CONSUMPTION.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17853, 28 August 1923, Page 9

CONSUMPTION.

SPAHLINGER'S VACCINE.

VIEWS OF MEDICAL MEN.

(SPSCIAI, TO "TH« P2BSS.") AUCKLAND, August 27. h An entirely new light has beei d thrown on the claims made on behal: h of the Spahlinger method for the cur< 3 of tuberculosis by tha - opinion of Si; e Robert Phillip," as, quoted by the De s partment of Health in a circular issuec ~ to Hospital Boards'. Similarly the as a pect has been altered by views ex pressed by. Dr. W.Camac" Wilkinson, r ~ noted specialist, who passed through e Auckland in the Niagara en route tc 1 f7 dl \7- ° n Prida y- Tl >e opinions of Dr. Wilkinson were brought under the . notice of a number of Auckland medi--3 can men who, while'willing, to discuss the matter, made it clear that, being so far from the scene of operations, the information on which they based their _, deductions could only be regarded as ? second-hand. »" ' j Dr. C. E. Maguire, medical superintendent of., the Auckland Hospital, said he considered-the opinion of such ' n Avell-known authority as Dr. Camac ■ Wilkinson very valuable and, judging [ . from the correspondence which the , Health Department had had with Professor Spahlinger, he thought that what '[Dr. Wilkinson had said on the sub- , ject was quite true.. .. Apparently, Pro- , fessor Spahlinger had not given the . medical profession a chance of prot perly testing his vaccine, and his statements would have to be .taken with a good deal of reserve. Dr. Maguire added that the medical profession was hoping for very much more from the experiments which were being carried put at Oxford by.Professor Dreycr, who was aiming at the production of a vaccine or serum which would have a great effect on the treatment of tuberculosis.. The Health Department was keeping in touch with this work through the High Commissioner, and it was hoped that reports as to the efficacy of the method would soon be to hand._ As. Dr. Wilkinson had pointed out, it was necessary to keep cases under observation ,for . considerable periods before it. was possible to say (l that any treatment of the kind was good. '..'.'',,-' - "So far as I can make but. 1 " said Dr. Maguire, "Professor''. Spahlinger, not being a medical man, is not able to''follow, up his casei and his method has.not been in existence long enough to prove its value. It seems to me that it i s unfair for a' scientific man to raise the, hopes of sufferers as well as being unwise to publish so much when the.method has. not been proved under satisfactory tests./':,. Mr Kenneth. Mackenzie, to whom the matter wa 3 referred, appeared cautious about accepting, the statement of the efficacy of the Spahlinger method. He said;he could-not help thinking that if the. treatment had proved all that was claimed for it, Spahlinger's own Government would have' assisted Mm and officially taken the' treatment under its wing. The treatment of' tuberculosis was; almost a .'national industry in . Switzerland. Many;, specialists were employed in attending to the needs of the'thousands of patients v/ho visited Switzerland annually, and it was essential to : the Swiss people that thpy should retain their ascendancy in the treatment of tuberculosis.' The Swiss Government must have gone' thoroughly into the ■ matter in the interests of. the nation, yet if had, apparently withheld assistance., If,; therefore, Spahlinger was unable '.to', convince those nearest and most likely, to be acquainted with his ; work, it could not be expected : that; New _ Zealanders should bo anything but Mr Mackenzie added that though- speaking, without knowledge ■of the process, he 'Was'.very much that Professor Spahlinger,'lilce many Mother 'discoverer's, .had allowed .himself;-to he carried away by his,enthusiasm. ... "Dr. ;Camac Wilkinson is -very wellknown ,in connexion wjth the study of this disease, and his opinions are looked upon; as 'very yaiuahle,""' said- another local 'doctor, who is himself deeply interested/in.iesearch; work... "What wo of .the medical professional mostly feel is/that Professor. Spahlinger has not evolved any new treatment. He "has merely devised a new method of making a vaccine or/serum .which has been used for many years following the'introduction -by Kbch : of" tuberculin.' ;If it is going to take'four years'to make this'agent,..'it is going to be, very expensive and ,■■ hard to -handle. There seems to be considerable-doubt-as to the efficacy. of - this method. • -If Professor Spahlinger had been able jto point to- any considerable number, of cases which had stood the test,, all medical, men would be rushing the treatment,-but -Great"Britairi'"an'd Aug-' tralia are holding back awaiting definite . pronouncements. Personally I shall be surprised-if it takes us very far, but I have an open mirid on the subject, with a slight tendency, to wonder if there is. anything in it."

This medical man said he deplored the'suggestion that the profession was opposed to outsiders finding new cures, for if any were found and proved in this way the doctors were only too glad to accept, and use them for the general benefit,' as, after all, their mission was to cure. He would apply this to Professor Spahlinger's researches, although, he: felt, slightly dubious about it at present. In all new forms of treatment doctors must necessarily be somewhat conservative, as they could not desert, old friends for new until they were proved. The tendency was to receive new treatments with reserve, although all doctors welcomed genuine cures, whether they came from a.member of the profession or from a layman. ' The doctor, quoted mentioned that a medical ma'n pledged himself, not to withhold or keep secret any cures which he might be fortunate enough to discover, but to give them to the profession for the benefit of mankind. Applying that principle, they were glad to. see anyone find a cure for tuberculosis, cancer, or < any of *the other diseases. ... •.