The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31
THAT CONSUMPTION CURE.
DR. HIRSCBFELDER'S VIEW SERUM
AND IFS TaLUE AS n REMEDY.
eensn'nptivrs Alleged 20 Have Been Cured
shown to Doctors-Snn Francisco PIP siclnns
Aro Divided In Opinion-A New York ply
siclan ana y Chemist shy II IL Absurd.

shown to Doctors-snn Francisco PLY slcinns
AFRO Divided In 0pinlon-A New York ply
siCian ana r Chemist say II IL Absurd.
SAN FRANCISCO. Oct. 80. Tho medical profcs.
Dion of San Francisco Is divided over DR.. Joseph
.. Hirschfelicr's discovery OF an alleged cure
Tor consumption. Tho disCovcrcr Ia backed by
Cooper Medical College, Of whose faculty he Is
a member, whilc hose who deny his claims he.
long 10 the :!rnl College OK Physicians and sur.
guonS.
Or. HirsuEfclhcr and his supporters claim that
with tho aid of Koch's tubcrculin he has per.
fcrteh oXvtuhorc liz or serum. which has cured
advanced eases Of ron assumption in SIX months.
ana he Inns STORES of patients who bear tCsti.
n'ony IL the remarkable hcalins powers ot this
serum. Ills OF puncr.s declare that hc has
SIMPLY used peroxide Ut hydrogen in treating
tuberculih instead OF munuXidc of hydrogen.
which Koch employed. and that his method
Isn't SO good as Koch's because free rcroX.
lido Is left in tho nuid after treatment.
and must bo expelled again by extreme
heat before the serum Is ready for use.
These critics also say that consumptive pa.
ticnts may be encouraged 10 believe anything
ehOut their condition and that tho new cure
cannot no said to have any moro value than those
brought out by Koch aud others, which proved
dismal failures, until the patients treated show
That their recovery is permanent. Meanwhile
they call attention to the fact that Hirschfelder
IA selling his serum for ~ II bottle and that
many poor c~onsumptives will flock to San Fran.
cisco. which. with its r W winds and cold rogs,
has about the worse climate in the world for
persons suffering from tuberculosis.
nr. Hirschfeldcr's discovery was first heard Of
last April, when the announcement was made
that he had perfected IL lymph which had been
tried upon dogs and had proved successful, and
which had also worked remarkable cures on
human beings. the lymph was injected hypo.
dermicRl!y, and the patients after a few DAYS
ceased 10 cough. An examination showed that
Hhe tubercules were healed by the action OF the
lymph or serum, and in cases OF laryngcal tubcr-
culosis this healing could lie seen plainly. DIR.
Hirschfeldcr sent announcements OF his export
uhents to many medical journals and societies.
and from several s-urccs received encourage
lnent- Tho majority, however, appeared to con.
bider his work chimericaI.
Last Sunday, at the Cooper Medical College.
1r. Hirschfelder exhibited twenty ~consumptive
patients who had been cured by his remedy.
Some wero In advanced stages and deep tubcr.
{ 'cs in their lungs had not entirely healed, but
The sputum which they coughed up showed no
traces OF bncilli. The showing was so remark.
able that when an account OF IL was printed,
with an account of DR.. Hirschfelder's method OF
producing the serum. it created n great sensa.
ton, and, being tclegraphed all over the world,
caused much discussion.
Or. Hirschfclder worked on his cure for two
years, una spent nearly SD. 900 in perfecting il.
The work required costly apparatus and do.
nIanded large expenditures for Koch's tubcr.
culin. From Berlin DR.. Hirschtelder has i'm.
ported $4,000 worth OF tubcrculin, and he has
bought enough veal TO feed an army.
His method of perfecting oxytuberculin, nut
Into simple English. is rs follows: Veal il soaked
III water. and ita mica "a than aSprcs,a1 l,;lol
and filtered. Glycerine, peptone, and salt are
put into the liquid. which is made slightly aka.
line with carbonate of soda. In this liquid the
germs or tuberculosis are grown. When they
are fully developed, the liquid, with the germs,
Is boiled and filtered. The resultant liquid is
tuberculin. This tuberculin is the basis OF
Dr. Hirschfelders preparation. Peroxide OF
hydrogen IS added. and the mix:lre is heated
for 100 hours, at the end OF which time it ia
oxytuberculin. This is clarified with a caustic
poda solution, and , per cent. Of boracic acid is
put In to keep it from dccomposition. The
greatest care is necessary in all the details of
making oxytuberculin. All bottles and utcnsils
used are steriliz0d under 100 centigrade of heat.
DIR. Hirschfcldec claims that in his use of
peroxide Of hydrogen lies the whole virtue of
his discovery. He declares that it makes val.
liable his serum, whereas Koch, working with
monoxide OF hydrogen. produced serum that had
~ permanent tltCJ III luDCTCulO5lS. FOR nNc
days he adds peroxide of hydrogen to his tuber.
culin until he has put in the same amount of
peroxide as OF tubcrculin. The peroxide is CON.
verified into water. but in this conversion il re.
moves the poison from the tubcrculin and dts IL
for curative purposes.
This oxytubercuiin was first tested on n dog,
Dr. Hirschfeider inOculaled a healthy dog. and
produced all the symptoms OF consumption.
The dog had a cough. lost flesh, and would not
eat. Then oxytuberculIn was injected. and in n
few days a marked Improvement was shown.
u two months the dog was as we'll as over. and
showed no traces OF the experiment.
Then the doctor was encouraged to try oxy,
tubcrcnlin on several patients who were willing
TO take tho risk. Tubcrcuies in tho lungs or
iarYnA were hcale rapidly, tho cough stopped,
ana the patients soon began to increase In
weight.
Hr. Hirschfelder claims that in no case where
MS orders nave been followed rigidly has there
been any failure TO cure. His most remarkable
case is that OF Thomas II. Williams. Jr.. a young
sporting man who is as we.. known in New York
asih San Francisco. Williams has raised many
nhe thoroughhrcds and has attended the big
circuits for years. He contracted consumptior
more than a year ago and visited several New
York experts. They all told him that he had no,
more than six months OF life left. even IL he
spent his time in southern California;: he re.
turned to his home in despair, but hearing Of
Dr. HlrSchtclder's cure, he put himself undcl
the doctors care. Williams appeared on sun
ohy ana bore witness TO the efficacy OF the nes
cure. lie declared he was thoroughly cured
Those who know him well say that he still
shows signs of the malady.
one patient with laryngeal tuberculosis.
opened ms mouth. and the doctors were able t.
SEQ scars OF ulcers which had healed. In another
patien:, who had been treated only a few weeks
the cavities in the lungs had II t healed, but IN,
sputum was examined and it betrayed no bacilli
showing that the serum killed the tubcrcules.
Opposition to DR.. Ilirschfcldcr's claim come,
from DIR. S. L. q. Potter and his fellow member,
Of the College o. Physicians ana surreous
Among them arc Drs. T.. j. Farrell anc
"inSlow Anderson. DR.. William McNutt, for
nler'y of Nova Scotia. and recognized NJ
leading gynecologisl VI this city, is also skcpt!
Cal. They say mat the cure is of little NOR,
value than Noch's famous cure. which WAS OK
piOded by Prof, Nirchow. and Tint IL a IA,