Tobacco Documents Online

December 21, 1959 ` w"N H1r4~~~X~ti~3'E~~"Sa~A sshy, e~ru sshrr~ auwl.utS Pr[terns , " CIGARETTES: ~t~ ~~~ ~p~~bont H;rr.ard+tramrd ti,trnu{•, ,~~ r~ Are the csmr trserrtrs arr hrghrr .rl u F.,t tlir past ts~eh~ear. w. w1L.t, =DU T~18~-O1 DOll~t T~16}'~ among rnrn thati ^.comrn aud arimng ur~;~' edited the higbl} rrsprctrd, scteit 2 ~•ban than rural Qup ,x rqs4:, 1 .ulatiuns; \Pither the tific qu:trterlt^; 1•ledicine. Hr ivas ," ' 4;To smoke or not to smoke?The ques `proponents nor the oppouents of thetnember of the editorial board tha~ ition still awaits a final, undebatable med- ymok'ing theory h+ve suAicient evidencr "tiated and acrepted the Bumey article " &al answer, but those who dispute the to wartuut the asswuptimr of an rll-or- ;~-•j•he Bumey piece seemed based nn sta theoryth'at cigarettes are a factor in none authoriLttne~position. Until defii;i- ;4stics inia Yew York State Departmrni , causing lung cancer got sturdy supgort' Hve studies sre "Forthcvming the ;af Health.publication dn the same su' r ~Tast week from an unexpected and highly ' physuiun c tu fulfill his respunsibihh b} hesaid. `Thr Surgeon Gener7 ' ,, ' " ! ~ authoritative source The Joumaliof the watching tbe sttuatiori dlosely keeptug 's{epresruted the same "data~ ,smpy r., SAmerican Medical Associatron "j~•;;rtS'} ~~oourant of the' facts, `and advising his j:2ln New' Delhi on a'round-thc-:vorld ~It was unexpected because m tts Nav patients iui`the basis of his appraisal of~ Geuerri Bume} cou[c~~ .p Surgeon i 28 issue, which reached some 185,000 those facts. The Public Healtli Srrvice' ;ix reached for a commrnt uri the repu- ;Ndoetor-members of the AMA, The jour- can best meet its obligations by collecting diation of his A\t 1' Juumal article b. Ih, . vz'nal ran a special, nine-page report by and disseuuorating data from all sources," Talbott• But in \i'ashington, P C Dr,` Surgeon 'Genera) Leroy EBurnev 'and making lnaa'n to the heslturg Surgtron Ceti: th and John Porterfield 3c , O. tiri' ~~warning that "the a'eight of evidence medical professions its oarn r4:41nahout era); told NEaswsec: Thr USPIIS. Ft ~~t " °F such data. ~~t± ~.r~~; rt$a >y,~! '~4 arficle in the Ak pointed to cigarette smoking as th ~eprmpublishiuR its Nov:,fA c cipal cause' of the urcreased 'uuidenee '~ew• Bloods Why did the AMAJountal, followed its est3hlistird polic _y` Joumal sudtch i[s stand?'"It'didn't" stiul of ma{dng fully available tn the ~('of lung rmtcer (KEUSUeex Dec. T). mrdiat? in an editorial in Dr. Ta1lHitt, u ho took ocer this linportaut and health professions and geuernl pub- ~~f'•Three weeks later . t.'tlie Dee. 12 issue of The Joumal, its ~~ ~torial post onl} three weeks ago with '' lie all dre facts on smoking and lung =ae.v editor Dr, fohu H Talbott; sharply ' the issue which earried the Burnet ctrtr "~ncer as rapidlj• as they develop ~; .. n ' ment: " ~Ye continue to stand by our e( quesiioneel't1;e aetvracp of Dr. BurneysAv tn rny magazwe, cou hrse tu ,.arlier ~erentirtr 6ehcren scientifi tonclusions: "Althuurgb the studies [citedc oQinions crstatement namely that the 4veight of ates smok " Published in articfes, and editorial oprm ~dence at present impliring . :by Burneyj reveal a rrtatiouship behveen`" e factor ui the" arette smokin ions, which should be strictly personal ";jys the principal causatl\' . g g'and.cuucrr.tlwtseems. - ^-~" } more thrn couirudental thr4 do not ex Talbatt a}'omxg looltng Si is an fosra _increase of litng cancer w tbe lt S.a" other Parts nf ibe ~~orid .