People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-11-17
AMlCK'S THEORY.
How 1t Conflicts With Some Received
Opinions.

took, over 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 settled to the
satisfaction of the public.
DR.. W. K. Amick had Just announced
that consumption could be cured by
the use of new method. which he pro-
posed to introduce. Other doctors, in
considerable numbers. derided the idea
that anything more efficient than old
school treatment with cod liver oil,
creosOte and the various hypophos-
phites could be devised, and some of
them entered the newspapers and med
zeal journals to say so in brusque
English. Others, again, who were not
so confident that the acme of medical
science had been reached. were dis
posed to await test of Amicks meth
cd, 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 or two of asthma for
Amick 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 Amick,
was selected from persons who were
affected with tuberculosis, three whose
cases had passed beyond the initial
stage and would therefore be past the
assistance of such treatment as could
be given by the standard 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 con-
demnation. Full reports of the prog
ress Of the tests were to be published
frequently until the end of the under
taking and the patients either died OF
got well.
Acting on this plan The Post adver-
tised for patients and secured several,
including one of chronic asthma of 81
years standing and others of consump-
ton which had progressed into the
third stage. The treatment of all the
cases was persistently carried on for
over six months. The progress Of the
test was duly chronicled and became
familiar to all the people of the Ohio
Valley and contiguous States. Marked
interest was excited and the outcome
was as anxiously awaited by the public
as by the unfortunate patients them
selves.
After the lapse of the time mentionG
the Post stated that all of the test pa,
tients were alive and well.
At the present time one Of these test
patients is living at North Bend. o.,
while another resides on West Fourth
Street, Cincinnati, and is continually
praising the Amick cure as a final relief
from long continued trouble, and the
third who gained 80 pounds in six
weeks has become 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 physician and
scientist had announced a cure for tn.
burculosis, which. when thoroughly
tested, provided to be inefficient and the
collapse of the general expectation
which had followed Koch's announce
ment, made it difficult for Amick'S
treatment to find favor.
Nevertheless a considerable number
of physicians noting the apparently
favorable progress of the tests, and
convinced by the sincerity of DR.. Amick.
by the fact that he declared himself
willing to send out free to all regular
practitioners sample outfits of his med.
icines, with directions of treatment OF
test cases, concltde to experiment
for themselves, and to this end sent for
medicines and directions.
While their test cases were progress
ing in various parts of the country,
other physicians, who thought to get
rid of patients whom they could no
longer treat with any 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
refusal to make public his formula OF
medicines was great wrong and OF
itself suggested money-making spirit,
rather than a broad and humanitarian
character.
Amick replied to these critics that
his reason for keeping the formula Sc
cret was to prevent the tinkering OF
inefficient doctors, who, by adding to OF
subtracting from the medicines would
achieve varied results, in the main dis.
astrous, and the whole system would, in
time, be thrown into disrepute. 1t was
a new thery of practice, which was con.
fronted by the opposition of old time
ideas and prejudices, and every safe
guard 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
become universally approved and ac.
cepted, when the formula might, with.
out further restraint, be freely given
to the world.
DR.. Amick, in the early days of his
experiments, 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
originated, and trembled lest many
deaths should occur on his hands End
discredit the treatment.
But 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's new treatment
had nv this tirua haoorna oraparoll,, d;f