The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-02-02
Vaccination for Cancer.

Lively low HloHlHS Inefe Is Il freSh
announcement that somebody has
found microscopic organism which
gives rise to malignant tumors, and
such statements are often accompa-
MED by reports that curative serum
has been derived from the supposed
germ. The latest story comes from
Brussels, and imputes this twofold
achievement to a DR.. Jacobs, whose
nationality and residence are not
clearly indicated. Neither are any
particulars supplied which might as
sist the critical reader in determining
how we'll founded are the claims of
DR.. Jacobs, though it appears that an
account of his work was presented to
the Brussels Academy of Medicine by
a local physician named Van Ermeng-
hem.
Among the pathologists who have
previously evinced faith in the posi-
bility of curing cancer by vaccination
are DR.. Otto Schmidt, of Berlin, and
DR.. e. Doyen, of Paris, Both of these
men have been able to inspire little
confidence among their professional
brethren on the continent, but the at
titude of British experts has until re-
Gently been skeptical almost without
exception. Last year, and again the
year before, the verdict of the men
who are investigating the subject I'M
der the auspices of the English Cancer
Research Fund was that the disease
is not parasite and cannot be relieved
by any form of medicine. "A few
weeks ago, in lecture before the
Royal College of Surgeons in England,
DR.. H. T. Butlin, prominent sur
geon, protested vigorously against the
conservatism of his compatriots, but
he evidently has few sympathizers in
the United Kingdom.
Experiments with Schmidt's and
Doyen's serums made by Englishmen
have not yielded encouraging results.
DR.. Josse johnson went over to Co.
logne to observe cases treated by DR..
Schmidt, and came away with IA
vorable impression. Shortly after
ward DIR. Darcy Power reported in
one of the British periodicals that he
had tried the Germans serum with
several patients, and did not discover
that 1t possessed the slightest virtue.
Again, only a few weeks ago, DR..
Alexis Thomson reported in an Edin-
burgh medical journal his own eX-
perience with Dr. Doyen's serum. He
had employed it in only four instances.
In one case the disorder was not
malignant; another belonged to
group which the Frenchman classed
as incurable, even with serum; but
there were two which presented all
the conditions for an instructive test
In these the serum was administered
in conformity with DR.. Doyen's direc-
tons, and yet within a few months
both patients died.
The lack of success which has at
tended these experiments does not
justify definite conclusion. DR..
Thomson places a very modest esti-
mate on his own ventures, and is care
full to say that two cases alone can
not signify much. 1t may prove that
there was some unsupported error in
the methods pursued In England and
Scotland. Failure to corroborate the
testimony of DR.. Schmidt, DIR. Doyen
and their partisans, however, will
doubtless serve as warning to the
medical profession to distrust for the
present the serum treatment of canT
Ger. The latest advocate of it, DR..
Jacobs. is entitled to a respectful
hearing, but he should make a more
convincing demonstration of the
soundness of his theories than have
his predecessors in the same field of
activity before it is conceded that he
has rendered an important service to
mankind.