The chronicle=news., 1913-02-28
Frieds,ann Discovery
elimination of Thirty
Years Of Research

Wa&htnEton. Feb. 21.-For ovar
thirty years after deep and cautious
research. modern medtAai scientists
have at various Intervals. given TO
tho world now and wonderful cures
for tubcrculn~is.'' hut during all
these years there haa been but little
check to the terrible white plague
that no dircly threatens and mena-
rcS the very vitaia Of tho nation.
Tho Physiological society Of lerlln
on March ~. 1889. announced that
II had discovered tho germ os tubrr-
c,ilosis. aud that Robert Koch. Der
man scientist. was tho discovcrer. lie
called II tho bacillus tuberculosis.
He cndcnvorcd TO show that this
germ. whether cxishng In the lungs.
In the skin. In tho boncs. tho Gland.
tho intrstlncs. whether In man or
In cattle or swine. always hnrboresl
tho tubercle bacillus. lie taught the
medical fraternity how TO recognize
these germs when existing. and to
leave no loophole In his work. dis
covered thnt minute quantity Of
these living germs would always pro-
duce tuberculosis. and no other dis
ease would follow tho Injection Of
these germs into any animal.
This gave tho first scientific ~.
surancc that Tuberculosis IL not a
breeder OF other diseases. and Ia not.
by nature. contagious.
The wonderful discovery made by
Koch was flashed over tho entire
world. but AZ tim" wore on no defi-
these germs was discovered.
The next advance In knowledge In
this direction was due TO the work
OF IN American. Professor Thebaid
Smith Of tho Harvard Medical school
IN 1885,. Ills discovery was supple
mcn;nry to that shown by Koch. Civ.
Ing positiv" proof that tuberculosis
ir caused by n certain bacillus germ.
Then cane Dr. T.. l.. Trndcau or
Satamac lake. affirming III" .iiscov-
cry. Shortly Wtnrward uc Schweln.
tis OF Washington. u. G.. added his
discovery to that OF other scicntistx.
Other scientists of tho country nd.
ded valuable Information. all aErcc-
Ing TINT ha only method Of curing
the dread disease would have to come
ip the form OF serum. BY inocula.
ton. that would kill tho bacillus.
And thus the hunt for germs and
cures continued. Dr. Alfred Moelicr,
u physician NJ the Georbcrsiio xani-
tarium In Germany. had an Idea that
because tuberculosis was No common
In cattle the bacillus might live In
plants. md theu there followed un
announcement that plant life was re-
sponstbic. An American physician
found traces OF the germs In butter
In New York City.
Then cnmc tho socailrd cold.
blond" germ theory and another story
Of new aud wonderful discovery
WAS flashed over tho wires OF the
country.
Thus for thirty years. scientists
have worked and searched. by aid OF
chemical and other researches. to
first Of all locate tho source OF tho
disease.
Lastly. among tho ardent workers
ON the socallcd tuhcrcle bacillus was
Or. =. Friedman OF Iseslin. whose
first contribution to thme subject ap-
peared In 1908. Hc said that he had
run across spontaneous tubefculoals
In two marine turtles In the Berlin
aquarium. This idea was at first not
given much rredcncc by the medical
fraternity. and Dr. rrlcdmaun was
unable to give definite proof of his
discovery 10 tho extent that II would
bc taken serlousiy.
In hIs first imnunizing expert
incnts Dr. Fricdmaun neglected to
publish tho details which scientific
criticism demands should ulwnys ac-
company tho announcement OF nm
us6al accomplishments.
hut DR.. Friedmanp became more
enihused over his turtle discovery
and kept at tho task OF making more
minute tcseis until. 10 November,
l9i?. he addressed the Dcrlin Ned
ical society on Curative and Pro-
tective lnoculation OF Human Tuber-
culofts," ut which time he gave to
tho world something more OF his
most extraordinary discovery. In all
Of these years he had not been rest
Ing from scientific work. He xaid
that he had learned u great deal more
about immunization, and made the
astounding announcement that he
could now cure most anybody suffer-
Ing from tuberculosis.
The announcement was cabled 10
the United States and dispatches
were loud in praise OF the great dis
covery. Thousands OF people from all
over tho world flooded DR.. Fried
mann with inquiries and millions Of
dollars were Mt once placed at his
disposal. He WAS invited TO come to
America. where much OF this disease
is prevalent.
Reports. contradictory. came from
Germany ms 20 the treatment Accord
ed Or. Friedman by his own govern
incnt. Some OF the dispatches said he
was not gwen credeuce by his own
people: tina, he was coming to Amer
lea. and all sorts OF announcements
were made. Then II was stated that
he WIS curing hundreds In his own
country. aud that he would not sail
for the United States.
An effort will bc made TO have
nr. Friedman to go to Colorado,
wherc there are many favorable cli-
matir conditions.
Tb" United States government, II
is said. will take the matter up with
hr. Friedman and secure from him,
II possible. information that may
lead to the cure OF thousands Of peo-
pic suffering from tuberculosis In
this country. In IN interview given