Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 19, Number 36, DeMotte, Jasper County, 5 August 1949 — DEEP CANCER CURE STUDIED [ARTICLE]

DEEP CANCER CURE STUDIED

San Francisco - A project designed to determine whether ultrapowerful X-rays can be used successfully against deep cancers was announced yesterday by the University of California Medical School. The tests will be made with an undersized atom smasher which will produce X-ray beams ranging from 17,000,000 to 70,000,000 volts. It will be construccd so that the beam can be aimed at points inside the body. Rays -from big atom smashers cannot be aimed easily like the beam of a searchlight. The equipment is too heavy. University experts, are hopeful because researchers elsewhere have found that 20,000,000 volt X-rays can penetrate the bodies of animals without doing too much harm to the skin and other intervening tissues. X-rays are useful against cancer because they kill malignant cells a little faster than normal cells. An X-ray particle does its work when it comes to the end of its trial and is absorbed by a cell. It apparently does not harm cells through which it passes en route to the trail’s end. Ordinary X-rays are absorbed before they penetrate deeply. Be- j cause of this they are of little . use against cancer of the stom- ; ach, liver, pancreas or any other ! deep internal part. On the basis of these dis- j coveries. Dr. Robert S. Stone, head of the university’s radiology department, will seek to learn what voltage up to 70,000,000 will do.

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Swart visited Battleground. Indiana, last Saturday. The four girls from DeMotte, who had been attending camp there returned' home with them. y

Mr. and Mrs. Herman rieimfich took Mr. Heimlich’* motner and sister, who had been visiting here, to their home in Lafayette last Sunday.