The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-04-01

health here today.
Discovery was made by
Engle, who have been working
are not attached to the regul;
United States public health sc
They have succeeded in
producing typical, unmis-
taxable cancer in guinea pigs
by injecting a growth of a
micro-organism or germ OBJ
tanned from the tissues Of a
proved case Of cancer Of the
human breast.
Medical scientists here frankly are
excited by the discovery. They
realize that it upsets the prevalent
opinion that cancer is not a germ
disease and not communicable The
experiments have convinced con-
servative and skeptical government
scientists and it is only after years
OF work that the announcement has
been made.
Application Far in Future
Application of the new discovery
to the treatment of human cancer
is far in the future, but the eX-
periments of Drs. Glover and Engle
promise to blaze a new line OF cam
Ger research that appears very hope
full.
Because this is the first time, so
far as can be found, that any one
ever has observed cancer in guinea
pigs, conservative scientists OF the
National Institute of Health are i'm
pressed particularly by the work.
1T promises to open a valuable
field for further research" com
mented DR.. George w. Mccoy, dl-
rector of the institute.
Drs. Glover and Engle also have
produced cancer in rats with their
growth of germs from human can
cerous tissue. But rats develop can
Ger so very easily that this was not
considered convincing evidence that
the germ growth. or culture, as the
scientists call it, actually could
cause cancer.
The production of cancer in guinea
pigs which, so far as any one knows
or can find out. do not readily de-
velop it, is considered much more OF
a feat and convincing evidence that
germ culture of Drs Engle and Clio
yer is cancer producing.
Is SpOre- Bearer
The cancer produced in the guinea
pigs has all the characteristic ap-
pearance of cancer when examined
bv the unaided eye and under the
miscroscope. Furthermore, ltspreao,
producing cancer in other parts OF
the body. thus fulfilling another OF
the criteria for diagnosis OF the
CROWN as CdICeL.
The germ itself is similar to some
common forms of bacteria and is
what scientists call Spore- bearer.
II was isolated on special media
from the tissues of the human
cancer.
In the report made public today,
only one case of cancer in the guinea
mig is described. The diagnosis of
cancer in this case was confirmed by
q pathologist of the National lnstl-
tute of Health. and the foremost
staff bacteriologist now is checking
the meteorological side OF the work.
Investigated for Years
Dr. Glover started his investiga-
tions several years ago in New YORK
For the last three years, the work
has been carried on by himself and
DIR. Engle at the National Institute
of Health. where the director and
staff scientists could follow and
check various steps of the research
In their report made public to-
day. they do not claim specifically
10 have discovered the cause of cam
Ger. but state with characteristic
scientific reserve:
1T is the purpose of this report
to place on record the production
of metaStatic malignancy in one OF
a group of guinea pigs inoculated
with a culture containing a Spore-
bearing micro organism which was
isolated on special media from the
tissue of a microscopically proven
carcinoma of the human breast.
Will Work on Serum
Further points to be determined
are whether the r1icro- organism
they have described causes the can
Ger. or whether it is caused by some
virus or other germ present in the
1sculture, or by some toxin or other
4 :ubstance produced by the bacteria
! II the culture.
1t is possible that this culture is
not the cause of all types of cancer,
! but of one group of them. Efforts
Ito develop a serum, either curative
7 or protective, will be logical out
ZONE of this research.
4 Investigation of the intectiousneSs
1ol a type of cancer produced by bac-
terra as this one was in the guinea
BN,ig also will have TO be developed.
At present, the evidence is all against
Icancer being communicable dis
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