Two University Scientists Describe Medical Findings in Radiology Field

Two University scientists described major medical discoveries in the field of radiology at yesterday's Military Medico-Dental Symposium, sponsored by the Commandant of the First Naval District in Boston.

Dr. Francis D. Moore '35, professor of Surgery, described a recent major achievement in the detection of cancer and heart disease by the use of radioactive elements. Dr. John L. Tallis, instructor in Pathology, gave hope for a cure for total exposure to atomic radiation.

Injecting a dilution of isotopes into the blood stream gives an evaluation of the inroads made by cancer or heart disease, Moore told the symposium.

This medical innovation, he said, will aid surgeons in planning operations and post-operative treatment for patients with acute or chronic illnesses.

This method, developed under Moore's direction in the Medical School's department of Surgery, can determine the exact status of tissue starvation and above-normal concentrations of fluid in the diseased body, Moore said.

In discussing the effects of radiation on the human body, Tullis explained that no certain cure has as yet been found for excess exposure. He attached great importance, however, to the recent discovery that the lymph glands, the bone marrow, and the spleen are resistant to radiation.

"There is hope," he stated, "of recovery from doses of total body radiation that would otherwise lead to death, provided impaired circulation can be improved."

The resistance of certain cells to radiation, he maintained, may enable doctors to find a cure for the harmful effects of radioactive rays.