The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-09-26
HOPE SEEN IN new
CANCER TREATMENT
Use Of MesOthOrium. a New Ele.
mcnt, Shows Startling
Results.
COSTS LESS THAN RADlCM
Germany Trying 10 Corner Sup
ply Procured From south
American sand.
COSTS LESS THAN RADIuM

Special cab, Dc.p~ch 10 tn. So.
LoNpoN Sept. :5.--B re- despa;chrs
from Germany during the last Few days
do no. appear to have done justice -
the new treatment of carcer ny an e:s-
ment called meso,horium. which is be.
ing eagerly discussed ~ he German
medical world Details now available
prove that even II n care for cancer has
not been found. a: least suustitut" Tor
iadium has been discovered which II
far cheaper than :hat costly element
and al.o much more plentiful. although
II IL extremely expensive II is ais" safer
4, use than radium
Optim.s,s assert that an eGactual treat
ment for cancer has n. last been dis.
covered. Even the more cautious ply
sicians do not derry that wonderful results
have been achieved. bu: they demand a
longer period for experiments and tests.
Germaay Trying - COrser Sspply.
Meanwhile pablo committees and mu-
inequalities throughout Germany are COM
peting for the scan,y supply OF meso-
tUOfluW hTedus pTouueeu' b"e WV"
councils of Berlin and Munich have earn
voted $4,000 for the purchase OF II. The
public gynsecological hospital At Jena
purchased one or two milligrams Tor
$500 Small amounts of mesothorium
have been obtained by the cities OF Leip-
sic and Essen. and public subscriptions
have been opened nj Mannheim. Caris-
ruhe and elsewhere to secure some OF the
f,.s, l,ns hAAY y.l q
by the Hamburg Research Institute for
the same purpose
Passing over the pedigree Of the new
element. which originated from DR.. Niels
Finsen's discovery Of the light named
after him. the violet rays with which he
has treated disease. the discovery OF
various Roentgen rays and then radium.
with It's wonderful history stiii incom-
piete. u 10 found that mesOthorium WAS
discovered by Prof Hahn Of Berlin.
For some time a company engaged In
the manufacture Of inca cnndescent sas
nanties has been experimenting with
osmiun, wolfram. thorium and other
rubstanc among which was a certain
nonacite sand from South America. In
the waste products Of this Prof. Hahn
found traces OF radioactive substance
which he has now named ,nesothorium.
Enormous waste mounds OF this sand
had accumulated in the neighborhood Of
Berlin and the company fastened
to buy Il back The medical value OF
the discovery was soon realized. and
three genealogical specialists Profs.
kroenig, Freiburg and Bumm of Ber-
lin. and npderlein OF Munich Immediately
employed II In the treatment OF forms
OF CANCER to which women are especially
liable.
Astonishing R~ssIts Ohsain~d.
Up to the present from 100 I" I'o
cases have been treated with the now
element with astonishing results. After
the treatment and generally within
few days the outward signs of cancer
disappear. the pain ceases and the gen
eral health improves. while u microscopic
examination. when the parts affected can
be reached that way. generally shows
that there 10 no trace Of the disease
left
The reports Of experts In one case un-
der observation show that for eighteen
months since treatment there has been no
trace Of the disease and no sign or IA
relapse. Profs. kroenig and Doder-
lein have now abandoned operations for
cancer altogether. but Prof. Bumm pre-
fers to combine the two methods. 1t Is
freely admitted that mesothorium will
not cure cases that are very far devel-
Oped. but even In these 1t alleyiates the
pain and prOlongs the life Of the patient.
The process In brief IL as follows
The mesothorium is placed in II small
capsule made Of gold and silver. In Or
der to intercept the weaker rays the cap
sule Ia then enclosed In rubber or gauze
and inserted as near the affected part as
possible. where II is allowed to remain
for twenty four hours. This treatment Ia
repeated st intervals OF from one to
several days.
Mesothorium differs from radtum in
price and In more rapid loss OF power.
While the energy Of a gramme Of radium
will need 1900 years to be reduced by
half. mesothorium will retain its full
energy only for the first few years. After
this its force Ia gradually dissipated. and
It IL calculated that there will he only
one-haIf the original energy after twenty
years.
The great advantage Of mesothorium
over radium 10 Its comparative chea pncss,
although the enormous sum OF $50 900
per Gramme Ii being asked for Il. The
Prussian Government recently paid $751;
SOC for a gramme OF radium. Public opin-
ion In Germany accuses the four compa.
nies which are anufacturing mesotho-
rum Of exploiting human pain In order TO
obtain great profits. The compan nies re-
ply that the cost OF extracting the sub.
stance from the enormous quantities of
sand required. apart from the expense of
importing the sand from South America,
does not leave the monopoly any profits
However this may be, there 10 10 proba.
bllity Of the immediate cheapening of
mesothorium by the producers, who are
, now quite unable to satisfy the deman