The play in the first spell was very slow, and the visitors’ forwards appeared likely to win the match for their side. In the second half, however, they could not sustain their effort, and they were called on to chase the Blue backs, who had by this time commenced to combine very well. The Red backs on the other hand, lacked combination, and the collaring of the Christchurch team as a whole was not too sound. Otago University 20 points, Canterbury College 12 points. Mr Eckhold was referee.
X-rays and cancer treatment
The increasing incidence of cancer makes any authentic news of progress in the search for a cure of the widest interest. From the Home papers to hand some further information is available respecting the new X-ray installation at the West London Hospital, which formed the subject matter of a brief message received by cable a few weeks ago. The ordinary X-ray has, owing to the limitations of available apparatus, been only partially successful in the curing of cancer. The new treatment makes it possible to use a much greater intensity of X-rays without any injury to the patient.
A memorandum issued by the West London Hospital authorities says it is important to note that the highest percentage of cures is attainable only where the cases are subjected to treatment as early as recognised, and where there has been no preliminary operation. Radiologists are convinced that by the use of the new form of X-ray immediately cancer is diagnosed, it will be possible to attain as much as 80 percent of cures in these cases. But the radiologist at West London Hospital allows that it raises false hopes “to call it a cure for cancer.” So long, he explains, as cancer has the unfortunate property of disseminating itself in distant parts of the body there never will be a cure for cancer in the proper sense.
Hard life for soldier settlers
How hard the winter has been to some of the outback soldier boys very few know who do not understand the conditions of farming rough land far from the usual haunts of men (says the Auckland Star). One sturdy, brave- hearted fellow, writing recently, said that he was not making a fortune, but one thing he did know was that if 5 shillings came along unexpectedly he would think he was in clover. Still, the life was a free-and-easy one, and he was not going to make it into a Kathleen Mavourneen job. They had a funeral near the settlement and it had cast a gloom over the whole district. There was none of the splendour of a city funeral. A spring cart was the hearse and a kindly neighbour drove.
Practically the whole of the mourners were on horseback, even to the parson. He, poor man, had hardly ever been on a horse before, and by the time he got back home he had ridden over 30 miles.
The days of helping a neighbour in trouble are not gone.
Everyone is splendid and rides long distances to help to keep the farm going till things can be fixed up. “We keep log fires burning at night,” says the writer, “and the sun shines in the bush clearings in the daytime. Altogether we have sunshine in our hearts.
‘‘There are many worse off than we are, and we could spare a log or two to keep the fires burning on the hearths of some of your old folk in the cities.
‘‘Others have won through with greater difficulties to face, and we will win through too.” — ODT, 25.8.1921.
