New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-06
Wound Licking
The Discoverer of Autotherapy
Defends His Methods
70 tho Fdi.or of The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The tribune.
Sir: The following criticism appeared IN
The Tribune Of October 2: "ln this morn
irg's issue there appeared an article, the
title Of which is Soldiers Are Urged to
Lick Their Own Wounds We are told that
this was offered before the Society OF FRO
pres.ive Medicine. in Chicago, by DR.. Dun
can. and If the statement is true, then also is
true the statement that we are ell going mad,
for IL ever a more obviously silly Il might
saw perniciously stupid If such combination
is allowable statement vas ever made,
have yet 10 hear of it,
II seems that the writer did not stop TO
fully inform himself on this subject before
rushing into print in criticism Of well
known and thoroughly tried out method OF
wound treatment.
As surgeon of one OF the large emergency
bospital, in New York City developed th.
simnlo animal method of wound treatment
some years ago. and successfully applied 1t
TO humans receiving accidental wounds, with
the result that it is now successfully en-
ployed By surgeons of many Of the European
armies. and they say that 1t is reducing the
loss of life of the wounded soldiers TO
minimum I developed this method OF wound
treatment by observing the dog which licks
and cures. in the quickest possible time, his
wounded paw Whoever saw a severe mice
ton in a dog when he could lick the wound!
No one The only place it ever has severe
infection is on the head, where from anatom-
zeal reasons he cannot lick.
respectfully refer the readers Of The
Tribune who are sufficiently interested IN the
subject to over two hundred medical articles
or abstracts from these that have appeared
in standard medical periodicals since TINS
method of wound treatment was first en-
Moved. in the year 1909; and to the Academy
If Medicine of New York City, where many
of these articles on file. This OBVIOUSLY
silly" method Of wound treatment was unan-
inously indorsed by the Homeopathic
Medical Society of the County OF New YORK
after a years official investigation.
No, only do the United States and British
army and navy surgeons indorse it, but sew
eral have written able articles in standard
medical journals calling attention TO the
superior advantages and far greater curative
effect il possesses over any other method OF
treatment known 70 medicine or surgery
DR. John c. Parham, passed assistant surgeon
Of the United States navy. wrote an able
article under the title Of "Autotherapy" (the
name the writer has given this method Of
treatment. In this article he emphatically
stated. mot only is the theory sound, but
sound are the results" He further states,
THE only reason for writing this article Is
that i, NAV receive the wider publicity
among physicians its merit deserves"
Tn. Endorsement OF this method Of wound
treatment BY the deans Of eight medical col
leges makes it appear that the criticism as
obviously silly" and 'perniciously stupid
conflicts with the experience OF these men
who hold high positions in the medical world.
will add that some OF these deans are con-
nected with the medical department Of our
state universities.
| will state again in the strongest language
AZ my command that II our soldiers are in
structed 70 lick their wounds as soon as they
are received the resulting loss OF life of the
wounded will be reduced 10 a minimum. The
wounded soldier should be instructed to lick
his wounds as soon as they are received and
then every two 20 four hours afterward for
several days For there is no necessity Of
any wound becoming infected il this is done.
In the absence OF complications. as foreign
bodies in the wound, that is TO say, in wounds