The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1893-11-18


ity of DIR. Am!ck by the fact that he declared
himself willing 10 send out free TO all reguiar
practitioners sample outfits oil MS mediethcs'
with directions of treatment oil test cases
concluded TO experiment Tor themselves,
and to this end sent for medicines and difec-
tons.
While their test cases were progressing IN
various parts OF the country, other physi-
clans, who thought to get rid oil patients
whom they could no longer treat win any
show of success, sent the same to Amick, de-
termlued TO shift all responsibility upon MIN,
and perchancc cause failure of system OF
treatment which would make an unia'ofa-
Bile comparison with their own.
Some Of them declared that Annex felueai
to make public his formula of medlcines was
a great wrong, and of itself suggested mon
ey-making spirit, rather than a broad and hu-
manitarian character.
Amick replied to these critics that his rea-
son for keeping the formula secret was TO
prevent the tinkering of inefficient doctors.
who by adding to or subtractlng from the
medicines, would achieve varied results, In
the main disastrous, and the whole system
would, in time. be thrown into dlsrepute. IL
was a new theory Of practice, which was CON
fronted by the opposition OF oldtlne Ideas
and preiudces and every safeguard was
needed that could be devised to keep the med
icincs and method Of applying them free from
innovations until such time as the treat
ment should become universally approved
u.
out 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 trouDieu
over some of the desperate cases OF consump-
ton sent to him by other physicians for treat
ment He scarcely knew himself the virtues
of the treatment he had originated. and tren-
bled lest many deaths should occur on MS
hands and dlscredit the treatment
~. NtfaFra Of n 81
cases sent 10 him improved vsIby under Is
care, and finally ended in rccoycries. Others
died
The fame OF Amlck's new treatment had by
this time become generally difused through.
on, America. and vast numbers of letters oil
inquiry came pouring in upon the Cincinnati
physician from the north, south, east and
west. The doctor finally awoke to the iact
that he had become famous.
Cincinnati correspondent oil the nen
| York R,corder called the attention OF that
Journal to the Amick test cases which had
| been conducted by the Cincinnati Iosf, and
as the Recortisr was In the field with an olicr
OF 81, 600 prize for the demonstration OF
successful method OF treating tuberculosis
/ an arrangement was made with Dr. AInlck
| for public test In New York.
The Recorder selected 10 patients, whom
| DR.. Amlck took under his care, with the ultl.
mate result that all but one was pronounced
cured, and the Recorder, having satisfied II
0
the thousand-dollar prize.
/ This triumph OF the Cincinnati dlscoyercr
was not unaloyed with bitterness, however
| Envlous persons, and others who practiced
medicine under the oll-tlme rules and regu-
| latlons, seeing the rise of Amlck's new
! treatment, opened fire upon him through
the columns of certain journals, and Gu
{ dcayored to convince the public that some
how or other the doctors discovery was not
I all II seemed 10 be. lie had long practiced
-. h.sE md huh
been OF excellent reputation in the craft
so innuendos fell fiat, more especially when
his brother, the well known Prof. NJ. l..
Amick. also OF the Cincinnati College OF
Medicine and Surgery, came out and asso-
clated himself In the new treatment, bring
ing with him the ripe results OF twenty-five
years medical labors.
DR.. w. X. Amick did not ut the time declare,
nor does he do so now, that his treatment
Is an infullible one. lie insists that no cx-
! travagant claims shall be made for II, and
-; =. --"' 800" than iwenty por cent
OF third-stage cases can receive any lasting
bencht from his medicines, He does, how
| ever, declare that ,h. treatment il almo.t
a specific IN the earlier stages OF con.ump-
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
| I'osi and the Rocorder, many other newspa-
| pers throughout the United States have con-
Quoted similar tests, and so have numerous
hospitals and sanitarlums.
! The Minneapolis Times, speaking edltori-
ally OF the spread OF the Amlck cure, says:
] ''Ihirty or more physicians In the city
| have taken the medicines compounded by
DIR. Amlck and are testing them in their
practice. One OF the doctors gives It rs his
opinion that the medicines, in the test cases,
accomplished more than the dlscoverer claim
for them. 1t may be that a reliable cure
has been found, but II 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. Amck, who has acquired great
deal OF celebrity of late by his successful
treatment 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 improved In all cases there was
an increase in weight, and the subjects had
only been under 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. Blu. 4 number OF doc
tors who were interviewed accused DIR Amick
OF violating the code. He has made one of
the most wonderful and valuable discoveries
ever hoped for in medicine, but he refuses to
give the formula TO every Tom, Dick and
Harry to monkey with, and he therefore vic.
lates the codc.''
The success of Amick's treatment has
brought into the greatest prominence his the
ory that the disease produced the microbe, us
against the theory of Koch and many physi-
clans that the bacillus microbe was the cause
of consumption. Koch had directed his eff
forts towards the destruction OF this microbe,
while avoiding killing the patient. In this
he admits that he failed. As q 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 a unan-
imous support In his beliefs.
l. will be seen that DIR. Amick's theory is
In direct conflict with the ideas of those who
through lack OF better term, may be called
the bacteriologlsts of the profession. and who
ascribc all lung troubles to bacteria or ba.
cilli.
These psychologists demand, as will be
noted In some OF the interviews given above,
that all consunptivcs be isolated and treated
~ though they had smallpox or yellow fever.
They insist that wife shall be separated
from her sick husband and husband from
his dying wife, in order to avoid contagion.
Thn mn nnit 90,