Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-11-18

sicianS noting the apparently IoNOsSUto
progress of the tests, and convinced by the
sincerity of DR.. Amick, by the fact that he
declared himself willing to send free to all
regular practitioners sample outfits OF his
medicines, with directions of treatment OF
test cases, concluded to experiment for them
selves, and to this end send for medicines
and directions.
various parts of the country. other physi-
clans, who thought to get rid OF patients
whom they could no longer treat with any
show OF success, sent the same to Amlck,
determined to shift all responsibility upon
him, and perchance cause failure of sys-
tenn of treatment which would make an un-
favorable comparison with their own.
Some of them declared that Amick's re-
fusaI to make public his formula of medi-
cines was great wrong and of itself suggested
a money-making spirit, rather than broad
and humanitarian character.
Amick replied to these critics that his
reason for keeping the formula secret was to
prevent tinkering of inefficient doctors, who
by adding to or subtracting from the medl-
cines would achieve varied results, In the
main disastrous, and the whole system
would, in time, be thrown into disrepute.
1t was new theory of practice, which was
confronted by the opposition of old time
ideas and prejudices, and every safeguard
was needed that could be devised to keep
free from innovations, until such time as
the treatment should become universally ap-
proved and accepted, when the formulas
might, without further restraint, be freely
given to the world.
DR.. Amick, in the early days of his expert
ments, was beset with doubts and fears as
to the final outcome, and he was greatly
troubled over some of the desperate cases of
consumption sent to him by other physicians
for treatment. He scarcely knew himself
the virtues of the treatment he had origl-
mated, and trembled lest many deaths should
occur on his hands and discredit the treat
ment.
cases sent to him improved visibly under
his care, and finally ended in recoveries.
Others died.
The fame of Amick's new treatment had by
this time become generally ditfused through
out America, and vast numbers of letters
of inquiry came pouring in upon the Gin
cinnati physician from the north, south, east
and west. The doctor finally awoke to the
fact that he had become famous.
A Cincinnati correspondent of the New
York Recorder called the attention of that
journal to the Amick test cases which had
been conducted by the Cincinnati Post, and
as the Recorder was in the field with an offer
of 81 900 prize for the demonstration of a
successful method of curing tuberculosis, an
arrangement was maze WlLN LIZ aLIlSh lux
public test in New York.
The Recorder selected 10 patients, whom
DR.. Amick took under his care, with the
ultimate result that all but one were pro-
nounced cured, and the Recorder having
satisfied itself of the fact of their recovery,
paid Amick the thousand-dollar prize.
This triumph of the Cincinnati discoverer
was not unalloyed with bitterness, however.
Envious persons and others who practiced
1nlI o1r, %h11 III
lations, seeing the rise of Amick's new treat
ment, opened fire upon him through the
columns of certain journals and endeavored
to convince the public that somehow or
other the doctors discovery vas not all it
claimed to be. He had long practiced med
icine in Cincinnati. however, and had been
of excellent reputation in the craft. So
his brother, the well-known Prof. M. L.
Amick, also of the Cincinnati College of
Medicine and Surgery, came out and associ-
ated himself in the new treatment, bringing
with him the ripe results of twenty-five
years medical labors.
DIR. w. r. Amick did not at the time de-
clare, nor does he do so now. that his treat
ment is an infallible one. He insists that
no extravaganza claims shall be made for it,
and asserts that not more than 20 per cent
of third stage cases can receive any lasting
benefit from his medicines. He does, how
ever, declare that the treatment is almost
specific in the earlier stages of consump-
ton where the directions given by him are
carefully observed and no complication of
other diseases is present.
Since the close of the tests made by The
Post and the Recorder, many other newspa-
pers throughout the United States have con-
Quoted similar tests, and so have numerous
hospitals and sanitariums.
The Minneapolis Times, speaking editori-
ally of the spread of the Amick cure, says:
Thirty or more physicians in the city
have taken the medicines compounded by
DR.. Amick and are testing them IN their
practice. One of the doctors gives it is as
his opinion that the medicines in the test
cases, accomplished more than the discov-
erer claimed for them. It may be that
reliable cure has been found, but if not that
help has been introduced which will
greatly assist in the unequal battle that
must be fought against this enemy of human
life."
Another editorial article published by the
Minneapolis Journal says.
'Dr. Amick, who has acquired great deal
of celebrity of late by his successful treat
ment of phthisis, has recently had his cure
Investigated by and at the instigation of the
press of Cleveland. Of ten almost hopeless
cases which were selected only one died, two
were pronounced cured, four showed marked
improvement, and three were much i'm
proved. In all cases there was an increase in
weight, and the subjects had only been un-
der treatment two months.
'The physicians who watched the course of
treatment expressed themselves as satisfied
with the cure and testified as to the great
value of the discovery. But number of doc
tors who were interviewed accused DR.. Am
lex of violating the CODE He has made one
of the most wonderful and valuable discov-
cries ever hoped for in medicine, but he re-
fuses to give the formula to every Tom,
Dick and Harry to monkey with, and he
therefore violates the code.'"
The success of Amick's treatment has
brought into the greatest prominence his
theory that the disease produced the mi
crobe, as against the theory of Koch and ma
ny physicians that the bacillus microbe was
the cause of consumption. Koch has direct
ed his efforts towards the destruction of this
microbe, while avoiding killing the patient.
In this he admits that he failed. As result
his medicine ''tuberculim' is not now used.
1t is believed that something like one-half
of the medical profession now adopt Amick's
theory, although he has by no means unan-
imous support in his beliefs.
1T will be seen that DR.. Amick's theory is
in direct conflict with the ideas of those who,
through lack of better term, may be called
the psychologists of the profession, and
who ascribe all lung troubles to bacteria or