- 'a3a•aa! Tfifi BOSTOhI HERAIID ri ;;,Boston Atassa¢il¢setts , i' ~.December 11, 1959 _ { F AMSA Editorial Disputes Burney ~ .F 4 Cigarettes ;4 'R!y-t CffiCAGO (AP)+-The Journal -, ' of the American Medical Asso• taid Tuesday that' . there 1s lu• aotficientt evidence "to warrant the assumption" that cigarette ~}mnkingts the principal factor ~~~~ r;Ja the increase 1: lung cancer, In aa editorial, the .too+*nal *c- 4.;L~ A e,jesiio~ns conclusiona in ra ~ `c '~d~ ~ port by Dr,. Leroy E. Burncy, O .r;M,~ ~; surgeen gentral of the L':S. Pub• '' rlle l3ealth 3ervrvice. ' • y.~?r^•~"~ :'. The report llsts smokiog as `-i ~~~`'~1 . the matnfaetor leadingtosuah~ t' ldldtht -'anncrease an concuea.a. ° beavy smokers are more prone e{::~ ta lung cancer than others. . .Burney"s report, summaritiog r ~~reh' lug searc onn cancer, was ._ earrled Iwo weeks ago In, th'e. . Journal F' , t '~ t F~ r t ; y "4 ~r~~~ay ~yi~` ' DiJAAAbf' MO) ~INGC~HERATIDa ~ ~~ ~~ `~~~ + ~a +j~ 32)f } ~_,., • December 12, 1959 ~.~ , : . u.,; .~ 'd Stnd O CietteCar Rlin ounangar-nceeato ~l Two weeks after publishing Sur responsibilities by watching the sit=,. geon Generali Leroy E. Burney's ar- uation closely, keeping informed of ticle to the effect that ei the facts, and advising his patient's ` garetle y f,s ~ on the basis of his appraisal of those . +F' amoking is the principal cause of the * facts. The Public Health Servic e .4fincrease in lung cancer, the Journal (which Surgeon General Burney of the American Medical Association heads) can best meet its obligations ~~ s has editorially questioned that thesis. by collecting and disseminating data 5 - In it's edttorial the AMAJournal for all sources and making k' , ...,nawn takes a position which should be oti- " to the health and medical profes-r~ vious, that the definitive work on the . sions its own evaiuatrons of snch ''re)ation of cigarette smoking and data." ~, ~v',~:r. lung cancer has not yet been done - ' As this newspaper potnted out in - and there has not yet been obtained, commenting on the Burney article,' ; "utfiitid t thh sccn: evenceo warrante not enoug yet is known ot the "` assumption ob an all-or none au- causes of cancer to fix the blame'~ . thoritative position.' on~ any particular factor. Research- The comment of the Joiunal surn- ers have severali leads, which need' mar es the preseni statuc of the to be pursucd beturc cigwaitm rr sa - snattcr: ing, a~y more than industrial smog ' ' A numbefthitih h :' o auores woave examined' the same evidence cited by Dr. Burney do not agree with his conclusions. Although the studies re- • veal a:relationship between cigarette smoking and cancer that seems more .. than coincidental, they do not ex- ~plihhkit an wy, even wen smong pa- terns are the same, case rates are highe~ among men than among has produced cancer experimentally '.'-+ women and among urban than In the light of present knowledce, .', '.j ='amgllti th t'~ on rura popuaons...ere areoo many possibilitics fnr, z "Until definititdi fth ft t b hd ve sues areor- any oneacoroeol responsible t:aming„ the physician can fulfill his for the increase in lung cancer. and fumes from motor vehicles; • should' be described as responsible . for the:increase in lung cancer. And .'. in the last few days, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Ar- thur Flemming has called attention to' the fact' that a synthetic hormone ' used to trea6 chickens and other ` j animals whose meat is used for food r'a