Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-27
Maine Will Win
Fight Against Cancer
Way 1t Fought ct. B."

Maine will. win it's f1ghts against
cancer as it is winning it's fight
against tuberculosis providing the
same effort that has brought dras-
tic reductions in the number of deaths
from tuberculosis is applied against
cancer. according to a statement here
yesterday to the executive committee
of the Maine Public Health Associa-
ton at its regular monthly meeting
The assertion was made by DR.. T.. H.
RiSley of Waterville. chairman Of the
cancer section of the association.
Cancer killed 962 Maine citizens
during 1922 as compared to $50 deaths
from tuberculosis.
Reporting the work of his section to
the general executive committee of
the Maine Public Health Association,
DIR. Risley said: Cancer control work
in the State of Maine is under the
general supervision of the Maine Med
ical Association. with a committee of
three. and the Maine Public Health
Association, with a very much diversi-
fled committee of nine. this latter COM
mittee being represented by the sec
rotary of the State Federation of La
Dor. the State Commissioner of
Health. the president of the State
Federation of Women's Clubs, the sec
rotary of the Maine Graduate Nurses
Association, the head of the Maine
State Grange. and the executive sccre-
tary of the Maine Public Health Asso-
citation. besides the three members of
the State Medical Associations COM
mittee-the craftsmanship of both COM
mittees residing in the same man.
In addition to these two very &C
tive committees, chairman has been
appointed in each 'county~of the State
n 1r~xp L. IL
ual county, with the aid of sub
committee appointed by the county
chairman end made up of interested
and representative men in each par
ticular county.
Because of the few large cities and
the many widely separated small rural
communities, the problem of furnish
ing adequate speakers on this i'm
portant subject presented itself. To
avoid the necessity of a few able
speakers giving up much time and
travelling long distances to cover the
wide field. and also in order to provide
information which should be uniform
in character and voice the consensus
of opinion of many authorities on the
subject rather than giving a chance
for the expression of the more limited
opinion of any one man, the committee
prepared a carefully worded. non
technical, standard lecture which was
sent to every physician in the State.
together with letter stating the OBJ
ject of the campaign and the manner
in which it was desired to place this
lecture before audiences. and asking
for their cooperation.
The response to this scheme was
most gratifying. Many physicians
who would hesitate to prepare a talk
themselves willingly read the standard
lecture many times before numer-
Gus audiences, both during the
National Cancer week and throughout
the winter
This scheme solved the problem in
this State and further, in order that
the physician might be spared the
necessity of seeking audiences him
self, the heads of the State Fedora tion
of Labor, the State Grange, the State
Federation Of Women's Clubs, the
State Nurses Association. and many
other social. Church and fraternal Or
CARNATIONS were asked to notify their
various subdivisions of this nation
wide educational campaign and ask
that a special meeting be arranged at
which some local physician should be
asked to read the standard lecture.
Your committee received immediate
and most enthusiastic and efficient re-
Spouse to this appeal and. so thorough
ly was this plan carried out. that we
are most gratfied to learn that large
percentage of the adult population was
reached in this way,-93,0 900 people is
the report received from our various
chairmen.
In addition to what the doctors have
done themselves, in many sections of
the State the doctors wives, after be-
ing properly coached in the matter of
answering questions which might arise
regarding the lecture matter, have
gone before small groups of women in
churches. schools, etc, and read the
lecture, thus increasing the number of
people reached.
Another feature of the campaign
which was of distinct value was the
distribution by means of the rural
free delivery of carefully prepared lit