San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1893-11-24
AMICK's THEORY.
How 1t Conflicts with Some Received
Opinions.

When the Cincinnati Post under.
took, over a year ago. TO examine
into the causes OF tuberculosis and the
methods which had been advanced for
its cure. the idea was to so thoroughly
sift and test alleged cures that
their merits should finally be sttled to
the satisfaction of the public.
DR.. W. R. Amick had Just annOunc-
ed that consumption could be cured
by the use of a new method, which
he proposed to introduce. Other doc
tors in considerable numbers, derided
the idea that anything more efficient
than old school treatment with cod
liver oil, creosote and the various
hypophosphites could be devised. and
some of them entered the newspapers
and medical journals to say so il
brusque English. Others, again, who
were not so confident that the acme OF
medical science had been reached,
were disposed to await a test of
Amick's method, before giving their
opinions.
1t was at this stage of the proceed
ings that the Post conceived the idea
of selecting test cases of consumption
and also one o: two of asthma for
Amiek to treat, the doctor having de-
clared that his formula was equally
effective in asthmatic troubles. The
plan for the test. as laid down by the
Post and accepted finally by Amicz.
was to select from persons who were
affected with tuberculosis and had
three whose cases had passed beyond
the initial stage and would therefore
be past the assistance of such treat
ment as could be given by the stan
dard methods of the day.
1t was agreed that if Amick sue
ceeded in curing the test patients he
should be given full and free credit
for the same, and that if he failed the
treatment should receive merited
condemnation. Full reports of the
progress of the tests were to be pub
lished frequently until the end Of the
undertaking and the patients either
died or got well.
Acting on this plan The Post adj
vertised for patients and secured sew
eral, including one of chronic asthma
of 81 years standing and others OF
consumption which had progressed
into the third stage. The treatment
of all the cases was persistently car
ried on for over six months. The
progress of the test was duly chrOn-
icled and became familiar to all the
people of the Ohio Valley and con-
tiguous States. Marked interest was
excited and the outcome was as anx-
iOusly awaited by the public as by the
unfortunate patients themselves.
After the lapse of the time men
toned the Post stated that all of the
test patients were alive and well.
At the present time one of these test
patients is living on North Bend, O.,
while another resides at West Fourth
Street, Cincinnati, and is continually
praising the Amick cure as a final re
lief from long continued trouble. and
the third who gained 81 pounds in six
weeks has become a giant in strength
and lives now on Main street.
Just before the test of the Amick
cure took place, as narrated, DR..
Koch, the celebrated German ply
stefan and scientist. had an
nOunced a cure for tuberculosis
which, when thoroughly tested,
proved to be inefficient and the col
lapse of the general expectation which
had followed Koch's announcement,
made it difficult for Amick's treatment
to find favor.
Nevertheless a considerable Dum-
Der of physicians noting the appar-
emily favorable progress Of the tests.
and convinced by the sincerity of DR..
Am1ck, by the fact that he declared
himself willing to send out free to all
regular practitioners sample outfits
of his medicines, with directions Of
treatment Of test cases, concluded to
experiment for themselves, and to
this end sent for medicines and direc-
tiOns.
While their test cases were pro-
crossing in various parts of the cOun-
try. other physicians. who thought to
get rid OF patients who they could no
longer treat with a show Of success,
sent the same to Amick, determined
to shift all responsibility upon him,
and perchance cause a failure of
system of treatment which would
make an unfavorable comparison with
their own.
Some of them declared that Amick's
refusal to make public his formula of
medicines was a great wrong and Of
itself suggested mOney-making spir-
it. rather than a broad and humanita-
rian character.
Amick replied to these critics that
his reason for keeping the formula
secret was to prevent the tinkeriug
Of inefficient doctors, who, by adding
to or subtracting from the medicines
would achieve varied results, in the
main disastrous, and the whole sys-
TEN would, in time, be thrown into
disrepute. 1t was a new theory OF
practice, which was confronted by
the opposition OF old time ideas and
preiudices. and every safeguard was
needed that could be devised to keep
the medicines and method of applying
them free from innovations, until
such time as the treatment should be-
come universally approved and ac-
cepted, when the formulas might,
without further restraint. be freely
given to the world.
DR.. Amick, in the early days OF his
was beset with doubts
and fears as to the final outcome. and
and he was greatly troubled over
some of the desperate cases Of con-
SUMPTION sent to him by other ply
sicians for treatment. He scarcely
knew himself the virtues of the treat
nent he had originated, and trembled
lest many deaths should occur on his
hands and discredit the treatment.
But a large percentage of the third
stage cases sent to him improved visi-
bly, under his care, and finally ended
in recOveries. Others died.
The fame Of Amick' new trea tment
had by this time become generally
difused throughout America, and vast
Of letters OF inquiry came
pouring in upon the Cincinnati ply
5ician from the north. south. east and