SPAHLINGER METHOD

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 52, 29 August 1925, Page 7

SPAHLINGER METHOD

A PROPER INVESTIGATION

SCHEME

THE PERSONAL ELEMENT.

(FBOH OUlt OWH CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 14th July.

The presence of Mr. Sphalinger in London and the report on his consumption treatment by five members of Parliament who are medical men have aroused renewed interest in the man. and his work. It is understood that Mr. Spahlinger ia in England for the purpose of setting his bovine treatment on a commercial basis with a view to financing his work for the treatment of human bemgs. It appears that the scientist is at present in a worse position financially than he ever has been. The banks are pressing him, and if he cannot find at least £15,000 forthwith the laboratory at Geneva will have to be closed and the contents disposed of. This fact has already been made public by the five members of Parliament who, as the Medical Committee of the House of Commons, • are making an unofficial report to Parliament. At present this report as a whole has not been made public, but it is understood that, in effect, their opinion is exactly what Sir James Allen has reported during the last three years. They state definitely that of all known methods of combating tuberculosis the Spahlinger method seems to them at the present moment the most hopeful and promising. One of the medical men has had special experience of tuberculosis, both in this country and abroad. The others have in the course of their practice dealt with thousands of cnses of the disease. It is understood that in their report they give some details of the Spahlinger treatment, and make definite suggestions for financing and testing the method in this country. If the British public should take the matter up and sufficient money is raised to give Spahlinger an opportunity of preparing a supply of his twenty-two serums, there is still the personal factor to contend with. Everyone is convinced of Spahlinger's integrity and disinterestedness, but there is no doubt that he is not a, business man, and is somewhat elusive. His great dread is that his .methods should bo made public, ai»d that cheap imitations of his vaccines and scrums should be supplied to the public, thus discrediting his work. It appears there is nothing so very mysterious in his" methods. Their virtue lies rather in the extreme care taken in developing the preparations. It is, in fact, a personal matter, and Spahlin.ger probably feels that he and he alone, at present at any rate, is capable of producing the goods.

TEST WITH FINE COWS.

Probably no man has had so much of Air. Spahlinger's confidence as Sir James Allen, but even he is not much further ahoad in this matter than he was a year or two ago. It is some time since the High Commissioner arranged with Air. Spahlinger to cany out a test with cattle, but for some reason this fell through. The matter has been renewed, and Mr. Spahlinger has again consented to make the test. Five cows will be selected. Threo will be inoculated with the serum. Later, tho five will be injected with tuberculous germs. In the course of time all five animals will be killed and examined. It is expected, if the test is successful, that the threo which received the serum will show no signs of tuberculosis. As a matter of fact, there is a cow at Geneva at .present which was inoculated, and' which had tuberculous germs injected into ats system in 1916, 1917, and in 1921. It lives, and is apparently free from disease. The test with the five cows has been promised, but something may^ arise which will prevent its being carried out.