New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-05
TURNS DOWN
TURTLE GERM TESTS
Head of Health Board Refuses
to Allow Department Hos
pitfalls To Be Used.
FRIEDMAN DISAPPOINTED
Commissioners Adviser Says
Trial of New Remedies
Is Not Up to
Bureau.

|
| The Board of Health refused yesterday
to cooperate with Or. Friedrich Franz
! Friedman in a test Of the value OF MS
| tuberculosis remedy Commissioner Led
erie decided not to permit the use Cf
any department hospital Cor clinical tests
of the turtle germ bacillus
The effect of DR.. Lederle's decision on
members OF Dr.. Fricdmann's camp in
| Room LIS. i'm the Waldorf-AstOria was
most disappointing. Dr. friedman and
his stan had waited eXpectaEtly all after
noon for a favorable reply from DR..
Lederle. but at o'clock last night II
was announced that Or. friedman had
nothing 10 say and that he had gone out
/ for the evening.
I At the City club. AT : o'clock, Or.
! Lederle gave ont the following formal
statement. but refused 10 comment on 1t:
ION the advice of the advisory board
OF the Board of Health IL has been de-
cided not to undertake at the present
time official clinical tests OF any specific
treatment OF tuberculosis.
The advisory board Of the Board of
1
more prominent medical men in this city.
| Those who were present with Dr.. Lederle
yesterday afternoon 10 consider the prop
osition made by the County Medical So
ciety the night before were Drs. Bryant.
/ Prudden. Jacoby, Alexander \. Smith.
! Walter James and Simon FleXner, Drs.
Biggs and Park. of the Health Board.
and Dr.. Brannan. president of Bellevue
and Allied Hospitals.
Dr. Lederle would not say on what
ground the advisory board had made its
decision. lie declared that he had prom
ised the board OF censors OF the County
Medical Society only to take the matter
| under adviscment
The Health Commissioner would not
give any details Of his conference with
the board.
we met in private house, would
rather not say where" was his comment.
one Of the doctors on the advisory board
authorized the following statement last
night. but asked that his name he with
held:
our reasons for refusing 10 take w
the Friedman treatment were based al
most entirely on the fact that il is not
| the function OF the Health Board 10 try
out new remedies Of any kind. The func-
ton of'the Health Department is TO pro-
tect the public. and our main considcra-
ton was. was the friedman treatment
! harmful or otherwise. our decision
means only that the Board Of Health will
not permit the use OF its hospitals for a
demonstration Of the new cure"
II is understood that the action Of the
| Health Board was a surprise to the
Comitia Minora OF the County Medical
Society. which expected a favorable de-
cision. In a letter 10 Or. Friedman yes
tcrday the secretary Of the County Mcd-
cal Society said that the law prohibits
the practice of medicine by unlicensed
physicians but that any one serving on
the staff OF n hospital 'is not within the
prohibition OF the statute"
After calling attention to the various
hospitals and clinics for the treatment ~
tubcrcuar conditions. he added we
should recommend to the Board Of Health
that such an opportunity be afforded 10
you. under auspices and circumstances
| winch VIII 'I'aIiy indicate 10 inc pubic
| that YOU are not practising medicine. as
the Same is defined by law. but that YOU
are engaged solely i'm a comprehensive
demonstration. before competent medical
men and under legal authority. OF the
| scientific value of your treatment"
| Although DR. Bederlc insisted that
his action did not affect private hospital Is
or those under the control OF other city
| departments. IL was believed that his
| refusal To allow n test ~ the new cure In
hospitals under his control would cause
other institutions also to refuse
Montehore Home refused last night Il
permit tests by DR.. friedman. although,
it was said he expected 10 begin treat
mcnts there to-day. DR.. Wachsmann, SUI
perintendcnt OF the home. said the d.
rectois had decided against tn, tests
after learning the action OF the Board OF
| Health.
DIR. Ledcrle reiterated his belief that the
| Friedman treatment was harmless and
| that DR.. Friedman would make good
his promise to give tho department a cut
ure for examination to determine its use
fulncSs. but this. he said. was not 10 he
construed as a promise OF a clinical test