The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-03

late the bone marrow which pro.
duces the blood. Too much ex-
posure produces anema. For in
stance, blood counts are taken
weekly among the nurses who work
IN A-ray laboratories, to insure them
against accidental overdoses OF
radiation in the course of their
work. The concers of the hand
from which the early X-ray opera
tors suffered have been done away
with entirely by modern apparatus
and modern methods.
Danger From Strong Rays.
'Tho treatment Of internal cancer
by powerful rays has to be carefully
regu!ated. For instance, rays strong
enough to reach cancer Of the stom-
ach may paralyze or destroy an ad-
renalin gland. You can live If one is
killed. But IL both adrenalin, glanda
are killed, you die In As hours.
Long and careful observation
must be made of the effect OF this
machine on this account before It is
applied TO human beings. 1t IS pain
less. The animals used do not suf-
Ter. The cancer does not progress
far enough to cause pain. The rays
cause no pain whatever. The animal
cannot survive the treatment. how
ever but its life Is painlessly ended
with ether.
The rays are used with benefit on
psOriasiA goitre and skin and Joint
tuberculosis, said Doctor Wood.
They don't kin bacteria, but they
nave the curative effect by stimu-
lating the tissue surrounding the
tubercular regions TO greater activity
against the germs. The rays are of
In n - ttVhaV,,.Irsfa 81
lungs.
Charts formed after the treatment
OF thousands OF growths show that
some cells are killed within 10 min
ut9s. Others can stand 80 minutes
of raging. The tumors used in the
experiments range from the harm
less variety TO tho most malignant
of the Caucerous types.
1T is preferable in many cases to
use the knife, because the cancer of
long standing may throw off cancer
cells into the bIoodstream Mt any
time, even while the X-ray treat
ment is going on. When the cells
arc once scattered In the Blood
stream, they may produce cancers at
different sites.
importance of Early Treatment.
In spite OF the amount of public
education on this subject, men and
women still come here for treatment
with cancers which started with
small humps or sore spots which
have been neglected for four or five
years II they came IN the first
place, they could be cured n few
minutes with no suffering. But
usually, after long neglect, they are
incurable. Needless deaths Of this
kind still occur at the rate Of 90
600 a year. This is mostly among
the ignorant, but It still occurs fire.
quently that educated and Well-to-dO
people will conceal "A cancerous
growth for years, hoping that II viii
disappear and shrinking from the
treatment which in the early stages
would be very simple,
Cancer IS not inherited. but the
power OF resistance 20 cancer varies
with different stocks. If there has
been cancer .n your family, il Is nec-
essary TO live carefully ana avoid
every kind OF local irritation. II there
never has been any cancer among
your ancestors, you can do as you
please ald you need not fear cancer.
The cause Is fully demonstrated TO
he a long -cOtinued irritation Os
group Of cells There is some agency
in the cell which ordinarily keeps
II down to normal size. The long
continued irritation seems to destroy
that agency. The cells are released
and start 10 grow far beyond nor
mai size.
We don't understand Just why ir-
rliatlon produces this effect, and we
don't understand exactly the process
by which the %-rays destroy the cell
growth"
The American Society FOR the
Control Of Cancer. which Is conduct
ing National Cancer week from No
yember ~ TO November 18, has ar
ranged for the delivery Of more than
fifty lectures this week for the pur-
pose OF informing the public on the
recognition OF early cancer symp-
toms and on the wisdom of prompt
treatment.