The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-13
NO ABSOLUTE
CURE FOR CANCER,
London Physicians Experiment.
ing With Radium Correct En-
roneous Reports.
SOME CASES PROMISING.
SOME CASES PROMISING.
Changes Effected in Surface Con-
ditiOns. but Specialists Tn
willing to Guess as to
Ultimate Results.

SPECIAL Ely CABLE To THE NEW YORK
HERALD AND THE. ST. LOUIS REPUBLIC.
London. Dec. 12.-(Copyright. 1soS.)-Some
more sensational papers during the week
stated that several patients at Charing
Cross Hospital had been cured Of cancer
by the use OF radium. The facts are that
continuous experiments in this direction
are being carried on. and that several
cases arc making promising progress. but
no absolute cure has Yet been effected.
Hopes are entertained that one female
patient suffering from rodent ulcer has
been SO much benefited that the complete
recovery will follow. Eleven cases are
under treatment at the cancer hospital, in
Fulham road.
Radium has effected changes in surface
cancers, but specialists who have cases in
hand say it is too early yet to give an
opinion as to the ultimate results.
Medical men strongly deprecate prema-
ture announcements of cures. owing to the
false hopes that are aroused. Patients
suffering from internal cancers have come
TO London from all parts Of the world to
undergo what they believe was to be the
certain removal Of their malady. One poor
woman camo all the way from Mexico,
Only to ind that internal cancer had not
been treated AZ yet with any degree OF
known success. and as regards the disease
externally. time alone can show whether
1t viii not recur. even after apparently
complete disappearance upon treatment.
LECTURE ON CANCER.
Much Importance has been attached to a
lecture delivered by Mr.. Henry Morris of
the r. c. g. at the Royal College OF Sur
seons, Wednesday. Mr.. Morris is the
chairman Of tho Cancer Investigation
Committee OF Middlesex Hospital. and an
acknowledged authority on the subject.
In his lecture. which was entitled Can
Ger and Its Origin" Mr.. Morris asserted
that, during the last ten or fifteen years,
cancer research had been too exclusively
directed to microbes and too little to can
cer agencies. which were invariably I'M
conditional. The cause OF cancer had not
yet been properly Investigated. He COM
pared the arguments for tho germ theory
as against the microbic theory. The for
mer. he said. was more consistent than
any other which had been advocated TO
eccount for tho cause OF cancer. It was
in reality the only hypothesis in acord-
ance with known facts. Up to The pres
ent time the microbe theory had rot i'd
Ssnced our knowledge one iot2.
Mr.. Norris CONCLUDED with the significant
statement that tI<lNc germs had con-
WINGED tisose 1910 in the research Of
the local origin /cancer. and Of its COM
parative' ourabIIty when the disease was
removed early and completely.
During thu course Of his lecture Mr..
Morris laid stress on the pernics,us IN
fiuance OF the clay pipe and the decayed
tooth in promoting the development OF
cancer.
CHRISTMAS WARNINGS.
The Lancet. which prints MI. Morris's
lecture in full. does not refer to 1t editor
tally. but instead prints a doleful warm
irg encnt Christmas entertainments end
their dangers. 1t eliminates agail:zt the .
practice common enough In Yuletide the
atricals OF dressing up adults and children
in cotton wool, intending to represent
snow. without the least regard being Paid
TO tho ready infiammability OF the ma
teriAl and without any precautions to keep
1t from coming IN contact with the naked
flame. Ceiluloid ornaments and toys like
wise are mathematical by the Lancet.
which further sounds a note of warning
OF the danger that turks In the painted
doll. which may be augmented with poison.
while colored candles on the Christmas
tree, II adds. have been known to be the
source OF arseniCal poisoning. and sweets
may not be above suspicion.