588 



NA rURE 



[April 20. 1905 



As a recent incarnation, nr " hist-joined " saint, he 

 invested the Dalai lanin with a complete suit of 

 bishop's canonicals. Perhaps this recognition of a 

 certain analogy between the two Governments is not 

 quite so inappropriate as it at first appears. 



Mr. Landon concludes his delightful book with an 

 expression of his opinion that the di>ors of Lhasa are 

 once again closed to the European. Not again 

 (according to our author) for many a long year will 

 any Englishman watch for the flashing cupolas of the 

 Potala from the banks of the Kyi Chu, or penetrate 

 into the inner sanctuary of the everlasting Jo. With 

 this view of the future of Tibet we can hardiv agree. 

 By his own showing there is quite enough of un- 

 certainty, even in the present political situation, to 

 warrant the making of a straight road over the 

 Himalayan passes with as little delay as possible; and 

 it should not be forgotten that the' right of way to 

 Gyantse is already secured. T. H. H. 



THE 



TREATMENT OF CAXCER 

 RADIUM. 



WITH 



'PHE discovery ol radium was speedily followed by 

 -•■ its use in the treatment of cancer, and it was 

 hoped that at last a remedy had been found for this 

 terrible disease. Great interest has been aroused by 

 a recent report in a contemporary of a case of cancer 

 which has been successfully treated by this agent. 

 The case appears to be undoubtedly one of cancer, as 

 the patient was carefully e.xamined before, during, 

 and after treatment by competent authorities; but 

 the report of cure must be accepted with caution. 

 We are informed that the treatment began in .March, 

 1904, and although the disease has now disappeared, 

 it is still possible th;it it may recur. 



A very large number of cases of cancer have been 

 treated by radium in this country, on the Continent, 

 and in America. Some have improved remarkably, 

 but in most instances there has been no apparent 

 benefit, and in no case has sufiicient time elapsed to 

 speak with certainty of cure. No surgeon would feel 

 justified in reporting a cure of cancer until at least 

 two years had passed without recurrence, and there 

 are many inst.inces on record where a longer period 

 of apparent immunity has been followed by a re- 

 appearance of the disease. 



It must be remembered that the effect of radium 

 U|x>n a cancerous growth is, so far as we are at 

 present aware, purely local. The terrible feature of 

 cancer is the early involvement of the lymphatic 

 glands, followed by the formation of secondary 

 tumours in the internal organs. It is impossible to 

 follow these internal developments by such a remedy 

 as radium. Only too often a patient is found, oh 

 first seeking medical advice, to have alreadv these 

 secondary deposits, and treatment bv local measures 

 is purely palliative. That relief maV be afforded in 

 .some cases which are beyond operation is recognised, 

 but nothing has yot been' reported which will warrant 

 a surgeon using r.idium in ,-i case of cancer where 

 there is a possihilitv of complete removal bv the 

 knife. 



Radium is .-ipplied in small tubes to the surface of 

 a tumour, and in some cases it has been found 

 possible to place it in the interior of a growth through 

 a small incision. The quantities avail.ible are so 

 minute that only a small area can he treated at one 

 time. In the case of cancer mentioned above, the 

 quantity which was used was ten milligrams. 

 Fortunately the radium can be used again and 

 again, for its energv appears practically to be 

 inexhaustible. 



NO. 1851, VOL. 71] 



NOTES. 



Since the appearance in N.atcre of .^priI d <if .m article 

 on the proposed amalgamation of the Society of .\rts and 

 the London Institution, a meeting of the proprietors of 

 the London Institution has been held to consider the 

 managers' proposals in connection with the amalgamation. 

 The proposals met with a determined opposition from 

 some proprietors ; and after a somewhat noisy and un- 

 dignified discussion, it was resolved to defer the further 

 consideration of .the scheme of amalgamation until after 

 the annual meeting of the London Institution on .April 28. 

 The result of this meeting is to be regretted, since it 

 implies the loss for the present of an excellent opportunity 

 to accomplish the establishment of an important and 

 powerful institute designed to develop a popular interest 

 and regard for scientific work and results. It is to be 

 hoped that it may prove possible to arrive at some agree- 

 ment which will lead 10 the formation of a vigorous 

 scientific organisation, in which the privileges offered by 

 the .Society of .Arts and the London Institution will be 

 comljined. 



TiiF Paris Geographical Society has awarded its gold 

 medal to .M. Paul Doumer. 



It is intended, if found practicable, says the Pioneer 

 Mail, to arrange for daily weather reports from the .\nda- 

 mans by wireless telegraphy. 



Tr[E death is announced of Prof. .\. Piccini, professor 

 of chemistry at the R. Istituto di Studi superiori, Florence, 

 and author of several works on chemistry. 



The President of the Board of .Agriculture and Fisheries 

 has appointed a committee to inquire into the nature and 

 causes of grouse disease, and to report whether any, and, 

 if so, what, preventive or remedial measures can with 

 advantage be taken with respect to it. 



The Paris correspondent of the Times announces the 

 death of Colonel Renard, the director of the National 

 Aerostatic Park at Meudon. The investigations and ex- 

 periments of the Renard brothers have done much to 

 promote the progress of aerial navigation. 



It is announced that the Liege International Exhibition 

 will be opened on Saturday, .April 22, and that, unlike 

 most exhibitions, the buildings will be complete. The 

 exhibition will be of a very attractive and picturesque 

 character, and the buildings cover a greater area than at 

 any previous exhibition, except those of Paris in 1900 and 

 of St. Louis. During the period of the exhibition several 

 congresses will be held in Liege, that of mining and 

 metallurgy, from June 26 to July 1, promising to be the 

 most largely attended. 



Tim; Times correspondent at .\thens states th.it at the 

 last meeting of the Archaeological Congress, on .April 13, it 

 was decided that the present executive committee should 

 continue to exist until the next meeting of the congress, 

 which was fixed to take place at Cairo after a minimum 

 interval of two years, the Egyptian Government having 

 signified its willingness, to accept this arrangement. 



Press telegrams from Martinique report that Mont 

 Peli'e is again showing volcanic activity. On .April 9-10 

 the escape of vapour was fairly abundant. On April 

 lo-ii a marked recrudescence numifested itself: numerous 

 small clouds issued from the vent, and there was a small 

 flow of lava into the valley of the White River. On April 

 13-14 frequent rumblings were heard, and it was noticed 

 that blocks of rock, accompanied by white clouds, were 

 fspcllrd from the south side of the crater. 



