Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1914-12-24
Copyright. 1914. by A S. Gay)
CANCER AND THE RADIANT RAYS.

II is exceedingly difficult for most o.
rs to grasp offhand clear understand
Ing OF anything We cannot see will
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. AnC
this is well worth while because u com
prehension OF natural forces enables
US to live sane, wholesome and there
fore happy lives.
An emanation is anything flowing OF
radlating out from something. Fol
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 ra-
diatlons OF which light is the charac-
teristic example, and also Of the cor
puscular radiations, which are proved
beyond all question to consist Of par
ticles OF matter or electricity. These
particles are proved to be travelling at
speeds varying from one millimeter a
second to approximately the velocity
Of light, which is as we all know, 1885,
900 miles second.
When ordinary bodies are heated to
about 500 degrees Centigrade 1882 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
AZURE and are referred to as tempera-
fure radiations. But In certain cases
light is found to be emitted at tenn
perature far below that at which tenn.
perature radiations set in, and these
phenomena we know as luminescence,
phosphorescence and the like-light
without heat, we call 1t. But one and
all are due to the interchange Of some
form Of energy and most Of It Is be-
yond the border line Of our ability to
perceive without external assistance to
our limited senses,
J Light wave radiations are propa-
gated exactly like waves in water or
sound In air, without the transfer OF
any matter along the path Of propaga-
ton, but corpuscular radiations con.
sist OF streams of fine particles pro-
jected at various degrees Of high We
locities and may, perhaps, best be IL
lustrated by imaging stream Of fine
gravel. Probably all are familiar with
the sand blast and how 1t will cut
away the hardest surface and not In
jure 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.
eral.
We have noted the effects OF direct
sunlight in a general way and now
come to the matter OF indirect sum
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 It 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 q destructive influence on living |
tissues, which became more marked |
the longer animal structures were ex-
posed to them, and Immediately II was |
suggested that here we had the long |
hoped for remedy for the destruction |
of cancer. But soon It was learned |
that It was a very dangerous power
In Germany few careful, conscien-
tiOus workers have very persistently |
developed the technique and apparat-
MS. as all human experience proves |
must be done in every department, and
have slowly evolved method that is
showing most encouraging results in
cancerous conditions and In some
forms of sepsis.
Kroenig's clinic at Freiburgis is
equipped with modern apparatus and
with some 100 milligrams OF meso-
thorium and radium. Mesothorium Is
some 300 times as concentrated as ra-
dunn, but gives similar results in
shorter time. At the clinic, where for
cancer only q slight operation is re-
auired, the operation is performed and
then the ray Is used; where a severe
operation ordinarily would be required
the ray alone Is employed. Natives
who can be kept under long observa-
ton are never operated upon, but are
merely subjected to the ray. Foreign
ers who can remain only a short time
arc often operated upon and then the
raw Is used on them. At this clinic
the mesothorium and X-ray treatments
are generally combined. The clinic re-
ports $50 cases treated, with 100 per
cent Of cures.
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