The diamond drill., 1921-08-06
- - N
WEAPON AGAINST CANCER
New Apparatus Now In Use I'm Eng
land Gives Hope For 80 Per
Cent Of Cure

From England comes some remark
able news ON the advancement OF the
methods for the cure OF cancer! In
recent kasue of the Manchester
Guardian there appears an article
telling OF demonstration OF the new
apparatus for the treatment OF cancer
which the experts regard as a big
advance on anything now in use In
England. There are only three OF these
machines in that country at present
one In the hospital, another in Glas-
gov, and the third in the possession
OF the hospitals radioloeist. The in
stallation costs about 1000 pounds
and was made at Derne. II is the in
vention OF DR.. Wintz, OF the Women's
Hospital at Brlangen, in Bavaria.
where remarkable results have been
obtained. II is claimed, for example
that out OF "a cases OF uterine cancer
treated in 1918 90 were clincally cured
Radiologists declare themselves con-
vinced that by the use OF this new
form OF x-rays Immediately cancer is
diagnosed II Will be possible TO attain
to as much as so per cent OF cures.
No new principle is involved The
apparatus Is simply an improved form
of that in common use at present.
II works with a much higher volt
age than any other instrument in
use. The normal current is trans
formed by the instrument into an In
termittent current and increased TO
the enormous voltage OF about
200 600. or double the voltage used
In the ordinary installation. WHEREAS
the ordinary X-ray is worth, so TO
speak. 40 per cent the new ray is
worth 140 per cent The penetration
and intensity OF the rays produced
are such as have never before been
available for practical work.
The radiologist wished TO prevent
the idea getting into circulation that
new cure has been found for cancer.
such reports" he said, "only raise
false hopes and cause n great deal OF
needless suffering. So long as cancer
can be disseminated from one part OF
the system TO another there can be no
certain cure This Is new modifica-
tlon OF an old idea. The difficulty in
the past has been to apply the requf-
site dose of X-rays 10 every part OF
the malignant growth BY this new
technique We are now able to apply |
this this dose in a way that has never |
been possible with high penetration |
and depth OF intensity hitherto un-
known. We now know the dose which |
any cancer-growth requires to cause
its disappearance, and we are in
position 20 give that dose
Among the conditions necessary |
for success" he continued, ARE that |
the case must be treated as early as
IL is recognized before any operation
has taken place. If the disease has
become widely extended neither this |
nor any other method Is OF any use |
and no cure is possible II II has been
to distant parts OF the !
body. Another essential condition OF
success IS that the general health OF
the patient must be good. He must |,
have a certain minimum OF vitality |
10 cope with the disease after the y
rays have given the necessary degree
Of help In certain types OF cases
where there has been mo operation |
rs per cent OF cures have been a.
chieved. One Improvement on the ole |
method is that the foil dose Is given (
on one day, so that the beneficial
effect OF the secondary radiators
within the tissues is greatly increased
but we shall not get the full results
intil the public and the medical pro-
'ession is educated 10 the fact that
he patient must come to the radioio-
yist first"
The powerful concentration Of rays
hat Is now possible can be applied
with success 10 cases where the DIS
sase Is deep seated, as in the liver or
)ancreas. Cancer OF the crevix
which is inoperable. was cured by
his apparatus in Bavaria. Specially |
rood results are expected in cases OF
,ancer OF the larynx. The machine
vas originally devised In Bavaria 10
leal with uterine cases. II was
,ointed out that the apparatus has
,een thoroughly tested in Bavaria
ince 1917. and that II has been at
york in the West London Hospital for
everal months. /.
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