GENERAL NEWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9452, 27 February 1911, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

A girl belonging to a wealthy Geneva family has just threatened to bring about a referendum in Switzerland. Her' fiancee has been arrested on what sho considers unjust grounds, and sho threatens,., if lie is not released, to obtain tho necessary 30,000 signatures, and refer the matter t\> the Whole nation. The healthiest village on earth is within a few miles of Madrid. The village of Cobona has this onviable reputation. For eight years there has not occurred there a single death, part of the cemetery has been converted into kitchen gardens, the sexton has applied for another situation, and there- is no work for tho undertaker. Even the village doctor has been forced to seek a less healthy place for his labours in the relief of sickness, and the chemist has converted his shop into a restaurant. Ono wonders _ what is the present population of this interesting village and why it has not bocomo the most populous city on earth.

At tho great National Dairy Show at Chicago, recently, a baby-feeding demonstration was conducted by the Cito Health Department, tho United Chariues, and the Chicago Milk Commission. A large number of babies, from six to eight months' old, wore entered for competitions, They were placed in charge of trained nurses, day and night, and fed accord-, ing to scientific methods, on milk examined bacteriologically at tho Show,. Substantial prizes were, offered the mothers of these babies, and in addition to instructing and entertaining'tho visitors at the show, it is stated that tho demonstration was of great value to the mothers of bottle-fed babies.

At tho recent annual meeting of the Christie Hospital (Cancers Pavilion and Home) in Manchester, -some-' interesting statements in regard to cancer and modern research work were made. One well-known specialist, Di\ Wild, strongly urged the .necessity for oarly treatment. It was very unwise, he remarked, for people to allow disease to get a firm hold before submitting themselves to skilled professional treatment. In one sense, he said, it was a pity that tho disease was not more painful in its earlier 6tages. The popular fallacy that because there was little pain, no danger was to be feared, was responsible for a large amount of suffering and death. Another eminent specialist, Dr. Loutham, affirmed that the only way, up to the present, of affecting a permanent cure was by an early operation in what was known as the pre-Cahcorous stages. This was the period between tho inflammation and the active growth-. An explaritary operation might be .followed by a permanent cure, Recent statistics showed that with the complete or explaritary operation on the breast EO or 60 per cent, of the patients were cured, and remained free from any recurrence of tlie disease. _ No more than 5 per cent, of such operations terminated fatally, whereas, in former years, the rate was as high as 25 to 30 per cent. A complete operation at an early stage was tho only cortainty for dealing with cancer, and preventing its return.