The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-11-12
RUNNING AFTER
FALSE GODS in
USE OF RAD|UM
President-Elect of Ameri-
can Medical Association
Denounces "New Fad"
CANCER SPECIALIST
RIDICULES "CURES"
Says Disease Is Only Made
Worse by Use of Radium
and X-Ray.
TAKES ISSUE WITH DIR. KELLY
No Treatment for Cancer OF Breast
Save That Of Surgical
CANCER SPECIALIST
RIDICULES "CURES"
FAKES ISSUE WITH DIR. KELLY
Save That of Surgical
Removal.

Denouncing the use OF both radium
and the S-ray ;ls treatment for cancer.
DR.. William l.. Rodrnan. famous can
Ger specialist of philadelphia, and
president elect OF the American Medical
Association. declared last night at the
public session OF the Southern Mcdi
cal Association that both were more
harmful than beneficial or innocuous,
and, with tremendous emphasis on his
words. said that no ono had the right
to subject n patient with cancer Of the
breast to any treatment but that OF
surgical removal.
"The proper treatment" said DR..
Rodman. lis that OF early removal.
We have heard too much OF the N-ray
and fadium, neither of which has ever
been Of demonstruble worth. have
never In my experience seen case
OF cancer cured by N-ray or radium.
or those cases reported to have been
relieved cured. the original tumor
or growth may have been benign in
stead of malignant.
CASES ONLY MADE WORSE
:. BY USE OF ItADIUM
"In my limited experience with ra-
dium have noticed that every ease
has been made worse. ! believe more
in the X-ray than i'm radium, aud what
has been accomplished by radium has
been done better by the N-ray. We
arc running after false gods when
-
new fads. And, in my opinion. these
new fads will not last much longer.
The German specialists have con
dcmned the use of radium AS being
Of no value. and. indeed, frequently
harmful. So, gentlemen, let US hear
: no more of radiunr.'
In this fervid denunciation of the
rsdium treatment Or. ltodman Hgura-
tivciy crossed rapicrs with DIR. Howard
y. Kelly, the famous Johns Hopkins
specialist. who on Monday night swayed
his audience with the hope that In.
r.idiuin would be found an ultimate
4 cure Tor Cancer. Dr< r<Keiiytswas-not In
the audience last, night having re-
TUNED to Baltimore. IL was said, yes
terday morning. II was evident that
the majority OF the professional men
who heard Dr. RodInan last night be-
licved with him, for his appeal to sur
render the trail OF the false gods"
was rociferously applauded.
CURE CAN NE EFFECTED
If ONLY TAKEN IN TIME
Dr. Rodman'a address was on Cancer
OF the Breast" He had expected to
speak only TO members of the profess
sion, but. OIL account OF the large num-
Der OF laymen present, he was asked
by Or. Stuart Mcclure, president OF
the Southern Medical Association. to
present at least part OF his subject
IN terms Understandable by those who
arc not members of the profession.
by lantern slides, the grim. Eliastly
subjects OF which were as readily
understood and appreciated by the lay
men as by tile professional The au-
diencc seemed to find something mag
netic and reachable In the noted
specialist, and even when he entered
upon the technical they followed him
sttll.
In the beginning, after he had paid
a tribute TO DR.. Mcclure and his fam
IA nr I'm Dr
Rodman said that between 10000 and
$1,000 men and women die annually
from this deceitfully- terrible disease.
II only the disease were taken in time,
when only suspicion was existent, he
said that cure could be effected. But
In the ma5ority-and II Is a tremendous
maJorlty-of cases the patient comes
too late. or diagnosis is too late. and
slow dying ensues. careful study
OF precancerous conditions should be
made, he said. and all measures OF
early diagnosis and precaution should
be carried to the ultima thule OF safety.
DISEASE IS LOCAL, AND
NOT CONSTITUTIONAL
The speaker said that the disease is
strictly local. as was announced and
made known In 1867, and he was pain
fully surprised that some OF the medi-
cal profession still regard II as a
constitutional disease.
''Tllat II is strictly local." he declared,
''is shown by every evidence. clinical,
surgical and Indicative. Part OF the
evidence that II is primarily n local
disease is that 1t is not painful in the
first year or eighteen months. 1t is
only when adhesion begins and Sec
ondary alterations appear that the d.
sease is painful. in the beginning II
is strictly painless. The patients eat
and sleep we'll, and go through the
wore nothing the matter with them.
The patient cannot understand that he
has cancer, yet It iy practically fatal
within thirty six months.
IF an operation is performed in the
early stages, before the disease has
become constitutional, cure VIII re-
| suit. IT, however. q cancer on the
breast be allowed to. continue until
there is an enlargement of the glands
/ under the ;armpit only 24.5 per cent
of the cases Will be cured. The disease
becomes secondary, or constitutional,
only by transfer from tho primary
i focus. as when ii enters and attacks
! the lymphatic glands Previously IL Is
strictly local.
PATIENTS AFTER THREE YEARS
ASSURED OF SAFETY
In referring TO the success of surgi-
| cal removal, as in his own experience
and In that of others, DIR. Rodman sa Id
that IL the patient passed the limit
of three years without recurrence of
cancer he could be reasonably assur-
cd Of continued safety, or the cases
hc knew to have been treated. eighty
five per cent had passed through the
three-year limit, and were cured. IIc
was not sure that what In many cases
Eappearcd to be recurrence may be a
fresh injection. For instance, cancer
may Sappear on the breast and be
'cured. and after three years there may
be acanccr of the stomach, Which
wouIds reasonably, be supposed to bo
! a. new malignant growth. AS to can
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