The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-16
ALLIED MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS
CHANGED DECLARATION ON BEER

The announcement in the press re-
Gently of action taken by the Allied
Medical associations, in meeting
held in New York city. in favor of the
use OF properly breued heer in the
treatment of certain patieuts" aroused
curiosity as 10 the history and per-
sonnet of this apparently unknown
organization. inquiry was made at
the ONCE of The journal of the
American Medical Assnciatlnn-a2a
North Dearborn street, Chicago. 5S5
all dthe following statement secured:
The Allied Medical association is
apparently the offspring of one l.. NJ.
Ottofy OF 81. Louis, Mo. who was born
In Hungary in 1855 Ottofy's organ-
cation is one of the large number of
medical and quasi-medicai organiza-
tons that are apparently brought into
being by those who arc made TO get
into the American Medical associa-
ton, Such societies are the refuge of
riding bizarre medical hobbies and
those who are not so visionary but
have special interests TO exploit, There
are scores of such hybrid organiza-
tons in the country. They attract
NOT the cruder quacks or obvious
medical swindlers but rather those
that dwell in what might be called
the twilight zone of professionalism
where 1t is difficult TO distinguish be-
tween the visionary with a fad and the
more sinister near-quack with a
scheme.
The president OF the Allied Medi-
cal association is one IgnatZ Mayer
" ho was born in Augusta in 1860. We
have in our iles advertise ments of
ignatZ Mayer that appealed in De-
troit papers some. months ago noti-
tying the public that he was Regis
tered physician and surgeon, specialize
ing exclusively in the cure Of EUP-
Tl'RE without detention from occu-
patton
Organizations such as the Allied
Medical Associations :. of America
spring up mushroom like, flourish for
"a brief space, and while in existence
obtain an amount Of publicity out OF
all proportion to their Importance,
Then. having served the purpose of
those that brought them into being,
they lapse into innocuous desuetude
Any resolutions or expressions OF
opinion by organizations Of this type
when dealing with the broader prob
lens OF public health, are wholly with
out significance, whether such reso-
buttons are good. bad or indifferent"
That the reported resolution did not
reflect the sentiments OF the mem
bcrship of the organization is shown
by the statement published in the
New York Tribune OF June le. the
later in the meeting the action con-
corning beer Was virtually retracted
by the unanimous adoption of the fol-
lowing resolutions:
"1rasmuel as this association is
not commercial body. but for tbs
welfare of humanity, it leaves the
administration OF alcohol as n nedi.
cine to the opinion OF each Individual
member" This resolution was intro
duced by Major Dinshah p. Ghadiali,
commander OF New York's sky po-
lee and just elected fourth rice-rre IL
dent Of the Allied Medical associations.
'If this body goes on record as en-
dorsine the use Of alcohol as beV-
erage," said DIR. Chadiali, a. heinz
total abstainer for thirty wears shall
be reGretfLily compelled to resign as
a vice sident and as member
The vide publicity gwen by the
proliuuor press to the reported action
~ the Allied Medical associa tipns vns
evidently an attempt to lnislead the
public into thinking il was taken BY
the American Medical association,
which had met the week previous d.
Atlantic OitT n. ] At this meeting
the endorsement. In discussions by
pronsin emit memLers Of the prchibi-
ton Of All alcoholic beverages was