THE CANCER SCOURGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19454, 9 October 1926, Page 12

THE CANCER SCOURGE.

WORK OF RESEARCH. DOMINION'S CONTRIBUTION. ACCURATE STATISTICS SOUGHT. [nT TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Friday. Dr. R. IT. Makgill, of the Department of Health, who has returned to New Zealand from a visit to Great Britain, says he took the opportunity while in England to go into the question with the health authorities of the part the Health Department of New Zealand might most usefully tako in medical research in certain directions. The English authorities drew attention to the absence of accurate statistics as to the prevalence of cancer in the native populations. It was suggested that probably the most satisfactory direction in which New Zealand could contribute to cancer research would bo to furnish accurate data as to the prevalence of cancer among Maoris and the natives of the Pacific Islands under New Zealand's jurisdiction. Thus, it would be possible to make a comparison of the occurrence of the disease among European native populations undor similar conditions of climato, etc. Although the authorities were quite prepared to supply the material for independent experiments in New Zealand it was thought that the present expenditure in that direction would probably have less useful results than the supply of accurate information to assist research experiments in England.