MEN, CAN YOU DO NOTHING?

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19442, 30 October 1925, Page 10

MEN, CAN YOU DO NOTHING?

(To the Editor) Sir, —A short time ago I wrote to your journal re Dr. Valentine’s condemnation of the Spahlinger cure for , tuberculosis. Since then has appeared in your columns an account of the committee set up at Crewe to investigate the cure, and the impression created by the report is, to say the least, highly favourable. But what is our Government’s attitude? Is it passively accepting Dr. Valentine’s adverse report in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary? Let me relate a little story. A mother stood helpless on the sea-beach amidst a crowd whilst her child was drowning in the surf. Attempt after attempt was made to reach the child, but the water was so bitterly cold that all efforts proved fruitless. The mother’s agonising cry, “Men, can you do nothing?” rent the air while the child sank beneath the waves. Now let me apply the story. In our sanatoria to-day are men and women slowly dying from this dreadful disease, and throughout the length and breadth of our land mothers are sending up the cry, “Men, can you do nothing?” And away across the sea in the little country of Switzerland a man stands forth and answers, “Yet, I can cure them; but lam helpless to reach them. 1 do not want money, but 1 need assistance to prepare the cure. Ido not want personal gain, but 1 want to help humanity. Ido not think it right to make money out of the sufferings of other people. If I allow my treatment to be commercialised it will naturally bo sold at a profit, and this is the very negation of my ideal.” And while our Government hesitates, 30 deaths are accounted for every month.

Men of New Zealand, when these bravo fellows now in the sanatoria went forth to fight for our freedom, we escorted them to the wharf to wish them God-speed and we said, “You go forth to light our battles and when you come home again we will sec that you do not want.” Arc wo doing it? While they are suffering terrible agony and an almost certain remedy is to be had should we, who enjoy our health and our freedom, be' content to let them suffer? Will someone arise who will see this matter through—someone who has the time and the money and the desire to work for suffering humanity? Read the article which h*as just been put into my hands—yes, read this fascinating story of the man and his cure! Print every word of it, Mr Editor, I implore you, so that the people of our fair land may judge this man, M. Spahlinger, “who has risked his life while handling flasks containing enough germs to wipe out London; who has been swamped with difficulties but has set his teeth and surmounted them; who has worked for years and years practically all night, snatching only an hour or two of sleep; and who I has nearly been frozen stiff in the | course of his work.” Let them read j it all, and then let them weigh the • facts of the wonderful story against 1 the hasty verdict of Dr. Valentine, who : paid a flying visit to Switzerland and | returned chagrined because “all the cards wero not put on the table.” j Yes let them read it —but don’t lot the * matter rest there. Compel them to hear the cry “Men. can you do nothing?” and forthwith entreat, them to i gird up their loins and answer with i one accord. “Wo will not forget* we will show a united front and speedily see what good can come out of this thing. ” “Wo arc not here to play, to dream, to drift; “We have hard work to do, and loads to lift; “Shun not the battle, face it—’tis God’s gift.” I am, etc., ROBERT IRWIN. Durie Hill. Wanganui. October 27, 1925.

ENCLOSURE

THE MAN WHO REFUSED £250,000.