The Progress., 1893-11-18


which. when thoroughly tested.
proved to be Inefficient and the col
lapse OF the general expectation which
had followed koch's announcement,
made il difficult fOT AmiCk's treatment
to find favor.
Nevertheless u considerable mum
Der of physicians noting the appar-
emily favorable progress of the tests,
and convinced 10y the sincerity OF Gr.
hmick, by the fact that he declared
himself willing 10 send out free To all
regular pract TONERS sample outfits
Gl MS medicines, with directions OF
treatment Of test cases. concluded to
experiment for themselves, and to
this cud sent for medicines and dircc-
tiuns.
While their test cases we're pro-
gro osSing in various parts of the coun-
try, other physicians, who thought to
get rid of patients who thcy could no
longer treat with n show of success,
sent the same to Amick. determined
10 shift all responsibility upon him,
aud pcrchance cause "a failure of "a
system Of treatment which would
make an unfavorablc comparison with
their own.
Some of them declared that Amick' $
refusal TO make public his formula OF
medicines was a great wrong and OF
itself suggested a mOncy-making spr-
il. rather than broad and humanita-
rian character.
Amick replied to these critics that
his reason for keeping the formula
secret was to prevent the tinkering
of Inefficient doctors, who, by adding
to or subtracting from the medicines
would achieve varied results, in the
main disastrious. and tho whole sys-
tenn would, in time. be thrown intO
disreputc. 1t was new theory of
practice, which was confronted hy
the opposition of old time ideas and
prcjudiccs. and every safeguard was
needed that could be devised to keep
tho medicines and method Of applying
them free from innovations. until
such time a. the treatment should be-
come universally approved and ac-
ccpted, when the formulas might,
without further restraint, he freely
given to the world.
DR.. Amick, in the early days of his
experiments, was besct 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 trcat-
mcnt he had originated. and trcmblcd
lest many deaths should occur on his
hands and discredit the treatment.
But a large percentage Of the third
stage eases sent to him improved visi-
by under his care. and finally ended
in rccoverics. Others died.
The fame OF Amick' new trca tmcnt
had by this time become generally
ditfused throughout America, and vast
numbers of letters of inquiry came
pouring in upon the Cincinnati ply
sician 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 atten-
tion of that journal to the Amick test
cases which had been conducted by
the Cincinnati Post, and as the Re-
cordcr was in the field with an offer
OF a $1,000 prize for the demonstration
OF a successful method Of curing tu-
berculOsis. an arrangement was made
with DIR. Amick for public test in
New York.
The Recorder selected ten patients
whom DR.. Amick took under his care,
with the ultimate result that all but !
one were pronounced cured, and the
Recorder, having satisfied itself of
the fact of their recovery, paid Amick
the $1,000 prize.
This triumph Of tho Cincinnati dis
cOverer was not unalioyed with bitter
ness, however. EnviOus persons and !
others who practiccd medicine under |
The old time rules and regulations,
seeing the rise OF Amick new treat |
ment, opened fire upon him through |
the columns of certain journals, and |
endeavOred to convince the public |
that somehow or other the octor's |
discovery was not all it seemed to be. |
He had long practiced medicine in |
Cincinnati, however. and had been |
Of excellent reputation in he craft.
30 innuendos fell fiat, more especially |
when his brother, the well known |
Prof. NJ. l.. Amick, also of the Cincin-
natl College Of Medicine and Surgery, |
eame out and associated himself in the |
new treatment, bringing with him the |
ripe results of twenty-five years med
ical labors.
DIR. W. X. Amick did not az the |
time declare, nor does he do so now,
that his treatment is an infallible one.
He insists that no extravagant 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,
however, declare that the treatment |