THE CANCER MENACE

Southland Times, Issue 19098, 16 November 1923, Page 4

THE CANCER MENACE

MORE RADIUM REQUIRED. MOVEMENT IN DUNEDIN. The following letter in regard to tht treatment of cancer, from the secretary ol the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Dunedin, to the Hon. A. F. Hawke, M.L.C., was referred to the Southland Hospital Board for its consideration at yesterday's meefe ing

“As you have doubtless noticed in the Press, there is a world wide movement on foot to combat the cancer menace, which has assumed very serious proportions. Not only is it increasing yearly but the ratio of increase has trebled in two generations. At the present moment one person out of eight overly thirty years of age will die from that cause. Needless to say, the disease *has been studied from every point of view for many years past, and it is hoped that the results already obtained will greatly decrease the mortality due to this trouble. The most promising treatment is by means of radium and even now it has been found 1 successful in cases previously considered incurable.

“In January next Otago and Southland will have the services of a distinguished radiologist, Dr. Colin Anderson. His skill and knowledge, however, are powerless without the necessary radium and apparatus of the latest type. To procure these, about £5OOO is required. About £lOOO of this has been given or promised in Dunedin without touching the country districts directly. So far Invercargill has not been approached, although Dr. Barnett, who it specially interested in cancer research, hat written to Dr. Hogg privately on the sub ject. The Rev. G. E. Moreton, a membet of the council, hopes to be in Invercargill about November 26 and we venture to ask whether you could arrange for a public or semi-public meeting to consider the matter. Southland will share the benefits of the treatment and is as directly interested in its success as we are, and we have no doubt that it will bear its share of the cost as willingly as it has done in similar cases in the past.” The board decided to accord the movement its sympathetic support.