Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-12-18
(Copy1isht. 1914. BY A. S. GIay)
cANcER AND THE RADIANT RAYS,

1t IS cxCoSuIuSAy uAuCuIt lOr WOSt VI
us to grasp offhand a clear understand
ing of anything we cannot see with
our own eyes, hold in our hands, touch,
taste, smell or hear; but with very
little effort we can achieve the SEEM
ingly impossible and secure an un-
Outstanding of phenomena beyond the
reach of our personal senses. And
This is we'll worthwhile because COM
prehension Of natural forces enables
rs to live sane, wholesome and there
fore happy lives.
An emanation is anything flowing or
radiating out from something. For
example, we speak of light emanating
or radiating from the sun. In the evo-
luton of our modern views of the con.
stitution of matter the study Of the
radiations has furnished some of the
most significant clews in connection
with both the undulatory or wave "a
diations of which light is the charac-
teristic example, and also of the cor
ouscular radiations, which are proved
beyond all question to consist of par
acles of matter or electricity. These
PARTICLES are proved to be travelling at
,peeds varying from one millimeter a
econd to approximately the velocity
3 If light, which is as we all know, 1867
100 miles second.
When ordinary bodies are heated to
about 500 degrees Centigrade 1892 de-
grees Fahrenheit) they begin to emit
visible light, no matter what the sub
stance may be, and the radiations ap-
pear to be due to this definite temper
iture and are referredto as tempera-
ure radiations. But in certain cases
light is found to be emitted at tenn
,erature far below that at which tenn
oerature radiations set in, and these
phenomena We know as luminescence,
,hosphorescence and the like-light
without heat, we call it. But one and
Ill are due to the interchange OF some
form of energy and most of 1t is be-
7ond the border line Of our ability to
perceive without external assistance to
our limited senses.
Light wave radiations are propa-
gated exactly like waves in water or
,ound in air, without the transfer Of
any matter along the path Of propaga-
lion, but corpuscular radiations con-
i sist of streams of fine particles pro-
lected at various degrees Of high We
.ocities and may, perhaps, best be H.
hstrated by imaging stream of fine
gravel. Probably all are familiar with
The sand blast and how it will cut
away the hardest surface and not in
lure the softest fabric. There is a
close relationship between the two
types Of radiation, just as there is be-
tween the air and the sand, and the
principals involved are undoubtedly
those which will be found to account
(. for the many marvellous effects OF
both the direct and indirect sunlight
on human diseases and on life in gen.
I eral
We have noted the effects Of direct
sunlight in a general way and now
come to the matter of indirect sun
light, for we should not for minute
forget that all forms Of energy on this
earth are but converted sun energy
But before considering the subject of
radiations in general perhaps 1t would
be best to survey very briefly the field
Of their application to our needs In
. order to get the connection and show
. that the matter is worth considering.
Shortly after the X-rays were dis
covered it was found that they exert
ed a destructive influence on living
tissues, which became more marked
the longer animal structures were ex-
posed to them, and Immediately it was
suggested that here we had the long
. hoped for remedy for the destruction
Of cancer. But soon it was learned
! that it was very dangerous power.
\ In Germany few careful, conscien-
tious workers have very persistently
developed the technique and apparat'
US, as all human experience proves
must be done in every department, and
4 have slowly evolved method that IS
showing most encouraging results IN
generous conditions and in some
forms of sepsis.
st Kroenig's clinic at Freiburgis Is
4 equipped with .modern"apparatus and
4 with some LOO milligrams OF meso'
th0rium and radium. MesOthOrium IS
some 800 times as concentrated as ra'
dunn, but gives similar results III
\ shorter time. At the clinic, where for
+ cancer only slight operation is re.
asired, the operation is performed ano
then the ray is used; where severe
operation ordinarily would be required
. the ray alone is employed