Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1915-01-06
Copyright. 1914. by A. S. Cray
CANCER AND THE RADIANT RAYS.

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CANCER AND THE RADIANT RAYS
1t is exceedingly difficult for most Of
US to grasp offhand clear understand
Ing Of anything we cannot see with
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. And
this Is well worth while because com
prehension Of natural 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 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-
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 a
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
ature 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,
phu5phorescence and tho Ake-iHht
without heat, we call 1t. But one and
all are due to the interchange OF some
form OF energy and most OF 1t is be-
yond the border line of our ability to
perceive without external assistance to
our limited senses.
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
Illustrated 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 |
involved are undoubtedly |
hose which will be found to account
FOR the many marvellous effects Of
both the direct and indirect sunlight
IN human diseases and on life in gen.
eral .
We have noted the effects of direct
sunlight in a general way and now
,ome to the matter of indirect sun
light, for we should not for minute
orget that all forms of energy on this
,arth are but converted sun energy.
But before considering the subject of
adiations in general perhaps 1t would
re best to survey very briefly the field
+ their application to our needs in
rider to get the connection and show
hat the matter Is worth considering.
Shortly after the X-rays were dis
overed it was found that they exert
d a destructive influence on living
issues, which became more marked
he longer animal structures were ex-
osed to them, and Immediately 1t was
uggested that here we had the long
oped for remedy for the destruction
{ cancer. But soon It was learned
lat it was a very dangerous power.
In Germany a few careful, conscien- ..
GUS workers have very persistently
eveloped the technique and apparat- :
). as all human experience proves y.
ust be done in every department, and >
ave slowly evolved method that ia
lowing most encouraging results in i.
lncerous conditions and in some 4;
rms of sepsis. =
Kroenig's clinic at Freiburgis is '
Iuipped with modern apparatus and Y
It'll some LOO milligrams of meso- r
orium and radium. Mesothorium is +
me 800 times as concentrated as ra- f
UNI, but gives similar results in v
.orter time. At the clinic, where for |,
ncer only slight operation is re- r
tired, the operation is performed and h
en- the ray is used; where a severe r
eration ordinarily would be required s
e ray alone Ia employed. IL