MENACE OF CANCER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18223, 17 October 1922, Page 9

MENACE OF CANCER.

A PRESSING PROBLEM. IMMUNITY OF JEWS. Cancer is a disease, the ravages of which have called for investigation in the Dominion, and it still remains one- of the most important problems of medical research. As Dr. W. E. Herbert remarked in an address an the " Prevention of Disease," in Wellington last week, the cancer problem is undoubtedly one of the most urgent thai confronts the medical protession to-day. "There can bo no doubt," he said, "thai it ifl rapidly on the increase in all civilised countries, and the more ' civilised,' th« higher the incidence of cancer. Up to the present, the exact causation has baffled scientific investigators, in spite of the fad that perhaps more money is being spent on its investigation and the best brains ol scientific medicine are being employed or it. Although I grant that until we "fine the exact causative agent this disease maj baffle our control, yet, I maintain,_ anc have maintained for years, that it is nc reason why we should do nothing in this country in order to find out why Uk people are so frequently afflicted with th< disease in certain parts of the body. "It must be nearly 12 years ago smc< I (suggested to the Public Health authori ties that a special report should be furn ished on every death occurring from can oer," added Dr. Herbert. "This woulc not be a costly procedure, and I have yel to learn that the collective knowledgt derived from a careful analysis of so man; deaths would not lead to some advance, o: be of acrme assistance, m enabling tis U set at our own peculiar faults in * ev Zealand, which it is futile to expect th< Cancer Research Society to do, or anj other body. For instance I have beei unable to ascertain accurately the deatl rate from cancer among the Jews ol Win countrv, but from information supplied m« bv the Rabbis in the various centres, . am inclined to believe their death ratis lower than that of the rest of the nopu lation. lam quite willing to concede tha medical literature is not devoid of in for mation on this subject, off a most con flic liner nature from various parts of th< world but I would be tbankg.l for defimt, information regarding New Zealand. Oni Rabbi informs me that m a larro antre durinir years' work in that loca-ity, hi SL imow of onto four deatlh, from among his parishioners. Another, in ai wea larger centre, with a much large proportion of members of the has. during the same i.e., 40 yeais records of only ten deaths.