The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-11-16
British Blockade Cuts
Off German Supply
Source
DOCTORS FEAR
INFECTION SPREAD
Urge Action At Once
to Obtain Quantity
of Drug
BY UNITED PRESS.

! SANDS are suffering untold agonies.
and the lives OF more than 200, 600
o,hers in the United States are be-
ing wrecked because II has become
almost impossible TO obtain sslvar.
san with which 10 battle yirulent
| blood diseases
These facts became known today
when II vas learned that negotia-
tons have been begun by the state
! department in an effort TO obtain
from the Allies permission for the
shipment of salyarsan from Ger
| many.
Several leading New York physi.
clans described the situation az
frighttul They askel that their
names be withheld for professional
reasons. but declared the public
should be awakened 20 the danger
II widespread infection.
The British blockads has cut on
he supply Of salvarsaa and neo-
salvarS2n uha newer form which
comes TO the United States only
| from Germany Since Jan ;. not a
single gram has entered this conn
try. excepting a small shipment per-
! rittfd 10 pass ~ the Pritish su-
'horities SIX weeks ago and quickly
used up
The state department is trying
20 Eet Great Britain and france 20
hermit a shipment to penetrate the
| blockade. Unless relief comes with.
in few weeks many deaths will
4 occur. physicians said today, and
thousands OF cases now In their
Early stages will become greatly
aggravated through lack OF efhcient
-eatrrent.
Something must be done right
away" said DR. Paul Terzcg. OF
New York firm OF importers, who
have cole rights for handling the
German product in the United
States We have no more salvar.
an or neo-salvarsan. There is none
left in this country save few
7mpoules still in the hands Of some
physicians
On Or. Herzogs desk was a stack
Of letters Is inches high. and sew
eral kilograms. They came from
doctors and tho disease victims
themselves begging for just a bit
OF salvarsan.
Some OF them told stories Of days
and nights spent in agony and OF
slow approach 10 death
MY son is in very bad way"
wrote one man. We know your
supply Is very limited hut for Gods
sake send Just little"
Several persons are dying here
said a letter from Cleveland. IF
you'll send ne ell the salvarsan you
can spare. Wen treat them without
cost"
Gases are desperate or have
patients who are in agony" we're
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 Dr.
Herzog These letters with their
terrible stories come in every day
and We sit here helpless"
Salvarsan and neo.salvarsan were
made exclusively al 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 a similar drug.
T'nder the existing patent treaties
between the United States and Ger.
riany. the product Of these English
or French laboratories could not be
brought 90 the United States, even
" supplies were available.
For humanitarian reasons We
were SO anxious % get a supply that
We wrote a French concern, for
some according 20 the German
formula" said Or Herlog "They
replied that their product was be.
ing used IN France AZ rapidly as II
was manufactured"
Before The British order in coun-
ch oiockading the German coast
took effect ia March the local Arm
81 importers contracted for a Ave
months supply. DR. Herzog said.
! Though the order In ouncil. express
"a exempted shipments from Ger.
many contracted for before that
date. he said, the British authorities
refused 20 permit the salvarsan TO
mass to the United States through
Germany agreed TO lie expectation.
The state department. through the
embassy AZ Washington. asked the
British government TO release
shipment held at Rotterdam Great
Britain replied she would have 10
have the consent % the French gov.
eminent France refused 10 give
this consent on the grounds that sal.
v7rsan was obtainable In that conn.
try According TO the local import.
lers not only the patent treaties. but