STANDING OF RADIUM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16893, 25 November 1925, Page 7

STANDING OF RADIUM.

TREATMENT OF DISEASE. AUCKLAND DOCTOR’S VIEW’S. (Special lo the Herald.) AUCKLAND, 11:is day. “There is no doubt about the : landing of milium in 1 lie hospital world a* Hume,” said Dr. C. IT Maquiiv, medical superintendent of the Auckland Hospital, who returned by the Mahaim yesterday- afternoon from a trip lo the Old Country. Dr. Maguire lias inspected a number of lending hospitals ami is embodying the ill forma l ion lie has gamed in a, report to the Auckland Hospital Hoard. One of Hie doctor’s principal commissions when abroad was to purchase on behalf of the Board a supply of radium, lie secured four grains, and that cost £501)0. The sates lor the proper keeping of radium have to be prepared before il is sent out from London, and tin- apparatus is now mthe way-. Jf, is hoped lo have the radium’ here about the beginning of the year. ' 1 ONLY IN ITS COMMENCEMENT. ’ ’ Dr. Maguire’s remark mentioned above was in answer to a query as to the present standing of radium, the doctor being reminded of some of the criticisms of a noted specialist from ihe Old Country a few years back. Dr. .Maguire said there was no doubt about tho standing of radium in the hospital world at home, and his investigations convinced him that the thing was only in its commencement. The superintendent of the Radium Institute, who was making a tour of the world, hoped to be in Auckland in March, and would be able to advise the Board fully as to what steps should lie taken to develop radium treatment. - “Radium is one of the great means we have to-day of alleviating the conditions in cancer, and it is also used in many- other diseases,” said Dr. Maguire. “The mere fact that sonic time ago in Auckland somebody discounted radium in the treatment of disease does not, affect the matter in the slightest. Such discounting criticism has been show n to lie erroneous, and, as f say, all modern hospitals have their radium equipment and use it extonsively there is tin doubt that radium has a great lot lire he I ore it.

As the apparatus for using radium has to be obtained before the radium itself can be stored, l)r. Maguire did not bring il with him. but he has on board the Mnhnnn other equipment 1 lie Board asked trim In ptirehnso for the purpose of keeping the bacteriological laboratories ot the Auckland )los| ital up to date. '