Cancer Research (International Conference, Paris, 1910) : copy of report of E.F. Bashford ... delegate of His Majesty's Government to the Second International Conference on Cancer Research held at Paris from the 1st to the 5th October, 1910 / presented to Parliament by command of His Majesty.

  • Bashford, Ernest Francis, 1873-
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Cancer Research (International Conference, Paris, 1910) : copy of report of E.F. Bashford ... delegate of His Majesty's Government to the Second International Conference on Cancer Research held at Paris from the 1st to the 5th October, 1910 / presented to Parliament by command of His Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    representatives of various nations for the purpose of relieving physical, social, and moral miseries; he enlarged upon the significance of the unanimity of these humanitarian endeavours, extolled the advantages accruing from the exchange of views, and from the dissemination of discoveries, and pointed to the futility of isolation. In his opinion the publicity obtained for the proceedings of such conferences was bound to bear fruit in a profitable collaboration between the medical profession, the public in general, and those actually suffering from cancer. The President of the Conference, Excellenz von Czerny of Heidelberg, followed, and entered into a technical discussion of some aspects of cancer which, in his opinion, was probably increasing, and of parasitic origin. Professor Landouzy spoke on behalf of the Faculty of Medicine of Paris, alluding mainly to the future possibilities of treatment by therapeutic sera. Professor Bouchard, President of the French Association, having also addressed the meeting, the official delegates of foreign Governments were called upon in turn, in the first place the representative of His Majesty’s Government. The opening proceedings occupied the entire forenoon of October 1st, and in the afternoon the scientific proceedings were entered upon. The scientific proceedings were covered by dividing them into sections, which received consideration consecutively as follows :—(1) Histology and Histological Diag- nosis ; (2) Statistics ; (3) Clinical Diagnosis ; (4) Treatment; (5) Etiology and Experimental Pathogenesis; (6) Comparative Pathology. (1) The opening discussion turned upon the inconvenience resulting from the employment in different countries of dissimilar names for identical cancerous lesions, and from the same terms being often employed in different senses. It was pointed out that in the present state of knowledge it was impossible to find a complete classification of cancers which would meet with international acceptance. As a result of the discussion the Conference adopted a resolution appointing a commission re- presenting the different countries, for the purpose of drawing up an international nomenclature to be submitted to the next meeting of the Conference in 1913. This was the only resolution adopted by the Conference. (2) A recommendation for the purpose of empowering a similar commission to compile comparable international statistics of cancer, by means of the issue of inquiry forms to be filled up by members of the medical profession, provoked much adverse criticism. Wide dfrergenees of opinion were revealed as to the value of the methods which had been employed to take a “cancer census” in several countries in Europe, and the validity of the results obtained was seriously questioned. The proposal to form an International Commission to give effect to the recommendation was not carried. o (11)7639. Wt. 38814. 760. 3/11. E. & S.