CANCER RESEARCH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 4403, 11 October 1934, Page 4

CANCER RESEARCH.

GERMAN. DOCTOR’S CLAIM.

Dr. Wilhelm von Brelnner, of the National Institute for Biology, Berlin, claims.to have discovered the cancer germ, to have isolated it, and do he able to remove it from the blood of apparently healthy persons, before there are any signs of disease. He further claims that, after the tumours have been removed by operation, he can prevent them, growing again. Dr. von Brehmer states that he reached his conclusions in 1032, but that he decided, before publishing them, to have them thoroughly tested by authoritative scientists. By arrangement with the Prussian Welfare Ministry, which was then the competent authority, the task was confided to Dr. Victor Schilling, with the assistance of the bacteriologists, Dr. C. Bonier and Dr. 0. Janeko. After two years of painstaking testing, Dr. Schilling has published his results. According to the Berlin correspondent of the Times, Dr. von Brehmer started from the assumption that cancer was caused by bacteria, and not by an irritant, and followed certain experiments of Robert Koch, who had suspected certain micro-organisms of being the cancer bacteria, but had not succeeded, in cultivating them. The bacteria discovered, by him, to which he has given the name of siphonospora polymorpha, have two characteristics. They cling so closely to the red blood corpuscles that they have to be detached by special injections, in order to be made visible, and they flourish only in an alkaline medium. In Dr. von Brehmer’s opinion, other scientists have observed his bacteria, but failed] 'to cultivate them, through using the wrong medium. Having established the importance of the alkaline medium, Dr. von Brehmer proceeded to a number of complicated investigations into the content of the blood. He found improved means of measuring the content, and discovered that there was not, as had been accepted, an average content slightly on the alkaline side, for the blood of the normal man, but that it varied distinctly with age, the blood giving an acid reaction in children and an increasingly alkaline reaction with advancing age.

Dr. von Brehmer’s discovery, combined with his observation that cancer occurs only where the blood had a strong alkaline content, seemed to throw light on the fact that cancer occurs more especially in older people and that ray treatment, acidifying the blood content, is beneficial; and it linked up with the alkaline requirement of his bacteria. On an alkaline medium Dr. von Brelnner succeeded in producing pure cultures of the bacteria. He inoculated mice and rats which developed cancer and all typical cancerous features, including tumours, from which’ again pure cultures could be made. He observed seven stages in the development of the bacterium. In the first four stages it could be found in the blood of any healthy person. The remaining stages, from the germination of the spore into the tube shapes to the final release, could only develop in definitely alkaline blood,, and appeared to cause the cancer. Acidification of the blood content, it would appear, led to the elimination of the bacteria.

The results of Dr. Schilling’s tests are summarised thus: He lias confirmed that/Dr. von Brehmer’s bacterium only appears’ —in the dangerous stage, presumably—in the blood of persons suffering from cancer, and not in that of healthy persons; that it appears in cancerous tumours; that it appears in the ascites of animals, which accompanies cancer; and that tumours can be produced front pure cultures of the bacterium. He reserves for a later publication the answer to the question whether these tumours are really cancer tumours or not.