New-York tribune., 1906-07-27
NEW CURE FOR CANCER
TRTPSIN BEING TESTED.
Physicians Experimenting soith
NoOel Remedg.

Many leading medical men of this city 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 remedy, 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
great step toward the annihilation of the
dreaded disease has been made.
Trypsin is now being used in the treatment Of
cancer at the New York Skin and Cancer Hos
pital and in several other hospitals and clinics
in this city. Reports as 10 whether or not the
new remedey is beneficial or hurtful to the
patients are eagerly awaited.
Or. John Beard, university lecturer in embry-
ology, Edinburgh. is credited with the discovery,
which is expected by many medical research
workers to eradicate cancer There are many
physicians in Europe who are also putting tryp-
sin 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 using trypsin
prepared by an American chemist.
II takes years to determine to the satisfaction
of the majority OF medical men the value Of
remedy, and for that reason the medical efficacy
of trypsin will not be known for a long time.
In some OF the first thorough experimental
tests OF radlum in cancer a large number of
cases showed remarkable improvement. What
has so far been accomplished by the use of
typsin IN cancer gives greater promise Of being
an eficacious remedy or agent in destroying can
Ger than radium ever did, judging from the re-
ports so far made public.
One physician has experimental with trypsin
on the Giving cells of a carcinoma. such as
Jensen's mouse tumor." After three weeks
treatment the cancerous tumOr degenerated,
mere skeleton, consisting of cell walls, remain
ing A well known. chemists journal. in speak
ing about trypsin. says:
There have been many false hopes held out
regarding the causation and cure of cancer, but
in the present instance we have q most rational
and scientific explanation OF the cause. and the
treatment is directly associated with the scien-
tific basis"
! When asked yesterday what is trypsin, well
known chemist Of this city said:
Trypsln is one of several digestive ferments or,
properly called, "enzymes' Of the pancreas gland.
The pancreas gland has long been known by the
and complex Of all the digestive organs. in view
and it's functions Il is capable Of digesting every
form of food-fesh proteids. starch, carbohydrate
and fat II thus has all the digestive properties
found in the other glands-stOmach and salivary-
and has important properties N addition thereto
erection which has important properties in the in
ternal or intracelular changes which food under
goes after its digestion and assimilation, or, as 1t
Is scientifically termed, metabOlism."
pancreas gland is at present mainly concerned with
trypsin It is not, however, trypsin itself which is
used. but solution from the pancreas gland it
self that the trypsn is thus associated with the
other ferments and In its natural form.
TrypStn absolutely separated from the gland has
never been used, is IL designed 70 be, and in
this connection it may be said that trypsn as
isolated form 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 of pepsin
the well known flesh dlgesting ferment Of the
gastric juice but while pepsin IS incapable of di-
geston except IN the presence of acid, tTypsin
erts it's characteristic digestive action either in a
more, trypsn has enormous energy upon certain
forms of proted. and is thus capable Of completing
the Work OF digestion begun in the stomach and
ton.
The trypsln ferment has been for many years
utilized in medical practice, particularly in the
suggested by DR.. Beard the pancreas gland finds A
new application in therapeutics which is vet to be
rully realized 1t only be said that the product
USED IN the hypodermic treatment Of cancer is in
parts OF the world. and in several instances at
least. the results are considered striking from
the most conservative standpoint. to give hope
OF IT'S proving an important contribution this
great problem. Briefly, the statement is we be-
IieVe, warranted that this trypsin injection is OBJ
served to exert marked direct effect upon the
turnor mass In numbers of cases-too numerous to
leave any room for doubt to this fact.
Another chemist said:
When the pancreas of the body does NOT per-
form its normal function ferment is secreted in
an acid medium in which the germ of cancer four-
obtained from pancreatic glands was prompted nv
the knowledge that the introduction of a stronger
ferment in an alkaline medium would abort the
growth of cancer.