Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01
PROF. JAMES EWING
GETS HONOR DINNER
Worlds Greatest Cancer
Fighter Paid Tribute by
Leading Experts.
Nv the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, January 31.--Fifty- -four
leading cancer authorities of the worlc
presented a symposium of honor to-
night to Prof. James Ewing of Cornell
University and hailed him as the worlds
greatest cancer fighter, this quiet
teacher who rarely becomes excited
except at base ball game.
Prof. Ewing is "a. Scientists call him
the greatest authority in the world on
cancer, which continues to leap rapidly
to first place as the most deadly Of hui
man ills.
At a testimonial dinner tonight he
was given an homage book" in which
were grouped and bound for the occa-
sion 81 special articles on cancer by
the leading experts in all the branches
of cancer-hghting technic. Between
900 and 400 noted physicians attended
the dinner and inscribed their names
In the book after the presentation.
Wants Research Centers.
AS citadels of the world war against
cancer. Prof; Ewing would like to see
six $4,000, 900 research centerS in the
United States, around which the forces
of humanity might rally and in which
they might entrench themselves for
sallieS against the still largely mys-
FERROUS enemy. Barnard Hospital in
st. Louis is now setting out to become
q nucleus of this array of 'fortresSes. 1"
The public'S attitude toward cancer
should be calmly suspicious, but not
afraid" Prof. Ewing thinks. He frowns
upon hysteria, without minimizing the
seriousness of the growth of the dis
ease. Cancer can be cured, he insists,
II it is detected and attacked in its early
stages, and the publics job is to help
to detect 1t early. His advice is to 60
to the doctor at the first sign, any un-
usual lump In the flesh, persistent sores,
unusual moles or warts or bleeding from
the mouth or body openings.
As a result of 10 years of grinding
work Prof. Ewing produced his book,
''Neoplastic diseases" which scientists
say contains all the accumulated knowI-
edge Of cancer and which is primarily
intended as a handbook for practicing
physicians to enable them to detect in
ctpient cancer in their patients.
During the 10 years Prof. Ewing was
writing his book he worked holidays,
nights and week ends, although wracked
with pain from facial neuralgia.
Has Given Long Service.
His public health contributions be-
gan as long ago as the Spanish-Ameri
can War, it was recalled by Hugh S.
Cumming, surgeon general of the
United States Public Health Service at
the dinner tonight. During that time,
the surgeon general said he made a
number of contributions to aid in the
diherential diagnosis between malarial
fever and typhoid fever.
He plays an almost professional game
OF tennis and has his own court at
his home at West Hampton, N Y.
In the class room at the Cornell
Medical College he is meticulous in at
tendance and vigorously requires the
same virtue in his students. Practically
nothing can keep him away from a lee
ture. One of these practically moth
1ngs," however, is a base ball game. an
incident which happened a few years
ago indicates
Three students. playing hockey from
one OF his lectures, haltingly climbed
into the grand stand to watch a game
between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the
New York Giants. The Pirates are
Prof. Ewing'S old home town team. The
game progressed. The highly Honus
Wagner poled out long home run.
And there, not far away, the derelict
students saw the professor, wildly
waving his hat.