The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-12
Convention Agrees With Vienna
Experts Opinion Of New
Treatment.
DEFENDED BY DR.. Able
DR.. Finney Calls Attention to
"PrOtest Against Modern
Civilization"

arose yesterday at the closing session
Of the American Surgical Associations
convention at the Hotel Aston.
DR.. Robert Able of New York. the
best known advocate OF the use Of
radium in cancer cases. defended radium
after Or. Sparman. a pupil of Anton
Won Eiselsberg of Vienna. had said
radio-activity made worse many cases
Of malignant tumor.
DR.. John NJ r. Finney Of Baltimore.
who refused the presidency OF Princeton
after Woodrow Wilson resigned, caused
a stir among the assembled surgeons by
declaring that cystic disease OF the breast
in women is "a protest against modern
civilization"
Other surgeons who followed Or.
Ffnney confirmed his statements that
childless women and those with a child
they do not nurse are the chief victims
OF cystic disease OF the breast.
Or. Won Eiselberg OF Vienna. unable
to attend the convention sent DR.. Spar
man as his representative. The paper
which DR.. Sparman commenced to read
on THE Treatment Of Malignant Tu-
mors With Radium' was not on the pro-
gramme.
Fourteen Cases Aggravated.
"We haze treated forty-two cases OF
malignant tumor with radium," Or. Spar
man said. "Of these seventeen died. five
from other causes than tumor six were
benefited. five cases showed no effect and
fourteen cases were positively aggravated
-made worse by the radium treatment.
our experiments in Vienna with RAJ
dunn show that II Is effective only In SUI
pericial cases OF malignant tumor. And
even then II Is effective in no marked
degree. Radium has actually exagger-
Ated many bad tumors by destroying
healthy tissue around them so that there
WAS nothing left to check the tumor $
spread.
I'VE have therefore come to the con-
ciusion that the recurrence OF malignant
tumors has sometimes been FASTENED
by ost-operative irradiation, possibly by
radium'
Tho audience OF surgeons. who had
applauded DR.. Sparman as DR.. Won Eisels-
0erg's representative, clapped still more
heartily as he finished his paper. There
was no applause when DR.. Able rose TO
reply to Or. Sparman, and at the end of
. DR.. Abbe's remarks hardly any one hut
DR.. William j. Mayo. president OF the
association and presiding. signiied APP
prevail.
carcinoma tcancer) Is destroyed by
radium. not. believe, by any specific
action but by reflex action" br. Able
began. 1T 10 essential not to overdose
with radium. But an overdose often does
no more than cause a local irritation.
This, however. does not deal with the
strict value OF radium in such cases as
have just been discussed ! am confident
that in all malignant life destroying tu-
mors. radium really has specific &C.
tino.
Take myoid tissue. Radium will 90
oct on humorous myoid tissue as to drive
har n re-
stores the cellular structure. II this Is
not specific action there Is no such thing
II have to-day the case OF bone de-
stroying tumor on the top of the head
Radium has destroyed that tumor.
tried yesterday TO get a sample from that
tumor but there il nothing left but harm.
less tissue. like blotting paper.
"A wart IL removed by acid but Is
destroyed by the SPECIFIC action OF radlum
THE whole point I want to make 1:
This, that radum does act specifically or
the tissue OF malignant tumors. say
nothing about cancer or Its curing cancer
But 1t does act specifically, and 1t Is thii
that ought 10 he studied"
DR.. Kenneth a. J. Mackenzie Of Port
land, Ore, rose TO Say that he had used
small radium equipment on tumor,
and cases of carcinoma for several year,
with complete success. He declared after
ward that In his experience radum car
CurV tdHttTSs
Or. Finneys remarks on inoderY
women were brought about by paper
read by DR.. Robert T. Greenough OF Bos,
ton on Results OF Treatment OF Cyst,
Disease Of the Breast"
cystic disease OF the breast in womer
II a protest against modern civilization,
Dr. Finney declared The sufferer.
from It fall naturally into several groups
and the chief group is made Up OF mar
ried but childless women. The next
most notable group 10 made up Of womei
with one child which they did not nurse
This disease Is followed by cancer o
the breast In a percentage of cases-jus
what the percentage is we do not know.
Other surgeons, following Or. Finney
said that women do not object great,
to a breast operation, provided the func
ton of the breast is not destroyed The,
spoke OF the ease with which breas
might be built up after an operation b!
incisions lower on the body and the layinl
up of a big pedicle OF fat taken from
these lower cuts. This restored the full
ness of the breast so that II Is perfect.
possible to wear decollete gowns, 1t wa
explained - ,oou. 49,. .ua l..
cided to hold the convention next yea
at Rochester. MINI. the home OF Dl
the association. The following new Off
GERS were elected President. DR. Georg
Il. Armstrong of Montreal. vice-presi
dents. Or. Lewis L. Pitcher Of Brooklyi
and DR.. Frank T.. Bunts OF Cleveland
secretary, DR.. Robert q. lie Conte q
Philadelphia treelected) treasurer. ~
Charles l.. Gibson of New York ore
elected) recorder. Br. Archibald Mac
Laren of ST. Paul reeiected) members o
the council DR. William j. Mayo. Dl
Arpad c. Gerster OF New York and DI
Charles A. Powers of Denver.
The surgeons adjourned early so as I
have yesterday afternoon off, but MOI
Of them remain In town for the fourt
congress OF tho International Surgics
Association. which begins tomorrow an
lasts four days. Many entertainment
have been devised for the European sui
geons who will attend this conventio,
The FIRST Is an excursion up the Hudso
River to-day by invitation OF DR.. l.. !
Stimson on the yacht Aphrodite.
Surgeon-Genera Gorgas of the Unite
States Army, DIR. William J. Mayo an
Prof Charles Willems OF Client. Belgium
will be speakers at the opening sessio
tomorrow. On Tuesday Mrs Mayo wi
give a luncheon at the Biltmore, Maud
adams will appear for them In Pete
Pan" and they will be guests at sp'
cial performance at the Metropolita
Opera House In the evening. Tho prir
cipal topic Of the surgeons will be surger
Of gastric and duodenal ulcer.
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