Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-08

IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES.
Mrs. Hartman Is Backing Research
For Cancer Cause.

new research laboratory is to be
added to Roosevelt Hospital through
the generosity of Mrs. E. II Hartman.
1t will make a speciality of "physiolog-
ical chemistry" according to DR. Will
liam Gordon Lyle. who was Mr.. Har-
riman's private physician for several
years and during his last illness
DIR. Lyle is director of the laboratory
and dispenser of the fund. which also
includes handsome endowment under
which researches into the origin of
and remedy for cancer have been GO
ing on for the last Two years.
1t appears that Mrs Harriman's
donation to Roosevelt Hospital was
one of her first benefactions after Mr.
Harriman's death, in September, 1909,
the research work having been insti-
tuted during the October following.
AS the death of the railroad mag
nate was generally supposed to have
| been caused by cancer of the stomach
although Dr. Lyle's certificate stated
| it as "oedema of the lungs some
question has been raised among medi-
cal men, who have conjectured that
he work going on at Roosevelt Hos
pital was subsidized by Mrs. Harri-
man, as to whether rumors current
at the time were not correct
When Dr. Lyle was asked last eve
ming by World reporter to give the
details of Mrs. Harriman's gift, he
said:
How could you find out what was
known only to Mrs. Hartman, her sec
rotary. Mr.. Charles c. Tegethoff, and
myself? Mrs. Hartman will be very
dissatisfied that the news should get
out, as she wanted no one to know
| anything about it. Both Mr.. Teget-
hoff and l are bound by promise not
| to divulge the secret. You must ask
| Mrs. Hartman herself if you want
| further information.
DIR. Lewis r. Morris. who is DIR.
Lyle's associate and who was also a
friend and medical attendant of Mr.
Hartman, it was learned from another
source, is to be in charge of the cree
ton of the new laboratory. For the
last two years three chemists who are
specialists in the subject have been at
work daily experimenting as to causes
of the cancer scourge. and all the ex-
penses of the physiological laboratory
work have been assumed by Mrs. Har
riman.
Just what results have been attained
none of those engaged in it will say,
but medical men who have got wind of
the Investigations and have been try
ing to surprise those engaged in it into
some admission say they have been led
to believe that substantial discoveries
of a startling nature have been made.
When Informed that The World was
in possession of the fact of Mrs. Har-
riman's gift, Charles C. Tegethoff said
he could only state that whatever was
being done in the matter of building
was in the hands OF DIR. Lewis r. Nor
ris, thus corroborating what had al
ready been ascartained elsewhere
Both Mr.. Tegethoff and DR.. Lyle de-
clined absolutely to state how much
money Mrs. Hartman had devoted to
this object.
DIR. Lyle, however, referred to Mrs
Harriman's gift last August of $50,00o
for the establishment in California OF
a meteorological and pathological lab
oratory for the Southern Pacific sys-
tenn and of gift of 100000 to Yale
for similar uses. Another endowment
of $4,000 on similar lines was for the
l"E. Fl. Hartman Research Fund OF the
Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium at
Saranac Lake, n. Y.
Mrs. Hartman - now in Ireland,
but is expected to return in few
weeks, when full details of the new
addition to Roosevelt will be made
public The building now used for
researches is on the Fifty-ninth street
side of the hospital, between the cor
ner of Columbus avenue and the statue
to the hospitals founder. the new
building is to stand on the hospltal
grounds, but will be an Independent
institution.-New York World.