WAR UPON CANCER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 41

WAR UPON CANCER.

THE ERLANGEN TREATMENT. REMARKABLE RESULTS. Cancerous growths that threatened to strangle Herbert Ilowett, of Crewe 62 years of age, and returned after seven operations, have been removed by the Erlangen treatment in the Birmingham and Midland Skin Hospital. Mr Howett’s case was reported to the annua! meeting of the hospital authorities recently 7. Eight months ago he was regarded as a doomed man. Cancer held him in a stranglehold. He could breathe only through a hole pierced in his throat. lie waited for death, in torment, fighting for every lungful of air. To-day he walks about the hospital, cheerful, hale, and anxious to return to work. When every 7 chance of recovery seemed to have vanished he was advised to seek the Erlangen treatment in the Birmingham Skin Hospital. Under the Erlangen treatment, so called because it was originally practised at Erlangen, in Bavaria, the patient is placed under high power rays. “The treatment was applied to me four times.” said Mr Ilowett, “three times for four hours and the last time for six hours. I feel a new man again, and hope soon to return to Crewe to work.” Dr Russell Green, who has charge of the Erlangen apparatus in Birmingham, said that in a large number of cases tho treatment had effected a definite respite and, in many of them, a definite reversal. Some of the cases treated were: — Case I. —A child, aged 13 months, whose right eye was removed because of a malignant growth. The growth returned to the left eye. Two months after treatment the tumour nearly disappeared. If is still receding. Vision has been restored. Case TI. —Malignant growth of the shoulder region. Operation attempted but not proceeded with. Three months after treatment the tumour disappeared, leaving no pain or other symptom. Case 111. —Cancer of the gullet. The patient, who could only swallow fluid food before treatment can now swallow solid food. Dr Russell Wakefield, who presided at the annual meeting, stated that in the Erlangen treatment they had hopes of something which, if it did not always cure, would give a far more lengthened life of a reasonably happy character. Dr Rowlands said that, there was every reason to believe that they had in that treatment a definite reversal of the death sen fence.