The Washington herald., 1914-11-10
Verdict on DR.. friedman.

! The United States Public Health Service has rem
dered the first verdict upon the nostrum brought to
this country from Berlin in 1913 by Dr. Frederick F.
friedman and proclaimed and exploited a cure
for tuberculosis. In making public abstract of a
report of its investigations in hospitals and labora-
tories where tests of the Friedman cultures were
made, the Public Health Service declares that con-
clusions of American physicians in line with pre-
vious reports both in this country and abroad (which
have refuted Dr. Fredmann's claim to the discovery
of specific cure for tuberculosis" In other words
Dr. Friedman and his agents, aided by certain
papers imposed upon a few physicians and large
number of wretched victims of consumption in this
country at large profit to themselves the notori-
GUS turtle serum" promptly commercialized as
soon as the colossal free advertising campaign was
completed.
The facts disclosed in this official report amount
to thorough condemnation of the false remedy, to
which a severe arraignment of the methods of its
exploitation is added 1t is shown that one-fourth Of
all treated under the observation of American
physicians developed running at the point of
Injection of the cure, although DR.. Friedman had
asserted that this had been by his method
of injection. The report further states that the
bacteria germs used for injection by DR.. friedman
show that the germ is different from varieties OF
tubercle bacilli commonly known at the present
time, and that their injection into smaller animals
rendered the subject susceptible to tubercular
infection instead of more resistant, claimed"
The distressing effects of the exploitation of the
"cure" touched upon briefly in the statement of
the Public Health Service, as follows: This rem
edy was so widely heralded by sensational news
paper notice that it seems safe to say that there
could hardly be person of adult years in the
country who did not hear something about it, or
victim of tuberculosis who did not experience a
thrill of hope of speedy and complete The re-
port naturally does not deal with the pitifui and
sordid details of the ensuing upon Dr. Fried
manns advent, of the crowds of invalds many of
them penness battling for chance to take the
treatment; of the greedy exploitation of hopeless
cases who happened to have money and the turning
away of those who did not" ..s.'
If the report emphasizes thing especially it is
the with which widespread and cruel deception,
mental suffering and actual physical injury may be
brought upon an afflicted humanity which is en-
titled to odr sympathy and aid when igno-
rant or unscrupulous medical men succeed
in enlistng the undeserved Endorsement and
cooperation of the press Newspapers may well
take warning from their experiences with Dr. Fried
mann. Probably they will never again be misled by
Berlin doctor with tuberculosis remedy but they
owe it to the people they to be their guard
against future seekers after fortune at the expense
of human ills The newspapers should not only re-
which all reputable physicians and surgeons are
glad to abide by, but they should lend their aid in
preventing infringement of them