Evening star., 1953-10-07
Major Gains Forecast
In Cancer Detection,
Heart Disease Cures

Major progress in medicine,
particularly in cancer detection
and heart disease cures in the
next 10 to 25 years is anticipated
by Surgeon General Leonard A.
Scheele. of the U. S. Public
Health Service,
Surgeon General Scheele yes
terday addressed the combined
session of the Medical and Chi
rurglcal Faculty of the State of
Maryland. holding it's semian-
nual meeting. and the Montgom-
cry County Medical Society, OBJ
serving its 50th anniversary. The
sessions were held at the Ma
tional Institutes of Health, Be-
thesda.
DR.. Scheele was awarded the
I Ridgeway Trimble Medal for
his work in public health. The
medal is given in honor of a
prominent Baltimore physician.
ENCOURAGING Results.
The surgeon general told his
audience.
Il know of no responsible in
vestigators who believe that
medical research can produce
complete answers to any or all
aspects of the chronic diseases
within a few years time. How
ever, the expansion of medical
research in these fields since
World War II has produced,
within decade, some results so
encouraging as to give hope for
major progress in some import
ant sectors within the next 10
to 25 years.
For example, the possibilities
of improved diagnoStic aids.
and chemotherapy in some types
Of cancer are great. Also, many
authorities are confident that,
within quarter of a century,
medicine will have the means TO
master much, if not all, of the
untimely deaths and disability
due to major types of heart dis
ease.
I'VE expect that, with the CO.
operation of the medical pro-
fession and other research insti-
tutions, the clinical center will
contribute an honorable share
to these potential advances. We
have more than professional
and scientific interest IN making
our full contribution to the Solu-
ton of these problems.
Would Conquer Plaques.
For the center is here and its
combined research and medical
service staff are here in answer
to the deep desire of the Ameri-
can people to be rid of these lat
ter-day plagues-if such free
dom can be won through medical
research"
Dr.. William H. Sebreu, jr., di-
rector of the Institutes, pointed
out to the visiting physicians.
that his organization is not in
the medical care business. He
declared patients will be referred
to the institutes only through
their physicians.
The Institutes are not inter-
ested in rare and exotic diseases,
Dr. Sebrell declared, but want
to know more and more about
the real killers of the American
people, such as cancer and heart
disease.
DR.. j. w. Bird of Sandy Spring
In the afternoon session gave an
account of the county societys
history since it began in 1904.
Then there were only about Is
physicians practicing in Mont
gomery County and no hos
pitalS.
Operations by Lamplight.
Major operations used to be
performed in the back room of
a doctors Office by lamplight,
Dr. Bird told the assembly.
Usually the doctor had to adj
minister ether or chloroform
himself, Sterilize the inStru-
ments and make up his own
prescriptions.
Today the County Medical
Society has 1876 members, about
half of them general practi-
tioners, the rest specialists. There
are three general hospitals, two
Federal medical centers with a
worldwide reputation and one
of the best county health depart
ments in the Nation, d.. Bird
said
Dr.. Maurice c. Pincoffs of
Baltimore. the faculty'S preSi-
dent, presided at yesterday aft
ernoon'S session.