Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-09-11
.EDIS0N'S CANCER CURE
Blood TRANSMISSION Advocated
For Phases of Disease.
TIMELY SUGGESTION TO SURGEONS
The Results of InvestigatIons In
Connection With Radium and Y
Rays-New Theory Regarding the
Cause and Progress of Cancer.

Proflting by his observations Of the
effects on tissues OF the human body
when they are unduly exposed to the
rays OF the new element, radium. or to
the Roentgen Y rays, Thomas \. Edi-
son has formulated u new theory CON
corning the cause and progress Of can
Ger. and he suggests a course of treat
ment, says West Orange (N. j. dis
patch.
Mr.. Edison watched carefully the
progress OF the cancer which developed
from a slight flush on the back of one
Of the hands of his assistant, Charles
Daily, who has since lost his arms. The
disease had its origin in burns by the
Roentgen rays. Mr.. Edison believes
that IL the treatment lie now proposes
had been applied in Dally's case in the
beginning he would have been cured.
There are In the human body, Mr..
Edison says. certain ameboid cells
which are capable OF movement and
seem almost 10 be gifted with intelli-
gence. Their sole function is to restore
shattered and injured tissue. In the
case of cut, wound or even an ordi-
nary burn nature through these cells
sets TO work to restore normal condi-
tions and succeeds If no other influence
interferes.
With a burn produced by radium or
the Roentgen rays Mr., Edison finds
there are entirely different phenomena.
The rays apparently destroy not only
the tissue. but also the amebOid cells.
The result is that the wound will not
heal. Nature, however, says Mr.. Edi-
son, does her best even under these CON
ditions. 1t Is here that Mr.. Edison
thinks the cells display species Of in
telligence. for when the cells in the
neighborhood of the injury fail to heal
the wound they are themselves destroy
ed and there is Immediately a rush of
fresh cells from other parts of the body
to the seat OF trouble. There seems
then to be an Improvement, but it is
only apparent.
Soon a mass of reddish granulations
is seen on the surface. Instead of be-
ing limited in area, like ordinary gran
ulations. they attain enormous size and
presently grow into what is known as
rose" cancer All this time there is a
steady influx Of ameboid cells, until
the rest Of the body is bare of them.
Then the disease has full sway.
AS an antidote to this Mr.. Edison be
lieves that the blood of healthy per-
son, untainted by cancer or other ma
lignant disease, will provide enough
strong ameboid cells to overcome the
injury. In practice, some blood from a
healthy subject would be drawn off
into a sterile hypodermic syringe and
then injected into the region of the
part affected. The disease would then
be attacked by germs possessing the
strength to conquer the malady.
Mr.. Edison was asked how he would
apply the idea to cancer in an organ
In the interior Of the body and not due
to the injurious rays. He replied that
in his opinion certain persons were af-
fected peculiarly by certain foods that
caused the destruction of the ameboid
cells. Friction sometimes tended to
destroy the cells, as in cases OF. smok-
ers' cancer of the mouth. The treat
ment of internal cancers, according TO
his theory, was, said Mr. Edison, a
question to be solved by the surgeons
and not by himself.
Mr. Edison does not intend to do any
thing to work out his theory, saying
that this, too, is a matter for the sur
geon and scientific psychologist. Per
haps it is rather daring theory" he
says, land it may take man of cour-
age to work it out, but really believe
that the idea is entirely tenable and
will work out that way"