Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-08-10
Moss Method Devised
For Detection of Cancer
Johns Hopkins Scientists
Report on New Technique
By Thomas R. Henry

A method of mass examipation OF
populations for detection of stomach
cancers, similar to the mass chest X-ray
examinations for early detection of tu-
berculoSiS which now are held in many
communities, has been developed by
Johns Hopkins University scientists.
Early detection of stomach cancer is
essential for successful treatment. I'm
fortunately this is seldom achieved.
Before the victim feels sufficient distress
to visit physician the cancer is likely
to have made such progress that little
can be done about it.
One of the most valuable and reliable
methods of detecting such cancers is by
use of the X-ray. Under present meth
DDS, however, complete X-ray examina-
lions on mass basis have not been
practical. Patients must be ready to
spend two or three days in the course of
the examination, including periods Of
fasting and other special preparations.
This fact alone discourages people from
submitting to X-ray examinations until
they experience severe symptoms.
Dangers in Studies.
In addition, it is pointed out. the proc
essing. reading and storing of millions
of standard X-ray-size films would be
very expensive and impractical. Besides,
X-ray examination of this kind might
expose doctors and technicians to dan
gerous doses of X-rays.
The new technique has been devised
by DrS. Russell H. Morgan and Robert
D. Sloan of the Johns Hopkins faculty
and DR.. John F. Roach of the Albany
School of Medicine The method itself
is very technical, but the net effect is
that miniature films of the stomach can
be obtained with light X-radiation. The
method requires only six minutes of the
patients time: no fasting or other spe-
cial advance preparations are required,
and it is not necessary to diSrobe. The
small films can be developed and read
rapidly, and the cost is only fraction
of that of conventional examinations.
DR.. Morgan and his associates also
have developed another type of machine
whereby the X-ray microscopic screen
can be frightened from 800 to 5000
times its normal visibility. This appa-
ratus, although proved in demonstra-
tons, is still under laboratory expert
ment.
Photographs are being taken in a
millionth of second at the Johns Hop
kins University physics laboratory.
A series of pictures has been obtained,
for example, of the progress of flame
from the instant of it's birth to the ma
ture age of thousandth of "a second
The flame was produced in stream
OF hydrogen and air. Two common
pins were etched to a small size and
used as electrodes in the hydrogen-air
stream. AS tiny electric spark was
passed between them the gas ignited.
From then on photos were taken at
millionths-o f-a-second intervals as the
flame progressed from tiny, individual
kernel of fire to ignite the gas stream
and lose its individuality. These pic
combustion studies and are of use in
studies of the amount of energy neces-
Sary to ignite flowing gas.
Other Uses Proposed.
Many other uses, moreover, are pro-
posed for the technique. Many phe-
nomena of nature take place in intervals
measurable only in millionths of sec
onds and hitherto their details have
been beyond the reach of investigators.
The Photographic technique devel-
oped might be considered as a time
microscope, having much the same re-
lationship to the unacceptable dimension
of time as the electron microscope has
to the dimensions of space
1t is even possible, it is pointed out
in the report, to photograph events
which occur in less than a millionth Of
a second. The spark with which the
flame is started, for example, has a
briefer period of existence.
The camera used in this work can
be left with an open shutter or a setup
can be arranged in which the shutter
will open and close automatically.