The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-04-03
The FRIEDMAN "CURE"
There is Good Reason for Medical
Caution and Reserve.

A'SuniduH LTedIlnenI lOT COHouiup-
ton. Why do the doctors seem to be
snll distrustful of him? If he has
found a cure for this terrible dis
ease, why should he not be allowed to
demonstrate it? FAIR PLAY"
Doctor Friedman is being given
ample opportunity to demonstrate the
value of his remedy. If he has cure
there is not the slightest danger that
IT will be suppressed.
But it is worth while to consider
why physicians are nearly unani-
mously skeptical of the value of his
treatment.
In investigating such claims as
those of Doctor Friedman two as
spects of the case should be looked
lnto-the general attitude of the man,
and the nature of his treatment.
Doctor Friedmann's attitude
aroused the gravest distrust. When
scientific medical investigator has
discovered something Of value he
gives it the most thorough series of
tests under the direction of Compel
ent men before he makes it public.
Only in this way can he be sure of
the value of his discovery, and at the
same time refrain from raising false
hopes in the minds of sufferers from
the disease.
When Ehrlich in Germany had
worked out his now famous specific,
salvarsan, he put it in the HANDS of
first class practitioners in various
cities in Europe, and he had records
of thirty thousand cases before he
permitted the remedy to be general
ly used.
Friedman was offered the best
possible facilities by the German gov
eminent for demonstrating his treat
ment 1t proposed to open to him TIE
great experiment station at Frank
fort, under Ehrlich's direction. But
ne declined the offer. In the eyes of
most medical men his failure to de-
monstrate the effectiveness of his re-
medy in Germany-the most hospita-
BILE nation in the world to scientific
iscovery-discredited his treatment.
Why, they ask, should he come to
America? If he had anything worth
while he would have found recogni-
ton at home.
The private records furnished by
Doctor Friedman have proved I'M
satisfactory to investigators. They
have found numerous cases in Berlin
which he treated with no benefit. He
produces a few which he says he cur
ed. Every doctor, of course, has
cases in which the patients have made
a complete recovery. tuberculosis
is durable in the early stages.
But reliable doctors insist that no
really scientific man would venture
to make public claims based on what
Friedman has done.
As to the possibilities of the RENE
dy itself there is similar skepticism, |
growing out of the experiments of in
vestigators extending over many |
years. The treatment devised by Doc
tor Friedman is what is known as
vaccine treatment. In this var
iety of the treatment an animal is |
inoculated with the disease germ
which becomes tanned, as it were, in
the process and loses it virulence.
When germs are removed from the
animal they are so mild that they can
be injected into the human body with
out danger. Their effect, when sue
eessful, is to excite the body to COM
bat the virulent germs of its own in
lection.
Unfortunately, this method has
not worked with tuberculosis. The
earth has been ransacked for animals
in the hope that one might be found
which would prove available for the
purpose. Even fish have been inocu-
lated. But all efforts have been in
vain.
The novelty in Friedmann's treat
ment is in the use of a turtle, which
he has inoculated, and from which
he has obtained the vaccine which he
has injected into sufferers from tu-
berculosis. Now there is bare
chance that the turtle may be the
one creature needed. But it is only
a bare chance, since fish have failed
to present the desired media.
If the lucky thing has happened the
world cannot be sure of it, however,
for a year or two. Tubercular pat
tents even in the last stages of the
disease are proverbially hopeful.
There may be temporary improve
ment followed by relapse. When
Koch introduced his tuberculin re-
medy there were apparently many re-
markable recoveries. But these did
not last.
In the opinion of competent men,
after Friedman has record of sew
eral thousand cases year or two
old, then it will be possible to form a
fair Judgment of the value of his re-
medy. Persons suffering from tu-
berculosis should waste no time or
money in making the trip East to
meet the German doctor. They should
devote themselves to getting we'll
under the treatment of competent
regular practitioner. ,
II. C. Co. Finishes Contract. {
w. H. Loos who has been in charge
10 nfffaa 4,