Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-26
WIZARDS CANCER CURE
EDISON TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO
A REMEDY.
Blood TRANSMISSION Suggested by Him
in Certain Phases of the
= Dread Disease.

"A West Orange special to the New York
Tribune says: Proiting by his observa-
lions on the pathological and physiological
effects produced on the tissues of the hui
man body when they are unduly exposed
to the rays of the new element, radium,
and to the Rontgen rays, Thomas A. Edi-
son has formulated a new theory concern
ing the cause and progress of cancer, and
he suggests a course Of treatment which.
IL his theory Is correct. he thinks would
predispose toward a cure.
Mr.. Edison watched carefully the prog
ress of the disease which developed into
cancer. or, as 1t is known to surgeons.
carcinoma
Watched Mafady Closely.
He watched every stage Of the malady.
from the time a slight flush appeared on
the back of one of the hands Of his assist
ant, Charles Daily. who has since lost his
arms because of cancer, which developed
after he had been burned by the Rontgen
rays. to the time when the ulcers developed
and the disease at last involved the entire
arm.
he now proposes had been applied In Daily 8
case in the beginning of the trouble the I'M
fortunate man might have been cured.
Mr.. Edison says that he believes that
bold cells which are capable of movement.
and whose sole function Is to restore shat
tered and injured tissue.
Nature Restores Injured Tissue.
Mr.. Edison points out that In the case
OF a cut. wound or even an ordinary burn.
nature. through the medium of these cells.
sets to work to restore normal conditions.
With a burn produced by radum or the
Rontgen ray. Mr.. Edison declares that
there are entirely different phenomena.
The rays apparently possess some quality
itself. but which destroys the amoeboid
cells. The result Is that the wound thus
formed will not heal.
Little Cells Show Intelligence.
Nature, however, says Mr.. Edison, does
her best even under these adverse condi-
tons. and here, Mr.. Edison thinks. these
little cells display sort of intelligence, for
when the cells In the neighborhood OF the
injury not only fail to heal the wound but
are themselves destroyed in tho attempt.
there is Immediately rush Of healthy
cells from other parts Of the body to the
seat of the trouble.
They are healthy cells and there seems
to be an improvement, but 1t is only APP
parent Soon mass of reddish granula-
lions is seen on the surface, but, instead
of being limited in their area, like ordinary
granulations, they attain enormous size,
and presently develop into what is known
as rose cancer.
All this time there is steady influx OF
amoeboid cells. until other portions of the
body are deprived of the cells, and then the
disease has obtained full sway.
Great Inventors Antidote.
As an antidote to this Mr. Edison says he
believes that the blood of healthy person
will provide enough strong, reproductive
cells to overcome the injury. He says that
operations of comparative simplicity would
be all that would be involved
In practice some blood from the healthy
subject would be drawn off into a hypo-
dermic syringe, and then injected into the
region of the part affected. The seat Of
the disease would then be attacked by
germs. possessing the strength to conquer
the malady
2 Mr.. Edison was asked how he reconciled
this view to cancer developed in an organ
in the interior of the body of a person who
had never been exposed to rays.
Leaves It to Surgeons.
The inventor replied that he believed that
with some persons certain foods would
cause the destruction Of these amoeboid
cells =
Friction of anybody against certain parts
Of the body would, Mr.. Edison thought,
lend to destroy the cells, as in cases of
smokers cancer of the lip. The course of
mt to be pursued in treating inter-
nal cancer according to his theory, was.
said Mr.. Edison, question to be solved by
the surgeon.
Mr. Edison does not intend to do any
thing to work out his theory, saying that
this. too, is a matter for the surgeon and
scientific Psychologist. Perhaps it is a
rather daring theory" he says. land 1t may
take man of courage to work 1t out. but
l really believe that the idea is entirely
tenable and will work out that way"