Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-01-08
-
t Fundamental |
| Principles Of |
t Health@&|
=; EEs /:
T: By ALDER 4 S. GRAY, M. D. |
Copyright. 1914. by A S. Gray)
CANCER AND THE RADIANT RAYS

US to grasp offhand clear understand
Ing of anything we cannot see with
our own eyes, hold in our hands, touch,
taste. smcll or hear; but with q very
little effort we can achieve the seem.
ingly impo -sible and secure an un-
Outstanding of phenomena beyond the
reach of our personal senses. And
this is well worth while because a com.
prehension of -atural forces enables
US to live sane, wholesome and there
fore happy lives.
An emanation Is anything flowing or
radiating out from something. For
example, we speak of light emanatine
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-
diations 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 q
second to approximately the velocity
Of light, which is as we all know. 1885,
900 miles a 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
allure and are referred to as tempera-
ture 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.
Light wave radiations are prcpa-
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 a stream Of fine
gravel Probably all are familiar with
the sand blast and how it will cut
away the hardest surface and not in
jure the softest fabric. There is
close relationship between the two
types of radiation, just as there is be-
tween the air and the sand, and the
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 a 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 a destructive influence on living
tissues. which became more marked
The longer animal structures were ex-
posed to them, and Immediately 1t was
that here we had the long
hoped for remedy for the destruction
Of cancer. But soon 1t was learned
hat 1t was very dangerous power.
In Germany a few careful. conscien-
.ious workers have very persistently
developed the technique and apparat-
Is, as all human experience proves
must be done in every department, and
,ave slowly evolved a method that il
most encouraging results In
conditions and in some
orms of sepsis.
Kroenig's clinic at sFreiburgis is
equipped with modern apparatus and
With some LOO milligrams of meso.
horium and radium. Mesothorium ia
,ome 300 times as concentrated as "a.
iium. but gives similar results in
'horter time. At the clinic. where for
lancer only slight operation is re.
luired. the operation is performed and
hen the ray is used; where a severe
operation ordinarily would be required
he -ay alone Is employed.