The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-09
Government Report ON DR..
Friedman Turtle Serum.
Public Losing Confidence in
Old Methods of Treatment.
PATIENTS HAVE NOT IMPROVED
Some Are Suffering From Alb
scesses Formations.
Reluctance of DiScOverer to
Furnish Certain Details.

IL
Washington May 9.-Public health
service observations into the condition
of DR.. F. F. Friedman vaccine in
noculated tuberculosis patients do not
Justify that confidence in the remedy
which has been inspired by widespread
publicity The first authentic and Of
fetal conclusion from the tests was an
nounced here today before the national
association for the study and preven-
ton of tu' erculosis by John +. An
derson doctor of the governments
hygienic laboratory and Dr. A. M.
StimSon another public health surgeon
detailed to observe the progress of the
Friedman patients at Mount SINAI
hospital in New York.
eve believe at the present time,
SAYS their report. 1--WE are not as yet
in position to express an opinion pased
on the present conditions under op-
servatfon The disease for which the
remedy is used is prolonged and IS
characterized by periods of advance
ment and retrogression. 1t is also one
in which psychical influences are
factor. Time is therefore necessary 10
properly evaluate the erect OF tle-
raputiVe measures.
1--WE must not lose sight OF the pos
sible therapeutic value or TINS prepdId
ton and on the other hand 1t Is neces-
sarv to guard against too great dh
oDtiroisn7 in respect to its merits.
Without presenting in detail the CON
dition of patients under obserValloIl'
we are in a position to state tnat ne
facts thus far observed do not 1uSCIy
that confidence in the remedy Wnlch
has been inspired by widespread pup
Icity.
s.In our opinion harm may have
heen done by this undue publicity IN
solar as it has Iessened the confidence
of the tuberculosis persons IN We" ,slI
recognized methods OF treatment OF IN
terruptel their use, and we are con-
strained to advise against any lessen
ing of those well known measures
which not only had effected cures, puc
which have reduced the incidence OF
the disease. We are aware that DR..
friedman does not wish to be judged
scientifically on newspaper statements
and he would undoubtedly dlsclalm re
snonsibility for certain OF those which
have appeared. Nevertheless II is on
those that the public bases it's opinion
until replaced by reliable and unbiased
scientific pronouncehnehls supPoi '0U
by convincing data
..Jn orr series of patients, DR. Fried
mann has almost exclusively made use of
intra-muscular method alone in pull
Yoonary cases and a very considerable
nroportion of them have either devei-
oned no considerable infllterate at all
~ have suffered from assesses torma-
Fions IT is evident therefore that very
considerable portion of these patients
may expect their treatment at the mana
of DR.. friedman to extend over
long period.
Series of Experiments.
Concerning the cultures submitted to
MS. we may state that series of expert
ments is under way. The bacillus mas
been found to be an acid-fast organ
ism having properties quite different
from those of any tubercule bacillus
with which we are acquainted. 1t APP
Dears to be identical with an organism
cultivated from a few loop-fulls OF the
material used for injection which DR..
friedman permitted US to place on
culture media in his presence.
I'VE required DR.. Friedman to fur
nish us with large amount of this
material for examination but this he
has declined to do. We can state, now
ever, that living acid fast bacteria are
being injected by the lntra-muscular
and intravenous method, although we
are ignorant of what medium they are
Suspended in or what additional sub
stance or substances may be contained
in the final mixture"
The report covers exhaustively the
history of the friedman Cure" SO
far as the facts have been available
to the public health service from the
time of announcement in Berlin in
November, 1912, and reveals the efforts
of the public health service to gather
material from Dr. Friedman for in
vestigation. On the whole, DR.. Fried
mann's reluctance to furnish certain
details were not satisfactory from a
scientific standpoint" but, the report
Aays, I'm view of the great Importance
of the matter to tuberculosis patients
throughout the country and in the hope
that a valuable remedy might have at
least been found not only to cure tuber-
culosis patients but to prevent the dis
ease the conditions imposed by DR..
Friedman were accepted
''And additional reason for taking ad-
vantage of opportunities to make every
study possible was the assurance by
Dr. Friedman of it's harmlessness
when injected into human being" One
of the conditions imposed by DR.
Friedman according to the report was
that he would furnish detailed informa-
ton of the methods of preparing his
remedy when the public health board
recognized fa'-Orable results in pa
tients The board found that under
all the conditions imposed it would
have opportunity only to study only e
culture of the bacteria said to be USED
in some way by DR.. Friedman in the
preparation of his treatment to test
fhoVenicitV on the lower animals