The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-26
EDISON HAS A CANCER CURE.
SUGGESTS BLOOD TRANSMISSION
FOR EXTERNAL GROWTHS.
The Inventor watched the Growth OF q
Cancer on the Hand OF a Helper who
Was Burned by Roentsen Rays--SOme
One Else Must Work out the Idea.


WEST ORANGE, N. j., Aug. 25-Thomas
A. Edison, the inventor, announced to-
day that he had branched out temporarily
into medicine and had made study Of
a canoerous growth which started on the
arm OF his assistant, Charles Daily, after
Daily had been burned by Rontgen rays.
The inventor says he thinks he has hit
upon cure for similar cancers, al
though he will let the surgeons and scien-
tific psychologists work out the problem
Mr.. Edisons theory is that any cancer
which begins as Dally's did, on the surface,
can be cured by the introduction Of fresh
blood from healthy subject into the blood
Of the person affected. He asserts that
cancer resulting from burns produced by
exposure to radium is in the same class az
that started by Rontgen rays.
Dally's malady began with slight flush
on the back Of his hand. He has since
lost his arm because of the cancer that
grew upon It,
Mr.. Edison believes that if the treatment
he now proposes had been applied in Dallys
case in the beginning Of the trouble Daily
might have avoided most, if not all, that
he has since been forced to undergo.
The inventor says ne believes that
there are in the human body cells which
are capable of movement and whose sole
function is to restore shattered and injured
tissue. Mr.. Edison points out that in the
case OF cut, wound or oven an ordinary
burn, nature, through the medium Of these
cells, sets to work TO restore normal con-
ditions, and, if no outside influence inter-
feres, succeeds
The radium and RSntgen rays appar-
emily possess some quality, he says, which
Ia not only destructive 10 the tissue itself,
but which DESTROYS the restoring cells
The result is that the wound thus formed
will not heal. Nature, however, says Mr..
Edison, does her best, even under these
adverse conditions.
When the restoring cells in the neigh
borhood Of the injury fail TO heal the
wound there il Immediately rush of
TO the seat of the trouble. There then
seems to be an improvement. but it is only
apparent.
Soon a mass of reddish granulations,
which soon grow to a large size, is seen on
the surface and presently develop into
what Is known az rose cancer" All this
time there is steady influx OF restoring
deprived of the cells Then the disc ase
has obtained full sway.
AS an antidote to this, Mr. Edison says,
he believes that the introduction of the
blood of IL perfectly healthy person, UNI
tainted by cancer or other malignant dis
ease, will provide enough strong, reproduo-
tive cells to overcome the injury. He
says that the necessary operations would be
very simple. Some blood from the healthy
subject could be drawn off into a sterile
hypodermic syringe and then injected
into the body OF the affected person in the
region OF the part affected. The seat of
the disease would then be attacked by
unoontaminated germs, as 1t were, possess
ing the strength to conquer the malady,
Mr.. Edison was asked if he had considered
the cure of cancer developed in an organ
in the interior of the body of person who
had never been exposed to rays The
course Of treatment to be pursued in treat
ing internal cancers was, said Mr., Edison,
n question TO be solved by the surgeons
He dsowned any knowledge of what could
be done in that case.
Mr. Edison says he does not intend TO
do anyt hing to work out his theory. That,
he said. was a matter for the surgeon and
scientific Psychologist.
Perhaps it is rather daring theory"
he said, "and 1t may take man of courage
TO work it out, but really believe that the
idea is entirely tenable and will work out
hat way