HOW RADIUM CURES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 17 December 1913, Page 2

HOW RADIUM CURES.

. When radium was first suggested as a cure for various ailments its use (says the Daily Telegraph) was almost' entirely based on guesswork, and in its early days teach case treated by this agent had to be considered in the light of an experiment. At the same time, considecing the tremendous powers that radium obviously possesses, there was a terideiicy to give much too small doses lest harm should result from burning; thus discouraging results were obtained under circumstances in which successes would.most j probably be .scored now. The first observation as to the effect of exposing human tissues to radium showed, indeed, its destructive action rather than! anything else. *A well-known skin j specialist, who was one of the early investigators of radium, received an unpleasant warning of its power when ■ he suddenly developed a severe burn' on the body corresponding' to the waistcoat P9cket in which He had beeii carrying his .precious specimen. Soon, however, the very great discovery was made that radium possesses what is^ termed a "selective" action on the human body; that is to say, it has the power of destroying diseased tissues whilst leaving the sound parts unhurt. . The revelation that when used with care radium can pick out the unhealthy parts for its destructive work gave 'doctors a firm standpoint for their investigations, and permitted them to use with confidence much larger doses than previously. Particularly in regard to the treatment of cancer has this selective action been the key to what successes have so far been obtained. For by exposing cancerous growths to tubes containing relatively huge quantities of radium, and protecting the healthy tissues from the possibility of an over-ex-posure, it is possible to destroy in some instances comparatively hopeless growths. When small superficial growths and blemishes of a non-can- ■ cerous kind are treated the action of. 1 radium in destroying the abnormal I and leaving unhurt the normal is al- j most magical. Small warty out-j growths, moles, and other similar de- j velopments disappear -with astonishing rapidity after quite moderate exposure to its beneficent rays. Thus it is that this marvellous agent appears'to. have some of the essential j characteristics of life-force itself— that mysterious power of resistance which up to a certain point enables j the human system to overcome disease, and the, exact causes of the failure of j which have not yet been elucidated. : Radium seems to bring to the body an added power over disease, and not only stimulates the healthy tissues at the same, time, but actually destroys the microbes that occasion s» many of our ills. So that, broadly speaking, radium may he said to cure in three ways. First, by destroying diseaseprocesses which are exposed to it; secondly, by killing germs; and, thirdly, when taken internally, by stirring up the fires of life throughout the whole system. - And it is in this last connection that the next great advances will probably be made, for radium water is not difficult to obtain, and since so many constitutional, disorders depend on a general failure of health rather than upon any one particular fault, it follows that anything that brings new life to the body in general will help us to ward off s,uch troubles as rheumatism, depression; indigestion, heart weakness, nervous exhaustion, and many other nerve troubles. But we have yet a lot to learn about ,the quantity of radium water and t?he amount of radium which should ;be taken into the system to bring about these desirable results. Almost each day brings to light new knbwledge which will help us to make ' use of the greatest benefits that radium confers, so that the future is full .of hope for radio-therapy (treatment .by radium), but the way must be explored cautiously, and with all the resources of modern science. In the meantime,, i€ is well not to be impatient, not to be disappointed when cure is not obtained, but to look back on the remarkable results that have been achieved within so few years, and to infer with confidence that the i triumphs which radium will score in i the future over human ills will almost certainly be far greater even than those of the past.