The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-20
FIGHT FOR RADIUM
CONTROL Is OPENED
DR.. Howard A. Kelly and Or.
Robert Able support the
Lane Measures.
HOUSE GETS THEIR ADVICE
A Denver Plant Projected by
DIR. Kelly, Who Works on
Extraction Process.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1g.-The House
Committee on Mines and Mining received
to-day the advice and suggestions OF emf
nent physicians in the campaign for the
conservation and the Federal control of
the radium bearing mineral deposits OF
the United States
Two bills are pending in the House.
one introduced by Representative Foster
OF Illinois, chairman OF the Mines Com
mittee and the other by Representative
Ferris of Oklahoma.
The Foster bill provides that the Fed
eral Government shall take charge of all
the radium production of the United
States, and tho Ferris bill provides for the
withdrawal from public entry of lands
known to contain deposits OF radium
bearing ores.
Both measures have the Endorsement OF
Secretary Lane and constitute what has
become known as the Lane-Foster plan
for the conservation OF radium In view
of it's expected potentialities as a spe-
cfc for cancer
The first witness at to-day's hearing
was Or. Howard A. Kelly of Baltimore.
His testimony opened with the following
statement:
There has never been such tremen-
dous activity among medical men in the
worldwide battle against cancer as at
present. Physicians In New York. Chi
cage. Baltimore. Philadelphia and Wash
ington all are engaged In the search for
a cure.
Or. Kelly deplored the effect on cancer
! sufferers by advertisements Of so-called
cancer cures
Calls for Action by Congress.
"The newspapers" said DIR. Kelly. ARE
filled with advertisements of remedies
for cancer. Every one OF them is the out
put Of a quack or an aggregation of
Quacks and charlatans Really Congress
ought to pass law penalizng this eX-
ploitation."
At present Representative Bremner OF
New Jersey is under Or. Kellys treat
ment In Johns Hopkins Hospital at Bal
timore for cancer OF the shoulder and
neck. His case has progressed very fan
| and his life has long been imperilled. one
of the committeeman made inquiry as 70
Mr.. B-emner's condition.
Representative Bremner Is improving
| said DIR. Kelly. but have not enough
! radium. II ! had. I could make an at.
tack on this case with twelve inch CUR
| instead OF little pistols.
DIR. Able has patients who are crying
night and day. Give us more radium.
He could not give me any OF his any more
than I could subtract from the sl25. 00t
worth that I have in the Bremner case
Bremner is hopeful. Sometimes like Q
child he calls to me: oh. look. doctor
! can move my head better. / think tn,
| cancer Is getting smaller"
DR.. Kelly asserted there are only thrt,
grams OF radIum in this country and thai
| one company in this country turned on
| practically the entire amount produced IL
| the last two years. He announced tina
no and a New York man are planning I,
erect factory In Denver To extrac
radium from carnotite ore and to hav,
II operated by the United States Burea,
Of Mines.
| Works on Extraction PrOceas.
Turning To the question OF the radiun
plant he is planning at Denver Or. Kell.
| said that he Is working on an extraction
process. which. II perfected, will be turne,
over free to the Government
Representative Taylor OF Colorado sug
gested that the Federal Government
should put some money into the wor
which DIR. Kelly has undertaken.
Il think II would be a good idea" re
Piled Or. Kelly. THE Standard Cheml
cal Company Of Pittsburg has the on
process In this country for sxtractin
radium. 1t is secret. but we will hav
the secret some day"
DR.. Kelly then explained to the com
mittee that. once created. the mary ellou
metal could retain its curative propertie
for 1000 years
DIR. Robert Able. senior surgeon OF s.
Luke's Hospital. New York, followed ID
Kelly. He also urged conservation @
the radium supply and the development
OF every possible source to get more q
the wonderful metal.
There IL a popular misconception ,
the usefulness OF radium In the treatnel
. OF cancer" said Dr. Able 1T Is a proces
} OF disintegration OF the hbrous growth
which the use of the metal provides. T..
, use OF the surgeons knife never drive
the growth permanently away. We ha,
not sufficient radium-not In large enoug
quantities,
''The demand has served to initiate II
price, and the demand long since outgre
/ the supply. Some doctors are obtainlr
fragmentary supplies and using II al
surdly at the behest OF wealthy pati.n
) who demand IT. This should be stopp,
: by Government enactment forthwith.
, The supply must be conserved r.;
! dlum is now being bought by doctors wi
use 1t as toy. In the United States Il
| whole output. as fast rs II IL accum
: lated should be put into Governmcl
Z hospitals and only the largest and mo
I reputable public institutions. the arm
2 the navy and the Public Health servc
{ The supply IL trust sacred 10 the who
$ people.
When surgery multlplies the chanc
$ | for spread OF the growth and extensi'
. of the infection radium is curing &c
I tain percentage of cancer. Surgery ca
= not go deep enough. Iiadium, on q
!. | contrary. holds out hope to sizat
l. | percentage OF $1,000 sufferers from ca
: | Ger in the United States"
!. Or. Able proved IA more enthusiast
8 supporter of radium az a cancer Gu
even than did Dr. Kelly,
o Some of tn. cures l have observed
, he said. have been little short OF mirac
lous. We have In radum an unique
toned new agent which must be plac
in the hands of experienced men in I
next ten years for careful record,
~ restigaton and study"
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