Vol. 60, 1909 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Abstracts of the Leading articles
of the month.
Radioactivity and Carcinoma.—Barlow,
in The British Medical Journal, says
that the original question with which he
started—namely, Do the physical agents
which are commonly supposed to give rise
to cancer (clay pipes, soot, etc. \ and do
samples of carcinomatous material afford
evidence of the possession of radioactive
properties?—is not conclusively answered.
In certain respects they behave like the
radioactive materials of the chemist or
physicist, but in no single instance do they
respond to all the criteria of recognized
radioactivity. The author says that many
of the substances affect a photographic
plate in the dark; but, on the other hand,
few can act on the plate if a screen is interposed,
and even in those instances in which
a positive result is obtained under these circumstances,
tt is doubtful whether the interposed
celloidiu screen is fairly so called.
Nevertheless, it is doubtful whether the
power of acting through a screen is a necessary
criterion of radioactivity, since he has
demonstrated that albuminous compounds
of recognized radioactive substances may
possess a power of acting on the photographic
plate which will not traverse an
extremely thin screen, and, indeed, may be
devoid of photographic powers altogether.
In the latter respect they are comparable
with clay pipe, inasmuch as neither type of
substance acts on a photographic plate and
both accelerate the discharge of an electroscope.
In the same category comes carcinoma
material which has been extracted
with acetone or with water and subsequently
with ether. Possibly, too, some specimens
of spleen and of the inorganic constituents
of bone are to be reckoned in the
same class. He takes up the cancer question,
and speaks of the different parts of
the body attacked by carcinoma. The
writer mentions the theory that it is possible
that the radioactivity is the common
factor which must be capable of stimulating
the growth of certain cells while it depresses
the growth of others, which must
reside in substances of the widest diversity,
which must act with varying intensities in
different cases though always with comparative
slowness, the natural action of
which must be progressive so long as it
persists. The x-rays cause carcinoma, they
stimulate ( like other radioactive substances)
the growth of cells, and, again, they retard
the growth of cells, carcinomatous material,
noncarcinomat^us material, extracts of animal
tissues, various substances usually regarded
as casually related to carcinoma,
THE CHARLOTTE MEDICAL JOURNAL.
possess properties resembling those of recognized
radioactive substances to a greater or
less degree when considered from the
physicist's point of view, and there is evidence
that hey possess powers of stimulating
or depressing the division of animal
cells. Such similarities are at least suggestive.
Treatment ol Incoercible Vomiting of
Pregnancy.—Wallich (Ann. de Gyn. et
d'Obst. ) mentions the three classical diets
in vomiting of pregnancy as, milk diet,
water diet, and lactovegetable diet. Pinard
advises the milk diet whenever we have the
symptoms of autointoxication, only a small
dose of milk being .given at a time. If we
find that these small doses are well borne,
then the amount of milk taken is to be increased.
If the urine increases, and vomiting
ceases a cure is obtained: but in some
cases even small doses of milk cannot be
retained, ^^'e must then give only water,
in small doses. This diet cannot be persisted
in for more than four to eight days,
since it is the diet of inanition. At the end
of some days a small amount of milk is
added to the water and the p oportion of
milk gradually increased. When the water
diet is not well borne, all feeding by stomach
must cease for twenty-four to fortyeight
hours. Subcutaneous injections of
serum are made at the same time to replace
the water withdrawn from the system in the
urine and feces. Another diet that has
been proposed consists of farino-vegetable
soups and purees, which produce no poisons,
but these substances are not better
borne than milkr Calming drugs must be
given at the same time. Inhalations of
oxygen lessen the number and severity of
the vomiting attacks. If the urine incveases
in amount and vomitin.g ceases, all will be
well. We must not wait too long while
using these measures, but if they fail should
have recourse to the induction of abortion.
When there is an acceleration of the pulse
and fever, it is time to use obstetrical interference.
In some cases the cause of the
vomiting is uterine or ovular, and in these
cases only abortion will do any good.
Marriage of Women Having Cardiac
Diseases.— Renon (Gaz. des Hop. i believes
that the question of whether a woman
having cardiac disease should marry is to
be determined by the form and extent of'
that disease. Many women having wellmarked
cardiac disease pass successfully •
through a number of pregnancies. The
question whether there are changes in the'
arterial tension and kidney condition is im-^
portant. If there be constant alterations
in the tension of the pulse, marriage should;
be avoided. The kinds of trouble to which!