Evening star., 1939-07-31
First Health Institute
Series on Cancer|s
Begun by Dr.. Abbe
Non Contagious Nature
Of MoIody Stressed;
Secret Remedies Hit

An address by DR.. Truman Able,
member of the District Medical So
ciety and an authority on the treat
ment of cancer. today launched the
first Health Institute of the District
Works Projects Administration.
Speaking before a group of w. P.
A. workers and supervisors who come
in contact with the public. DR.. Able
outlined few thoughts which he
said should be impressed upon the
public
First, he said, people should be
convinced that cancer is not a dis
grace, "a thing to be hidden, kept
out OF sight and never mentioned. :"
He said it should also be emphasized
that cancer is not contagious and
is durable if treated early and eff
ciently.
At another point he declared that
advertised cures and secret rene
dies for cancer are a snare and
deluslon." and that an annual
medical examination lis really more
worth while than the semi annual
dental examination which the vast
majority of lis accept"
Must Revise Attitude.
The word cancer strikes fear into
the hearts of many of us, fear in
born from centuries of experience.
Dr. Able declared, but the word
cancer brings up from those dark
ages conceptions that are, under the
newer knowledge of today, tending
to become obsolete You as teach
ers and leaders of thought should
be somewhat familiar with our
newer ideas if you are to lead
others to think in conformity with
the modern thought.
Personally l hate ever to use the
word cancer he continued. Il hate
to use it because it is still a cover
all to group together many different
conditions with many different
characteristics, and I trust that be-
fore another generation passes the
word cancer. with its unfortunate
association of ideas, will become
obsolete and in its stead we shall
be using several other names of
ideas"
DR.. Abbe's talk, delivered at 81
street NV, was the first of series
on the subject of cancer that will
continue until Friday. Subjects to
be discussed by the Health Insti-
tute will be changed each week. A
series on tuberculosis will be in
augurated next week.
Details on Future Lectures.
The lectures will be given from
Mondays through Fridays, from 9
to 1870 am, except the last series
in September which will start after
Labor Day.
The remainder of this week will
be devoted to lectures on cancer
control with speakers listed as fol-
lows:
Tomorrow, DR.. Francis Threadgill;
Wednesday, DR.. George Tolstoi;
Thursday, DR.. John Warner, and
Friday, DR.. Ralph r. Rathbone
Next week Dr. A. Barklie Coulter
director of the Bureau OF Tubercu-
losis. will give series of lectures on
Tuberculosis"
From August IA to 18, DR.. T. c.
Thompson. director of the Social
Hygiene Clinic, will deliver series
on venereal disease.
The schedule of lectures for sue
ceeding weeks is as follows:
August 81 to Is, Health of Mothers
and Children" by DR.. Ella Open
heimer, director of the Bureau of
Maternal and Child Welfare: DR..
j. B. Jacobs and DR.. Hugh j. Davis,
clinical directors of maternal well
fare.
August % to September l. How
to Live" by DR.. Melvin Price Isam-
niger, director of the Bureau Of
Public Instruction.
September 5 to IL, THE Public
Health Nurse in the Home" by
Josephine P. Prescott, director of
the Bureau of Public Health Nurs-
ing.
Mrs. Cleo B. Spencer, Health
co-ordinator for the local w. P. A.,
iS arrapUipo the carjes