THE EDITOR, Sir:

This morning I received a phone call from a friend who had listened to Ronnie Thwaites talk on the Cancer Society, its formation, etc. I was quite surprised at this information.

I was present and worked alongside Dr. Kenneth McNeill at whose home the Cancer Society took its birth in the form of the Cancer Club. This was in the late 1940s. Ken and I returned from England after the war and worked at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) where, together, we operated on countless cases of cancer of the jaws. I fabricated in my own laboratory many obturators to replace maxillas (upper jaws which were partially resected).

At that time, Ken began to have meetings for discussion at his house in Deanery Road and invited surgeons from the KPH and Drs. Miles, Gerit Bras and Gardimer, who were the first expatriate surgeons of the university. Eminent surgeons, Dr. Pack from New York and Dr. Ronald Raven from Harley Street in London, also attended.

I used to assist in transporting the patients from KPH and they were entertained with a film using the door of Ken's garage as a screen. These meetings developed into a Thursday afternoon clinical meeting at the KPH after which they were transferred to the university on Thursday afternoons. A number of cancer cases were presented.

When the Cancer Society was launched at the State Theatre possibly in the 1950s, Horace Thame was elected the first chairman and Ken McNeill was the honorary secretary. Peggy Hart was the assistant secretary.

An outstanding case was Colin Fairweather whose larynx was removed by Ken. This condition normally renders a patient incapable of speech. Ken taught Colin to speak by a process of exhaling and Colin was able to travel here and abroad and teach this method.

In our estimation, the Honourable Ken McNeill, O.J., of blessed memory, was the founder of the Cancer Society.

I am, etc.,

LEO MARCH, C.D.

Garth Road, Kingston 8