New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-07
KELLY DOUBTS
BREMNER CURE
With More Radium Jersey Repre-.
sentative Would Surely Live,
Says Cancer Specialist.
IFrom The Tribune Burcsu.l

Washington, Jan 6.-Declarinz th,,
there are no limits now apparent to n.
eye Of science 10 the benefits which NAV
be wrought in the treatment OF csne5
provided an adequate supply OF radlum 4
available. DR.. Howard 4. Kelly, Of John,
Hopkins University. speaking tonight b.
fore the Women's Medical Society OF u.
District of Columbia, gave his first publ
statement as 10 the results that hzy.
been secured in the United States BY tie
use OF radium In the treatment OF Al
forms OF cancer.
DR.. Kelly declared that II enough n.
dunn were available foF the treatment o.
cancer cases the annual death roll a,
1900 from this disease might easily b
wiped out
I'VE have learned" said DR.. Kelly.
that radium may be used successfully
in the treatment OF cancer cases In which
surgery Is impossible. We do not know
as yet that IL will cure all cases but We
do know that no case OF cancer has 70,
been found that cannot be smeloratsd
by the rsdium treatment"
DR.. Kelly illustrated his address with
lantern slides showing cancer cases n
Johns Hopkins University Hospital before
and after treatment. Among the snes
were several picturing the case Of Rep
resentative Bremner, now undergoing IN.
radium treatment Discussing this case,
which has attracted much attention re.
Gently, DR.. Kelly exclaimed:
IF / only had more radlum. hea.
tate TO make a statement as to Mr. Brem-
ner's case, though l am inclined to thinE
the case shows improvement But III
only had more radium that case certainly
would be cured"
DIR. Kelly made strong plea .or fed
eral segregation of lands IN Southwest
ern Colorado where extensive deposits Of
carnotite, a radium-bearing ore. is found
The government. he declared. should
withdraw these lands from entry. estab.
lish radium- bearing reserves" and Sc,
about mining the carnotite ore with
view TO the cheapest and largest possible
production of radium. which should BE-
made available for use as generally %
possible.
II own one single gram OF radium
said DR.. Kelly. (which is more than Is
owned by any other individual in the
world Ii ! had ten grams | hesitate to
say what | could accomplish in the treat
ment of cancer. But | feel safe in saJ-
ing that, with that much radium, have
seen no cancer case which ! should noi
feel certain of curing. or. at least. OF
ameliorating to the point where pam and
suffering would cease.
Medical science" the doctor continued
does not yet know the cause Of cancer
All il knows with reasonable certa.nu
that the disease is not due to any uics0
organism. Rather, ! may say, cancer
the result Of moral causes. We do knoa,
however. that in radium We have found
the one agency by means Of which can
Ger Of whatever nature may be, II rcl
completely cured 50 that there Is no re-
turn. at least benefited 10 such an extent
that the life Of the patient is lengthene'
and turned from one Of pain and ansush
10 one I'm which suffering IS absent
If radium did nothing but this, II
only banished the pair attending cancel
it would have done more than any otns
single discovery science has yet MADE
But it does more. and II the supply
radium is increased il will DO still mort
In radium We have found the one agehV
which, had we only enough OF II. wous
Danish cancer as smallpox has been DAT
ished. and save the lives that are sacf'
feed to the disease at the rate OF %"
annually in the United States alone"