Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-06-17
CANCER GAN Be CURED
Treatment, However, Must Be
Begun at Early Stage.
Nationwide Campaign to spread In
formation about the MnIndy Rcnches
Burlington in Meetings with
Addresses by Experts.

0. which are part of the nationwide
plan to spread information about the
study of cancer proved to be successful
and interesting, and attracted much at
tention. Those who attended them had
opportunity to learn at first hand from
experts all that is known about the
dreaded disease, the methods Of Its
diagnosis and treatment, and they also
received the pleasing assurance that can
Ger may be c. red if treatment is begun
in time.
The meetings for this district which
includes the counties of Chlttenden, Grand
Isle, Franklin and Addison. were held in
the afternoon for the benefit of physi-
clans. They were held at the medical
college and "A large number Of out of
town physicians were present also as we'll
as several nurses. DR. Francis Carter Wood
of New York addressed the afternoon
meeting and also conducted the clinic at
the Mary Fletcher hospital in the morn
ing. He is the director of the cancer re-
search work at Columbia University,
which enjoys in the George Croker
Special Research fund the largest endow-
ment for cancer research work in this
country, If not in the world. The work
being conducted under his supervision is
DtInS pursued with all the equipments
and methods known to science Dr. j. NJ
Wainwright of Scranton, Pa. also took
part in the clinic and addressed the
physicians at the afternoon meeting He
has long been identified with the cancer
commission of the Pennsylvania State
Medical society, of which he is chair
man. Both he and DR.. Wood are direc-
tors of the American Society for the
tro1 of ,t.bi cb t;,,e
with the Vermont State Medical society
in the series OF meetings now being con-
Quoted in the State
At the evening meeting in the city hail.
which was for the benefit of the public
DR. Wood and DR.. Charles F. Dalton
secretary of the State board of health
were the speakers. Dr. Woods address
was illustrated with lantern slides. The
speakers were introduced by DR.. Thomas
Stevens Brown, superintendent of the
Mary Fletcher hospital who presided.
DR.. Dalton spoke on the subject. is
1t Necessary for Vermont to Lose over
400 per Year from Cancer?" He said
that Vermont had been a leader in many
things. 1t was the first State in the
Union to establish n State laboratory of
hygiene. first to establish annual schools
FOR health officers and the first to have
a travelling tuberculosis exhibit with
moving pictures, Vermont was also
among the first to furnish free anti
toxin for the treatment of diphth eria
Health laws adopted in this State have
been models for similar laws in other
States. Vermont, however, leads in an
other way. which is not so satisfactory.
that of having the highest death rate
from cancer in 1918 according TO the
figures of the census The number who
died in this State that year from the
disease was 37S and in 1914 the number
was 3H. Cancer is something that very
little is known about. Vermont has the
lowest death rate of any State in the
Union for typhoid. She is also among
the lowest in the deaths from pneumonia
hnd tuberculosis, also in deaths Of chill
dren under two years of age. Vermont
1as done great things in the interest of
preventable diseases and when her people
get to understand cancer we will un-
1oubtedly improve in preventing that
lsease 1t is physicians case, but the
cooperation Of all the people is needed
he object Of the present meetings is to
how people what to do. The danger
rom cancer comes from neglected cases
Dr. Wood then spoke on What We
snow about the Study of Cancer?' He
aid the disease is one that comes home
most of US because one out of 10 to II
Eomen have cancer and one out of . to
men If they live to the cancer age
ANGER is the last of the problems OF
Medicine of which physicians see no
Immediate solution. In other diseases we
bserve the bacilli and We know or find
ut how to prepare a serum which will
ha
fictitious diseases. are under control
nallpox has disappeared in Germany.
here vaccination is compulsory 1t is
ill found in England and America
here compulsory vaccination is not
neral. 1t is possible to control
phoid fever by controlling the car.
PRS of germs and purifying the
linking water. tuberculosis is no longer
AIRED. II lead decent and rroper
es we may be assured comparative free
IN from chronic diseases. Cancer how
PR, is on the increase and among the
Ehest civilized nations. We are getting
title light on the subject on the situa-
n. however because it is now realized
At cancer control has become a public
Filth question and the education of the
bile Will help towards solution, for the
man must know about cancer if he
uld inform the physician. Cancer does
always cause pain or enlargement of
is of the body. 1t may lac manifested
slight indigestion. Its symptoms are
fntimes vague, The important point
understand is that al some stage of
disease II is durable. Failures to cure
due to carelessness fright, shame or
Herence or. perhaps, to an incompe-
diagnosis. Medicine is no longer a
gic art, The competent physician calls
he services of chemist an X-ray
ana the druggist for the diagnosis
single case. lie is In possession of
results of their work and he is there
better equipped to make "a diagnosis
was the physician of "A hundred
rs ago.
e cancer relief propaganda was start |
n Germany about 10 years ago with
circulation Of literature by n physi- |
who was accused of being unprofes |
al and was ostraCized by his fellow
|icians. In the United States groups
nen have formed societies for the
of the disease. the objects of which |
he education Of the public by the dis |
ton of literature in which the facts
presented in IA plain way. There are
ways to study cancer One is to
y the cases in human beings and the
by experimental analyses in ami
Cancer may be transferred from
animal to another and, the speak err
he had inoculated as many as 1900
in his laboratory in the period Of his