ALL CARDS ON THE TABLE, PLEASE!

NZ Truth, Issue 1051, 14 January 1926, Page 1

ALL CARDS ON THE TABLE, PLEASE!

l\.L* i JittlOlOSpst I&K6S Off fSifi lilftvp^

Challenge to Spahlinger

and Smalpage

(From "Truth's Special Christchurch Representative.) , Now then, Dr. Smalpage and Mr. Spahlinger, all cards on the table, please ! Who holds the secret of a permanent and lasting cure for the Great White Scourge — Tuberculosis.

IS Spahlinger, of world-wide repute, the man 1 who holds the magic formula or is the saviour of the victims of the scourge, Dr. Edward H. Smalpage, of Sydney? Spahlinger has long been the claimant to a specific cure, and Dr. Smalpage' has lately • startled the medical world by announcing the discovery of a new curative serum. Neither. of these two, however are endorsed by the medical profession as men who have proved their claims, for the reason that they have declined to lay all their cards on the table. Until they do they must be pre- | pared to see their claims shrouded m clouds of scepticism and doubt. Visiting Christchurch at the present time i£ Di\ P. MacCallum, formerly of this city, and now professor of pathology at Melbourne University. Dr. MacCallum has himself devoted considerable time to pathological research, and tuberculosis and cancer have occupied much of his attention and study. Claims Rejected He is recognized as an authority well qualified to speak on the subject of the claims put forward by both Spahlinger and Smalpage. He unhesitatingly rejects both, not because he believes that the serums used are a failure, but "because neither of the claimants has laid his cards on the table, - nor given any real opportunity to other scientists to .test the accuracy of the claims and carry out similar experiments and obtain the same results."

When "Truth's" special representative called on Dr. MacCallum at the seaside hotel at Sumner where he was staying the interviewer expected to be greeted by an elderly man of serious mien. It was therefore something- of a surprise when he was hailed by a young man m the late thirties. "Oh yes, about Spahling-er and Smalpage," h e said breezily as he settled down for a chat. "Well, of course, there is little that I can say that will amount to very much for the simple reason that we have not sufficient data to go on to enable me to say definitely whether the serums are all that they are said to be." The interviewer referred the doctor to "Truth's" recent article on the subject of T. 8., m which Dr. Valintine had expressed an adverse opinion on Spahlinger's claims. "As to Spahlinger," he said when he had perused the article, "What are we to think? How can we accept his claims when the man re- ' fuses to divulge the secret? "Do you know that .not so very long ago an Australian medical man, Dr. McKeSdie, of the Alfred Hospital, went to Europe with authority to make an offer of £40,000 to Spahlinger for the facts of his cure and the offer was turned down ? That, is the . sort of thing we have to contend with." . "Absolute Secret" "You would not go so far as to describe him, as a charlatan?" "Well, no; I would not. For all we know to the contrary the man may hold the absolute secret of a cure,, but we are not m a position to test it, as he refuses to part up with the secret. . "In short he will not place all his cards on the table." ; The interviewer said something about the self sacrificing spirit of the true scientist. "Ah; that- is the point," said the doctor. "The true scientist would throw all his cards on the table. . "Apparently Spahlinger thinks that if he does that somebody: will ■ make money out of it. Once the serum is known it becomes a commercial product; "While I certainly think that some monetary gain should accrue to the inventor, still, scientific advancement, irrespective of material benefit, " should be the main aim." Turning to the claims made by Dr. Smalpage of Sydney, Dr. MacCallum said he had no knowledge concerning them other than what he had gleaned from a pamphlet. This he produced and pointed out Various inconsistencies m. the method as laid down,

Again, only vague information was given as to the procedure to be followed m carrying out the experiments, and there was a paucity of detail concerning quantities and measures. Briefly, the, method of Dr. Smalpage was to make an alcoholic extract of the lymphatic gland which was allowed to act on tubercle bacilli. It killed them, dissolution eventually occurring. The filtered result m fluid was toxic, and when introduced into a horse an anti-serum was produced. Experiments, had been carried oUt to show that the same results could be obtained from human beings. Dr. MacCallum said he understood that the experiments had been controlled at Sydney University but he had heard nothing whatever from that institution on the subject. "If Smalpage will only release the whole of the information he has, and let the scientific world know the 'full facts, then he may become famous, but if he hides the knowledge from us then there is not much chance of his method being taken very seriously. "Personally," said the doctor, "I am strongly opposed to the broadcasting of these claims before they have been established beyond doubt. It only means that the hopes of sufferers are being needlessly buoyed up to expect some relief they cannot hope to receive." To Test Experiments "Then you would not advise New Zealand to spend any money on securing supplies of Spahlinger's serum, or for that matter, Smalpage's?" "Most emphatically I would not, of for that matter any other serum that has not been tested and proved to be whit is claimed for it up to the hilt." Dr. MacCallum made it clear that the medical profession was • "not up against" either Spahlinger or Smalpage. "Our attitude is clearly this:. We are quite prepared to listen to what they have to say and test fairly any experiments they care. to make I( but they have not come forward so far to give us the opportunity to do this, and until they do they will not command much "attention. -" - ' "They have only themselves to blame if their claims are held m doubt." The doctor then embarked on a general discussiion on T.B. and expressed the belief that along the present lines of research the problem might be solved at any time. Confident of Success "In all scientific research," he said, "you may work on the problem for years and then suddenly hit upon the solution. When.it is found it often proves that the solution has been staring you m the face all along., "I am confident that we shall eventually solve the problem of T. 8." "What hope of a cure for cancer?" asked the interviewer. "When you touch on that question you are opening up a big field. We know very little about cancer — yet, but there again science may find the cure when it is least expected." The doctor mentioned that it was a singular circumstance that while T.B. was decreasing all over the world, cancer was increasing almost m the same ratio. "It is remarkable, but true," he said, "and research is being carried on now to discover if, by any chance the two diseases are related or associated m any. way." ' • . A Big Bluff? "No," he remai'ked m reply to a question, "I am not going to hold out any hopes to T.B. sufferers m so far as the claims of Spahlinger and Smalpage are concerned. "They have not proved their claims or. established their case to the satisfaction of science, and until they do they are m doubt. "I am not suggesting for a. moment that they are staging a big bluff. "As I have already i-emarked, both men may have solved the problem, and if they have it is up to them to lay all their cards on, the table and give science- the benefit of their knowledge and information. . 'fUntil they do this they cannot hop©/ to tnake any hea^way,^