Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-08-07
LACK MICE FOR
STUDY OF CANCER
Doctor Wood of Columbia Re-
ports Shortage Because
Armies Needed Them.
HELD UP RESEARCH WORK
Wars Absorption of Scientists Who
Entered Service Also Retarded
Investigations N Disease
Death Rate Jumps.

New York.-Study of cancer during
the war was impeded, not only by TAX
ing physicians from research work
but because of the shortage Of mice,
which were used in large quantities
with the allied armies for the detec-
ton of gas and the diagnoses of GER
tain types Of disease, according to the
report of DR.. Francis Carter Wood
director of the George Croker special
research fund of Columbia university
Thousands of mice which had been
raised for research work were turned
over to the government. The mice
breathe very rapidly and are far more
sensitive to gases than human beings
so that they were kept in exposed sec.
tors and observed closely, because
their behavior would indicate the com
ing Of as long before it could be de-
tected by human beings. 1t was also
announced that mice had been sent
out on board every submarine, for the
same purpose.
Mice React to Gas.
One Of the most common troubles on
submarines has been from chlorine
due to wet batteries. The mice react
to the gas long before it is dangerous
or even perceptible, to the crew. thus
enabling them to find the difficulty
and repair it before the air becomes
so tainted as to be dangerous. In the
British army hundreds of canaries
were used, as we'll as mice, for the de
lection of gas. In addition to supply
ing thousands of mice to the govern
ment, the George Croker special re
search fund raised enough, however
to supply many medical schools anc
research laboratories throughout the
country
The other use of mice in the wal
was in discriminating between the va
rious types of pneumonia prevalent al
different times. Different types of the
disease are treated differently, but II
is often found impossible to discrim
mate between the different classes OF
symptoms in men. When mice were
inoculated with the germs, however
effects were produced which readily
classified the disease.
Doctor Wood reported that various
changes in cancer statistics has re
suited during the war, especially IL
England, where large classes OF the
population had been sent to the war
but that a careful analysis of the fig
ures showed that the changes were
mainly due to dislOcatiOn of classes OF
population, not to any remarkable In
crease or decrease in the disease it.
self
Death Rate Jumped.
AS cancer is most prevalent in per
sons over the military age, the proper
ton of deaths from this cause natur
ally jumped, where the proportion OF
men of younger ages was reduced
In this country likewise, the records
were found to show that cancer was
most prevalent in Vermont and leas'
so in Utah and Montana, but this wa:
explained as being due to the fact
that a large percentage of the you'll
of Vermont had migrated and that 9
larger proportion of the population il
the western states was composed OF
newcomers, generally young men ant
women.
Among countries, cancer mortality
was greater in Switzerland, and was
highest generally where the highes'
civilization was found. Doctor Woo
supposes this to be due, not to any
connection between cancer and high
state of civilization, but to the fact
that cancer is less often diagnosed
and reported as the cause of death ir
countries like Russia.