SPAHLINGER TREATMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 16

SPAHLINGER TREATMENT.

CONSUMPTION VACCINE.: BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. (Fboji Oub Own Cobbespondent.) LONDON, May 4. A statement by the Science Committee of the British Medical Association on tho Spahlinger treatment of tuberculosis is published in the British Medical Journal, the gist of which is that subscriptions of money for a scientific test would be welcomed, but subscriptions of large sums of money to distribute the vaccines as a “cure” should be discouraged until the vaccines are proved to be a cure. Points from the statement are: The tests would be undertaken in this country by experienced physicians and bacteriologists without any special fee or remuneration.

The Spahlinger treatment has been before tho public for more than a dozen The Minister of Health (in 1923) intimated that the Ministry would be prepared to appoint a medical committee to watch the results of the treatment in cases selected by a physician nominated by M. Spahlinger This offer has not been accepted. We have no reason to discredit the claims of M. Spahlinger and his friends, but we should be wanting in our duty to the profession and the public if we failed to point put that: This is a secret remedy. No investigations carried out under strict experimental conditions which afford direct and convincing evidence of the curative action of Ihese substances have been published. QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. In the House of Commons a day or two ago reference was made to the Spahlinger treatment of tuberculosis. Mr Briant, Liberal member for Lambeth, asked the Minister of Health if any steps were being taken to make further investigation, if this was necessary, into the results obtained in the cure of phthisis by the Spahlinger treatment: ana if % in view of the importance of the question to the health of the community, Government assistance would be given in order to make it available to the large number of persons suffering from this disease. Sir K. Wood, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Health, said that the Minister of Health had offered to send competent medical inspectors to study M. Spahlinger’9 work at Geneva and to facilitate scientific investigation in this country of M Spahlinger would supply his materials and method of use. Up to the present neither invitation had been accepted. The second part of the question did not, therefore, arise. Mr A. V. Davies asked if it was not the case that M. Spahlinger had not got the necessary money. Sir K. Wood replied that that might be so, but directly the Ministryreceived the necessary information and materials they would be glad to go into the matter. Mr T. Jones (Pontypridd, Lab.) asked if the Ministry of Health did not possess certain discretionary power to give financial assistance in such a case. Had not a large number of trade unions already contributed substantially in order to try to make this work a success? Sir K. Wood: No. I think the ight course has been taken in this case —namely, to offer to send our officers to Geneva to study these cases and to ask, on the other hand, that this gentleman should send the material here, when we shall be glad to investigate it. Mr Clynes (Manchester, Platting Lab.), asked if these offers of investigation had been made quite recently. Sir K. Wood replied in the affirmative. They had been made repeatedly during the last three years ... From these statements it is evident that the British -Government are little further in the matter than they were three years ago.