The Washington herald., 1906-11-14
SEEK A CANCER CURE
Specialists ExperimentingOn
a Vast Army of Mice.
PROSPECTS OF SUCCESS GOOD
Great building in London Contains
100000 Tiny Rodents InOcHIn3ed to
Find Some Means Of COnguertng
Dread Diseuse-sOme Cures Have
Already Been Effected.

Special Correspondence to The Washington Herald
London. Nov. 5.-Mice are at a premium
( in London just now. There is one place
where upward OF 100000 of the tiny ro-
dents are kept I'm stock" And still the
cry Is for more. This is the headquarters
OF the Imperial Cancer Research Fund,
which is established in a large building
adjoining the Savoy and Cecil Hotels. on
/ the Thames Elnbankment. with which all
American visitors 10 London are familiar.
/ The porter at the entrance Of this
building has never been known to turn
mouse away. Anything In the mouse line.
I from the wild field creature unused to city
ways. to the sleek, white, sophisticated
variety. Is acceptable at the Research
building II you happen 70 be broke and
want ten cents. all you have to do is to
catch a mouse and take him up TO the
Mouse Hotel" Invariably you can make
a sale. No matter how many mice you
may have. the market IS always open.
There is dime waiting ,or every posses
sOr OF a mouse VINO wishes to dispose Of
his property
Up to this time. the ordinary mouse has
been considered a mere pest; an enemy to
mankind. At last. however. mice have
been advanced 70 an honored place in the
animal world Without raice, modern
medicine would know practically nothing
about that deadly foe to the human rae,
cancer
Great Aid TO Science.
During the last few years. however.
since science has turned its attention
mouseward. research into the history
Of cancer has progressed By leaps aud
bounds. II is not too much TO predice
( hat before many years medical knowl-
/ edge will have extended TO the mastery
Of cancer, just as its knowledge Of 6iph-
liberia has rendered that once dreadful
( plague practically harmless.
When we consider that the material for
cancer research IS supplied entirely Oy
mice, ;,.e human race owes the mouse Il
debt Of the deepest gratitude. II science
! is able 10 isolate cancer and finally cur
/ IL through the agency Of the mouse,
/ humanity should combine 10 erect =
statue to the genus mouse We have
statues to dogs on1 rons-why not 10
mice?
/ Strange 70 say, the mouse has proved
I the only animal capable Of serving IN the
+ search for the cause and cure Of cancer.
+ Guinea pigs rabbits, dogs. kittens. and
all other animals so often used IN inves-
tigatiOns to discover a remedy for deadly
+ diseases have utterly failed TO yield prac-
. tical results in cancer research. Il was
at this point, when the world OF science
was practically stumped that the mouse
the altar OF uowledgC-ctherwise the
! vivisector's table
some Recover from Cancer.
one can pay q visit 10 the London lab
oratory OF the Imperial Cancer Research
Fund. and see from twenty-five TO
/ thirty thousand mice. each one Of which
has cancer in some form or other. Mice
Eve for a very long time on the vlviscction
treatment: and some mice which have
! hal cancer actually recover. It IS on this
extremely interesting fact that the hope
os ultimately coneuering cancer rests
I Why cortain mice with virulent and un-
doubted cancer ectually get Well is the
/ problem which science is wrestling with
/ to-day.
Mice by the thousand are being OBJ
served and treated with certan me,-i-
cines. and perhaps some day. IN the not
distant future. one of the doctors will
hit uron form Of treatment which will
enable mice 20 recover with certainty.
and then the human race will be rid Of
one Of the worst sCOurges which to-day
affects humanity.
When IL was first proposed TO fconduci
a systematic investigation into the cause
and cure OF cancer. the medical profession
concluded that the task was an almost
hopeless one. So many mysteries were
involved in the research; So many we'll
known physicians were OF opinion that
/ cancer was practically incurable. that
the work appeared involved In insur-
mountabie difficulties.
Three years ago the Imperial Cancer
Research Fund was started with King
Edward as patron. and the Prince OF
Wales as president. Among the vice pres
idents and supporters Of the society were
Lord Lister. Lord Strathcona. ex-Premier
BalfOuT Sir William BrOadbent. William
Waldorf AstoT. the late Alfred Belt, Lord
Rothschild. the Duke of Bedford. and
others. Controlling practically unlimited
wealth. ard with such enormous influence
behind them, the Cancer Research investi-
gators were soon able 10 report progress.
Able Scientists Engaged.
Splendid laboratories were fitted up. and
some OF the ablest scientists of the day
were permanently engaged in the work
under the directorship OF Dr L. r. Bash
ford. physician who had devoted years
TO experimental research.
Dr. Bashford had not long been engas-
ed in his investigations before he found
that the best results were obtained from
mice. and he began experimenting wftb
these animals on q scale unprecedeErcd
in work of this character. II was not
long before the whole upper floors of the
great building were converted into a
''mouseiary,' so to speak All the rooms
in the place contain crates. barrels. and
huge cans of live mice. Even the pass
ages between the rooms. and the hall
ways are lined with mouse holding re-
ceptacles OF various kinds
The majority Of the mice are Gagged in
small. Open-wOTk. boxes. but the wild
field mice are housed At the bottom of
great ash-cans. These mice are such
high jumpers. and SO clever at making
their WY out of all ordinary receptacleS.
that it has been found necessary. to pIaco
them in these deep cans. where. under
2 handful Of hay placed in the bottom.
they may have comparative freedom. un-
I'll taken out for operation.
Enthusiastic in Their work,
The operating rooms of the fund occupv
several rooms toipaI see~-sl,e-