Manawatu Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 21st MAY. 1875.] THURSDAY, MAY 5. 1921. THE CANCER SCOURGE.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLII, Issue 1808, 5 May 1921, Page 4

Manawatu Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 21st MAY. 1875.] THURSDAY, MAY 5. 1921. THE CANCER SCOURGE.

A.t a period when huge sums of money arc being expended in the establishment and upkeep of public hospitals, and when local authorities are, being severely taxed for the purpose of preserving the health of the community, it may be pertinent to ask what, if anything, is being done by the, Health Department to rid the Dominion of that scourge which is annually responsible for more deaths in New Zenland than can be assigned to any cause other than organic disease of the heart. In 1919 ther were 1031 deaths from cancer in the Dominion, a proportion of 9.07 per 10,000 of population. This number, according to the Official Year Boole, is the highest yet recorded. An examination of the statistical figures shows that there has been a steady increase in Jthe, number , of deaths from cancer for many years past. In 1910 the total was 742, while, in 1919 it was 103.1. These figures should be sufficient to awaken the public to the gravity of the situation as it at, present exists. The British Medical Association has' expended immense sums of money on cancer re/ search, but so far has been unable to discover a cure for the dread disease. Some years ago a New Zealand medico of some eminence is reported to have experimented upon a cancer patient, having inoculated him with the virus of erysipelas. A complete cure is said to have been effected, but, unhappily, the patient died from the effects of erysipelas. The case is mentioned* with the object of showing that New Zealand physicians have been making some experiment and research. But are wo doing as much in this direction as might be done? Should wc not have in the Dominion a well-endowed laboratory in which research work be continuously undertaken? Moreover, should not the Health Department and the Hospital Boards be more active than they are at present in instructing the public in regard to preventive measures and the treatment of the disease in its incipient stages? A few years back the Health Department circularised the Hospital Boards, requesting them to display greater interest in this matter. With the exception of the Manawatu Board, which issued a circular confining a certain amount of sound advice, the Boards took practically no notice of the Department \s request. Is it not time that the community insisted upon the adoption of systematic measures for the fighting of the scourgo that is carrying off hundreds of our best citizens in the prime of life? If we were to regard cancer with the same seriousness as we do diseases in cattle or blights in orchards, wc should speedily be able to record a diminution in the death-rate from this terrible disease.