The Detroit times., 1915-11-16
DOCTORS FEAR
INFECTION SPREAD
Urge Action At Once
to Obtain Quantity
of Drug
BY UNITED PRESS.

and the lives or more than l.00O,0 0o
Others In the United States are be
ing wrecked because It has become
almost impossible TO obtain salvar.
an With which TO battle yiruIent
blood diseases
These facts became known today
when II was learned that negotia.
tons have been begun by the state
department In an effort 10 obtain
from the Allies permission for the
shipment Of salvarsan from Ger
MANY
Several leading New York physi
clans described The situation as
'rightful They askel that their
names be withheld for professional
reasons. but declared the public
should b. awakened to the danger
4 widespread infection.
The British blockade has cut or
The supply ID salvarsan and neo-
zalvarsan lthe newer form) which
comes 10 the United States only
from Germany Since Jan. 3. not a
single gram has entered this conn
nv excepting a small shipment per
ritted 20 pass Nv the british au-
horities six weeks ago and quickly
used up.
The state department IS trying
20 ger Great Britain and France 10
permit a shipment To penetrate the
/ blockade Unless relief comes with.
in few weeks many deaths will
. occur physicians said today. and
/ tNousa nds OF cases now in their
I carly stages viii become greatly
ggravated through lack Of efficient
~eatr1ent.
1 Something must b. done right
away said Or Paul FIerzog, % n
New York 6rm Of importers who
Aave sole rights for handling the
I German product IN the tinted
/ States. we have no more salvar.
/ ar or neo-salvarSan. There Is none
/ eft in this country save few
/ ampou'es still in the hands OF some
I physicians"
On Dr Herzog's desk was a stack
~ letters rs inches high. and sew
oral kilograms. They came from
doctors and the disease victims
themselves begging for Just bit
Of sslvarsan.
Some Of them told stories 81 days
and NIGHTS spent in agony and Of
slow approach TO death
NY son is in very bad way
! wrote ore man We know your
supply is very limited INT for Gods
cake send just a little"
Several persons are dying here"
I said a letter from Cleveland. II
vou1l send ne all the salyarsan you
can spare. Wen treat them without
cost"
Gases are desperate or have
patients who are in agony" were
expressions used by scores OF doc.
tors from all parts OF The United
States. MANY OF whom enclosed Ger
tiled checks and asked that the
dosages be rushed to them.
But what can be done?" said Or
| HerZog These letters with their
terrible stories come IN every day
and We ST. here helpless"
Salvarsan and neo salyarsan were
made exclusively at Hoecbst On
Main, Germany. before the war. and
protected by patents in all foreign
countries. After war began. France.
England Canada and Japan can.
celled these patents and having
knowledge Of the formula began TO
manufacture sitpilar drug.
! Under the existing patent treaties
between tho United States and Ger.
many, the product Of these English
or French leborato-ies could not be
brought 10 the United States, even
y supplies were available.
For humanitarian reasons We
we're 50 anxious 20 get a supply that
We wrote a French concern. for
some according 20 the German
formula" said Or Herzog They
replied that their product was be.
ing used in France as rapidly as II
WIS manufactured"
Before the British order In coun-
ca blockading the German coast
took effect IN March the local firm
a importers contracted for a FIVE
months supply. Dr Herzog said
Though The order IN ouncIl express
Cd exempted shipments from Ger.
many contracted for before that
date. he said, the British authorities
refused 10 permit the salvarsan 10
pass 70 the United States through
Germany agreed 30 its expectation.
| The state department. through the
embassy at Washington. asked the
British government 20 release
shipment held at Rotterdam. Great
Rrit7ln replied she would have 10
have the consent Of tho French gov.
eminent France refused 20 give
this consent on the grounds that sal
v7rsan was ohtsinsble IN that coun.
try According 10 the local import.
lers not only the patent treaties, but