The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

nap-- Setting up a treaiment on a Cobalt machine. \ BY ANGUS GORDON hospital within a lab, That's how Dr, C, L. Ash, director of one of the world's fore- most cancer research stations, located in downe town Toronto, describes what is officially listed as Princess Margaret Hospital As hospitals go, especially the modern institution, it might be classed as one of On- tario's smallest, There are only 87 beds, and while there are operating rooms in the build- ing surgery is resorted to only in special cases. Even then, radiation therapy of various kinds is always used in connection with surgery. - Ontario has seven other institutions all devoted exclusively to the treatment of cancer, but it is generally recognized that none places the same emphasis on research as Princess Margaret Hospital, Possibly, too, Princess Margaret treats a larger number of out- patients daily than most of the other institu- tions combined. Many of these outpatients are drawn from as far afield as James Bay, For their con- venience, a lodge to accommodate about 50 people odjoins the hospital. Here accommoda- tion is as good as a first class hotel, at almost token rates, A library service, television and radio and other facilities are available in the lounges in the lodge. In some cases the patient pays nothing, "The social welfare service will seek the neces- ONTARIO TODAY Rotating Cobalt Machine with X-ray guide in head. sary financing from the Ontario Cancer Treat- ment and Research Foundation or some other interested agency. Considerable stress is placed on keeping cancer patients in as worry-free an atmosphere as can be created, The experts at the hospital, medical and social, point out that cancer may not be the actual killer, Death can result from a frame of mind. It is pointed out that in the past an unsound mental approach in the cam- paign for cures has helped to nullify treat. ment devised to combat the disease, None of the doctors connected with the institute will state definitely that a cure has been effected in any particular case, ~ But they point out that cures may have" been effected, They will not commit them- selves on this for some time yet, Not until they are satisfied that radiation treatment such as that given through the medium of the Cobalt bomb has proved itself. It might be pointed out that the Cobalt bomb was developed in Canada almost 10 years ago. Early patients treated by this method are SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, i --- = ~ still coming back fo the clinics for examina- tion and show no recurrence of the carcinoma, However, the doctors are still reluctant to pronounce a cure, ' : They do state that where the symptoms have been recognized early the radiation seems to have halted and controlled the disease. But according to Dr. Ash, the radiation is only one part of the therapy. Stress has been laid on reassuring the patient of his ability. to get well, and in this respect Princess Margaret's is possibly unique, The staff ratio works out about four to one patient. This does not include maintenance personnel, of course, It is a highly cosmopolitan staff. There are doctors from Korea and the West Indies, from Scotland and Germany. Nurses and technicians could interpret in a dozen languages. All' are specialists in cancer and related diseases, All are understanding and patient 'with their charges. After treatment is finished and patients return home, full reports are sent to the family physician. Regular check-ups are made, and a cémplete medical history of the patient is built up and retained as part of the hospital research program, Not to mention the voluntary ladies' auxiliary which operates as an integral part of the institution would be remiss. This dedi- cated band of women provides practically everything the patient in the hospital might need. : They provide library service, occu. pational therapy, fresh flowers daily in the hospital rooms, and arrange movies and even free hairdo's for both women and men in the hospital, Their approach to the patient is fresh and never overdone or unwelcome, a special technique appreciated by the patients. Yes, Princess Margaret Hospital will have to expand. Plans for this are already being discussed, But until such plans have been thoroughly processed, nothing will be made public, It's part of the operating procedure for everything, "It must .be fact before it's publicized."