Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-27
NEW CURE FOR CANCER.
Trypsin Being Tested by Noted
Medical Men

Many leading medical men of New York
are now engaged in determining the value
of trypsin, the latest discovery in the
treatment of cancer. AS yet the medical
fraternity knows little about the new rem
edy, as 1t has been in use only a short
while The results, however. SO far OBJ
tanned from the use of trypsin have led
many medical practitioners to think that at
least a great step toward the humiliation
of the dreaded disease has been made.
Trypsin is now being used in the treat
ment of cancer at the New York Skin and
Cancer Hospital, and In several other hos
pitfalls and clinics in that city. Reports
as to whether or not the new remedy is
beneficial hurtful to the patients are
eagerly awaited.
DR.. John Beard, university lecturer in
embryology, Edinburgh, is credited with
the discovery, which is expected by many
medical research workers to eradica tie
cancer. There are many physicians In
Europe who are also putting trypsin to a
thorough test along the most approved
scientific lines. The extensive and exhaus-
tive nature Of their work is known from
the fact that the majority OF them are
using trypsin prepared by an American
chemist.
When asked yesterday what is trypsn, a
well-known chemist of New York said:
Try-psin is one of several digestive fer
ments, or, properly called, engines, of the
panereas gland. The pancreas gland has
long been known by the physiological
chemist to be the mos. important and com
pick of all the digestive organs, in view
of the highly complex nature of it's con-
stituents and its functions. 1t is capable
Of digesting every form of food-fiesh
proteds, starch. carbohydrate and fat. It
thus has all the digestive properties found
in the other glands-stomach and salivary
and has important properties in addition
thereto. 1t, furthermore, is believed TO
have internal secretion which has i'm
portant properties in the internal or in
tracellular changes which food undergoes
after its digestion and assimilation, or, as
1t is scientifically termed, 'metbolism.'
THE interest in the treatment of cancer
by the pancreas gland Is at present mainly
concerned with trypsin. It is not how
ever, trypsin itself which is used, but a
that the trypsin Is thus associated with the
other ferments and in It's natural form.
'Trypsin absolutely separated from the
gland has never been used, nor is 1t de-
signed to be- and In this connection II may
be said that trypsin as special product
of the pancreas in a partially isolated
form was first offered by American
chemist. These products, however, we
learn, are only in the hands Of physicians
for investigation.
"Trypsin may be said to be the analogue
pepsin--the well-known fesh-digesting
ferment of the gastric Juice; but while
the presence of acid. trypsin exerts its
characteristic digestive action either in a
neutral alkaline or feebly acid medium.
Furthermore, trypsin has enormous energy
upon certain forms of proteid, and is thus
capable of completing the work of diges-
ton begun in the stomach and OF carrying
it to much further state of elaboration.
The trypsin ferment has been for many
years utilized in medical practice. particu-
larly In the peptonization of food, but now,
in this treatment suggested by DR.. Beard,
the pancreas gland finds new application
In therapeutics which is yet to be fully
realized 1t can only be said that the prod
uet used in the hypodermic treatment of
cancer is in the hands of numbers OF prac-
ttioners in various parts of the world. and
In several instances. at least. the results are
considered striking, from the most con-
sentative standpoint, as to give hope of Its
proving an important contribution to this
great problem. Briefly the statement is, we
believe, warranted, that this trypsin injec-
ton is observed to exert marked. direct eff
feet upon the tumor mass in numbers OF
eases-too numerous to leave any room for
doubt as TO this fact.