. It has taken mankind millions of years to reach through evolution to the present state Or civilisation,' and our eyes in a hunclied years have not caught up with the changing demands made upon them.” The conferment of honorary fellowships was impressively, carried out in the auditorium of the Waldorf Hotel. Afterwards Dr. Mayo emphasised the elevation of the professional standards of service. He paid a tribute to the vork or the trans-Pacifie surgeons. The Itoyles - principle was a great achievement he said. It was a bridge leading over to _new and valuable discoveries. 1 lie medical world had sufficient tech-, mque, but needed ideas, for which the world owed a debt of gratitude to Australians and New Zealanders, who had erected a milestone on the road of modern surgery. Those elected to member ship of the coHege include Drs. Aicken arid Neil (Auckland). Douglas (Hamilton), Colter E rt ot t’ ? erbert ’ a]ld McGavin (DimedSr ' • “ a ’' d P ' ,,lhCTtM < 1