INFANTS IN HOSPITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 91, 14 October 1931, Page 9

INFANTS IN HOSPITAL

GRAVE NEGLIGENCE

ALLEGED

BERLIN, 12th. October

Doctors crowded the Court at Lubeek, hearing the sequel to the deaths of 75 infants, following treatment by the "Calmette" anti-tubercular process last year. Professor Doyck, head of the Lubeek General Hospital, Dr. Klotz, head of tho children's hospital, Dr. Altstaedt, head of the Health Department, and Nursing-Sister Anna Schultze were charged with negligence, causing manslaughter and bodily injury to 253 infants, of whom 75 died and more than 100 were seriously ill, many yet being in danger. Tho prosecution alleges that insufficient care was taken in the preparation of the vaccine, the Calmette cultures being kept in the same incubator with virulent human tubercular cultures.

Also it is contended that the defendants failed to discover by experiments on animals whether.the cultures were innocuous before administration. The hearing was adjourned.

In May, 1930, it was reported that out of 253 infants at Lubeek, Germany, given the Calmette prophylactic treatment against tuberculosis, consisting of germs from tubercular cows, in food when between one and ten days old, 75 died. The authorities ordered a cessation of the treatment and an investigation to discover whether there was an overdose, which tho doctors declared to b© imposible, pointing out that 400,000 infants had been successfully treated in England, Austria, and Italy.