SPAHLINGER VACCINE

Evening Star, Issue 21821, 10 September 1934, Page 3

SPAHLINGER VACCINE

EXPERIMENTS IN HEW ZEALAND IMMUNITY FOR CATTLE CLAIMED (Special to the ‘ Star.’] WELLINGTON, September 8. For many years there lias beciy a division of opinion in the scientific world over the claims ot Henry fepjdilinger that he had discovered an effective vaccine treatment securing immunity From tuberculosis. Spahlingcr refused to disclose the full formula, and remained for years under a cloud. However, there have been recent developments which have an important interest for New Zealand, where a fullscale trial of the Spahlinger methods is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture at the Wallaocville experimental station. There seems reasonable ground for the belief that, so far as securing immunity for cattle against tuberculosis is concerned, the problem has been solved by Spahlinger. The hearing of this development on tuberculosis in human beings is important, though at the present stage it would be unwise to assume too optimistic a view.

“ [ always had confidence in Spahlinger,” declared Sir James Allen to your correspondent. ‘‘ When I was High Commissioner I was .frequently in personal touch with him, and visited his experimental station near Geneva. Ho possessed a most extraordinary laboratory, with features not to bo found anywhere else. His constant difficulty was the complicated nature of the- methods of preparing the vaccine. but ho has succeeded in curing mauv human beings of tuberculosis. There has recently been published a work which is called an international tribute to Spahlingcr, containing forewords from authorities who show their belief in his system. Advance copies of this work have reached the dominion and have been circulated among those who take an interest in the treatment. The book includes full details of an official experiment with Spahlingcr vaccine by the Government of Northern Ireland, which showed that 100 per cent, of the calves immunised by the Spahlingcr vaccine had resisted the infection of tuberculosis, which proved fatal to non-vaccinated calves in a few weeks. Over and over again Spahlinger has demonstrated the effectiveness of his vaccine in protecting cattle from tuberculosis,. and an important development at the moment is that, for the first time, Spahlingcr in this hook lias disclosed the full method of preparing his vaccine. This formula is available to New Zealand and is being utilised by the Department of Agriculture. If it renders our cattle immune from tubercular disease the economic results will be of tremendous value, not only to cattle; but in the additional protection given to human beings through the removal of the risk of infection from that source.” Confirmation of Sir James Allen’s statement regarding experiments in New Zealand with the. Spahlinger tubercular vaccine formula was given by Dr Henkes. Director-General of Agriculture. “It is my opinion, based on information in the latest hook on the Spahlinger treatment,” said Dr R cakes, “ that the results of these experiments show that preventive treatment has been very effective in respect of cattle. He has disclosed his method of preparing the vaccine, and two months ago we were thus able to commence at Wallacevillc experimental station preparations for making this vaccine and trying it out on cattle.” “ When do you expect to ho able to complete the experiments?” Dr Rcakes was asked.

“ It will take us pretty well a year before we can have the vaccine ready,” was the reply. “We have to make cultures—that is a process which cannot be done quickly; but wc have made a start,_ and now that the full information is available we will make tests on a good scale.” Asked to indicate the economic results if the Spahlinger treatment is successful in giving immunity to cattle from tuberculosis, Dr Reakes stated that the cost of controlling this disease in New Zealand, where inspection was very rigorous, involved a fairly large expenditure every'year, with the result that, by comparison with other countries, our cattle were very free from tuberculosis. But this involved constant inspection, and the condemnation and destruction of all infected animals.