“NOT PROVEN.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 December 1924, Page 15

“NOT PROVEN.”

CURE

BRISBANE DOCTOR’S VIEWS. / * ‘The Medical jSurrial ol Austf alia’ ’ for November 22 cpntairis a. paper by Sri David Hardie, read before a branch of the British Medical Association, on the Spahiinger treatmerit of tuberculosis, His investigation at, Geneva was made at the . instance of the Assistant Home Secretary. ~ Sir David related the circumstances under which Spahiinger was offered a million dollars for the purchase of his Whole plant, including the secret of irianufactuie. “The offer he refused, bn the ground that the purchasers would, probably not give the time required for the manufacture of the products, namely, four years, and' Would consequently produce an inferior article, Besides, it Would give them for all time monopoly. There fras also the possibility of a colonial Government offering hirii £IOO,OOO, an offer which, if riiaije, he worild seriqusly consider. He thought a Government would be less likely to hrirry Over its rhanufacture. It is quite ekiderit, therefore that Mr. Spahjinger is riot Out for riiakifig money; oil the contrary he has sripplied a few medical men gratis frith bis products and, according to his owri Statement, lias refused, h huge SUm for divulging the sebret of manufacture. Sir David spe'ht a week in Geneva. He was shown; over the establishment, and,., afterwards consulted with peighbquring. medical men ; but failed to get irito- tbuch frith any patients. ‘‘l subsequently. called .on Dr. Teschsel, who; most, kindly related his experience of the treatriient. Briefly prit, it riiay be said that he had treated a good many patients with Spahiinger’s serum, and fras satisfied with the result; He it fras wrib courteously offered to show ine two.or three patients in a few days —an offer of which, unfortunately, I ivas unable to take advaritrige, as I was leaving GeiiOka the following day. / “Dt. Stephani. Of Moritriria, Was morb enthusiastic. He had treated 300 p;fr tients, mostly Russian refugees diiririg the, war'; witli the fdllofriiig results,: KecbiretlGs from serum treatmerit. 80 per. cent- arid front vaibciri'e 77 pbr cerit. He informed me that be- had beeii greatly hrfrbpefed fb'r want of serurii.and vaccine, the' supply of which had all alorig beeri insufficient and iritrirmitteri’t. For this rhashh' he had no patients mider treatment at- tha,t timri. He, however, .was in favour of the treatment, arid, iii order to show the result, weiit over with nib riumefbus records of cases,, brie of which lriay be cited as an oxalnple. A patient frith a history of pulmori-. ary vtubei'culbsis for a year had infiltration bf both, lungs and a. cavity in orie;, he had Had a haemorrhage, and his .-temperature, reached 40 degi'efes C(104 -degrees -F.) Several injections of serum were given, and iri two months ,he had lost seven kilogfarils in weight, arid was getting worse. Cow .serum was then given by the mouth. Iri six days his appetite improved, his bough arid fever disappeared, arid in ffrbi', month’s he had gained- eight kilpphysical sings iri his lurigs Ha'd cleared up, he appeared cured, and treatment was given up. Four months Iritef, all syinptbiris returned, arid treatxnbnt by cow serum was renewed. In two . weeks he had greatly improved, Uriel iri five months all signs and symptoms/ liad, disappeared; He had increased kilograms, jind was apparently cured;' Ten years'later, in 1919, he had increased 20 kilog-ramfe, and was in robust health. , :

In this ■brifef tesume of .the Spahiinger treatment of tuberculosis I have simply given without comment a. statepient of the case as presented to me. Iri giving My. own conclusions I Worild merely say. that, the iriqriiry was conducted Without prejuidee ■ and with an open riiirid. It /has bberi' alleged that yhe inedicril profession is so prejudiced dgfin'st Mr, Spahliriger because he is not Erie Of their meriibefs that they ate bubble to give friir cbrisiderati'bn tq'his 14^1^j bbrineetiofi I. .frbrild P. rit hut- that tfiE. riiedicrif profession look uj? to ri Fferich chfeinist, Pasteur, as the originator of the greatest advance in modern iriedicine. CONCLUSIONS.

(1) So fat is I knofr, frith the exception Of the evidence of a very few, which, tfr riiy jhriid i& uricorivincirig, medical evidericE in, support of the bfeatirierit is franting. (2) At the most" treatfrierit is iri the experimental stage. e . aCeori'rit of the limited supply of mateyiil, treatriient is practically at a standstill, ..so that it is difficult to find; cases and impossible from personal knowledge to express an opinion von its merits, j - (4) The case is one of “not proven.” It has neither been proved nor disproved.

('->) Mr. Spahiinger frouid have shown greater respect to the spirit of science and scientific research if he had frankly published ' the experimental data on which the treatment is based, and. so given others an opportunity of testing their soundness; and unless hri gives his compliance to the appointment of a committed of experts to make a complete investigation and a favourable report be received thei'eon, rib Government or .public body Would, in my opinion, be justified in ndvancinri" money in support of his treatment for tuberculosis.