DIETING FOE CANCER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18664, 21 March 1924, Page 6

DIETING FOE CANCER.

ONLY A PALLIATIVE.

SAID TO ALLEVIATE PAIN.

Inquiries were received recently by Dr. E. Angus Johnson, city health officer of Adelaide, for particulars of Dr. S. Monckton Copeman's suggested dietary for cancer. Dr. Johnson wrote to Dr. Oopeman in. London, and has received a copy of the English practitioner's dietary, together with a brief memorandum for the information of medical men. •

The memorandum states that this dietetic method could only be regarded as a palliative and not as likely to afford a cure for the disease. Moreover, it was useless to expect it to prove of service in advanced or rapidly advancing stages Of the disease, or where, owing to affection |of the mouth, tongue, jaws or oesophagus, the patient was unable to masticate' or swallow solid food.

In a certain proportion of less advanced or chronic cases its use had apparently afforded patients some increased expectation of life, together with more or less complete alleviation of pain. In view; of the results already obtained, the adoption of the dietary after operation (and also, perhaps, in certain instances, for some period beforehand) may not unreasonably be expected to afford additional safeguard against possible recurrence of the disease. The dietary as suggested by Dr. Copcman sets out that the following foodstuffs are allowed:—White or brown bread, toast and flour, margarine (free from animal fat, lard; suet (free from animal fat); white fish (if fried use olive or other vegetable oil), marmite (yeast extract), flavoured, alone or as a basis of vegetable soups; bacon, ham, rice, cornflour, arrowroot, tapioca, sago, semolina, porridge, macaroni and its products, separated milk, cheese (skim milk, such as Dutch), sugar, treacle, honey, jams, marmalade, gelatine, root vegetables, tomatoes, cabbage, and other green vegetables (preferably steamed), celery, raw or cooked, salads of lettuce and other Uncooked vegetables, such as ; watercress, endive,. chicory, dandelion _m good quantity daily if v.' possible; pea flour, nuts and nut foods, fruits pea flour, nuts anid nut foods, fruits, of all kinds, tinned or fresh, cooked or uncooked or dried, especially oranges, grapes or bananas, potatoes -baked or boiled in skin, or fried in vegetable oil; custard powders, home-made lemonade from fresh lemons barley water, _ tea, coffee, cocoa, spirits, light wines, mineral waters, beer, stout (as considered desirable by medical attendant). Stewed figs or prunes are useful where there is a tendency to constipation. _ The following should be avoidedbegs, butter, fresh meat, cream, new milk, fash, (oily), mackerel, eel, herring, red fish of all kinds (salmon, red mullet, or so on). Butter-fat and. egg yolk contain something that stimulates growth and is absent in lard and olive oil. any measure of success to be obtained by this dietetic treatment, adds the memorandum, "the intelligent cooperation of the'patient (as also of the cook) is essential. Absence of this factor has not infrequently proved a stumbling block in the treatment of patients in the general wards of public institutions, some of whom, although consenting to treatment, have been found to beg, buy, or even- steal from other patients certain articles of food not permissible un*r the dietary." ______