The New York herald., 1921-10-30

his assumption, which was that an en-
gine weighing only two pounds to the
horse power couldn't be built. Then the
gasolene engine came along and ex-
ploded the assumption.
Education In Needful.
''To say that the x-ray or radium will
not be Of value in the treatment OF can
Ger ten years from now Is wholly un-
justifiable. The future probably les IN
the thorough education of the pub ic.
thorough examinations repeated ev ry
six months or year OF the body as well
as the teeth, so that cancers when they
exist may be discovered In the incicient
stage. When so discovered and promptly
cut out q permanent cure often results.
II they have grown little larger or are
difficult Of removal they VIII propapiy
be treated by partial removal, followed
by intense. repeated x-ray and radium
exposure.
"Radiun. you know. has O positive ad-
vantage over the x-ray in that 1t Is vir-
tualiy pocket X-ray tube which can be
inserted in cavity Of the body, while
the x-ray must be applied from the
outside through tho skin. Radium has.
however. little effect at distances great
er than two inches from the tube that
holds It. while the X-ray is much more
penetrating.
"A combination Of surgery, the x-ray
and radium will probably be generally
adopted In the future.
''The difficulty with the present situa-
ton is not that surgery is so ineffective
but that the mass Of people neglect OBJ
vious cancer for SO long q period that
the surgeons hands are tied. This Is
due party to ignorance, partly to a be-
lief that 1t is q disgraceful disease,
partly to feeling that 1t IS hereditary.
which It Is not. and partly to pessimism
as to tho surgical result. which Is fos-
tered by quacks as part Of their pro-
paganda or based on the imperfect sur
gerry Of thirty years ago.
Treatment Of cancer will be detective
until tho patient goes to the doctor
early and unless the doctor institutes
prompt treatment. 1t is to call atten-
tion to these two points that the present
agitation Is being carried on by the So
ciety for the Control Of Cancer, with a
national cancer week beginning Octo-
Der 3d.
I'm these days Of frankness Of speech
regarding important matters It Is well to
say that there IS ono type Of cancer
which is apparently very susceptible to
the influence Of radium. That Is cancer
of the womb. In tho future it will
proDapiy prove 70 De inc moot iInpoTtaHs
field for radiun1, for, while the number
of permanent cures will probably be
small and surgery will presumably be
employed in the early cases. late cancer
Of this organ is go favorably affected by
radium that its general use is justified.
Even in desperate cases remarkable
benefit is obtained. often lasting for a
number Of years.
It was this type of case. and also
cencer Of the skin. that aroused ex-
traordinary enthusiasm and unjustiflable
optimism in the minds Of those who
worked with radium in the early days.
DR.. beavers attitude represents a swing
back from the optimistio period. and this
swing results In complete denial Of
any beneficial effect from radiation. The
truth lies between the two positions.
But DR.. Deaver is nearer right than are
many Of the overenthusiastic users %
radium. The latter publish only their
few successes and forget their thousands
Of failures"
DR.. Wood said that as radium gives
off the more powerful beta ray. as we'll
as the gamma ray. which Is the X-ray.
the x-ray would not be used on cancer
at all II enough radium were available.
But there are less than 200 grains of
radium in the world and the price is
$4,000 gram.