The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-17
X.RAY AIDS KNIFE
IN TREATING CANCER
d.. James B. Murphy Tells Of
Series Of Experiments
Conducted on Rats.
DARWIN THEORY UPHELD

The beneficial effect Of the x-ray in
lancer il apparently not due TO
che effect Of the x-ray on tie growth
itself. but to its action in intensely
stimulating the reproduction Of iympho-
cytes. q variety Of white oorpuscie. IN
the body. Prompt surgery. followed by
x-sav treatment. holds out a promise Of
graduating cancer. These werc the Inn
plications in q striking paper read yes-
terday before the National Academy Of
Sciences by DR.. James B. Murphy Of
the Rockefeller Institute stan.
DR.. Murphy carefully ~refrained from
drawing any conclusions. but contented
himself with reporting the results Of his
latest experiments on rats. There 70, Of
course. a hope that the results are anal
oSous for the human body.
DR.. Murphy. In common with many
sthers who have noted tho decidedly
beneficial results obtained by the use Of
h x-ray in cancer cases. had wondered
whether the rays acted favorably on
The growths themselves or merely aided
the natural forces Of the body to fisht
ne srowths. Lymphocytes. It has long
been known. are the FOES Of ancer. and
nor that matter Of any foreign tissue In
me body. But they have hitherto seemed
70 wage an unequal warfare With canoe
Tho rats which DR.. Murphy took for
his experiment were all cases Of spon-
$500 ~ A4
not been deliberately infected but had
come by the disease naturally.
In the frst series Of cases the exper-
imenter excised he cancers. treated the
rats with x-rays and then replaced q
small bit OF the original cancer.
In half OF these cases the lymphocytes.
stimulated and multiplied by the action
Of the X-ray. were able to cope success
fully with the bit Of canoe that was
replaced. These rats. therefore. were
actually cured of cancer by the COM
bination Of surgery and the X-ray. In
the other half Of these cases the cancer
REQUIRED. In about two-fifths Of them
at the original place. The average time
before tie cancer reappeared was Ave
weeks and four days.
In q second series Of experiment. with
rats DIR. Murphy excised the cancers,
but did not use the X-ray at all. A bit
of the cancer was grated back In Zach
rat. Only 3 4-10 per cent. Of the rats
became cancer free. In the other 80 6-10
per cent. the natural production Of
lymphocy;es was insufficient even to con-
quer the small bit Of replanted cancer.
In half Of these cases the cancer re-
CURED at the same place in an average
time Of one week and five days.
DR.. Murphy took a third lot of rats,
cut GU the growths and this time used
the x-ray on the cancers themselves
and not on the rats. A bit Of the cancer
Was then replanted In each raj.
The result was an extraordinary dem
onstration that X-rays have no effect
on the cancers themselves. Not one case
was cured. In every instance the can
Ger got back a Arm foothold. In 40 per
cent. Of these cases 1t required In the
same place and in an average tint Of
one week and three days.
These figures were generally held by
the other scientists. who discussed them
with one another afterward. to show that
in all probability those who defer sur
gery for the SAKE of preliminary X-ray
treatments are all wrong.
The academy meets again this morn
ing in public session in the American
Museum of Natural History. Last night
the embers were guests at dinner AT
tie Chemists Club, 50 East ~Forty-first
street.