The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-12-27
DR.. LORENZ
Miracle Man" is Rather a Self
Advertising Man
Current Comment)


Nineteen years ago Professor Lo-
REM came from Vienna to Chicago to
give orthopedic treatment to the
child of a millionaire. From the time
he left his own city until he boarded
the steamer for Europe, his trip was
given publicity of an amount and
kind that savored more of the circus
performer than of the surgeon. That
visit undoubtedly left in its wake
blasted hopes and bitter disappoint-
ment in the hearts of poor cripples
who, believing the newspaper reports
that Professor Lorenz had well-nigh
supernatural powers as an orthopedic
surgeon, were for one reason or an
other unable to get the miracle man"
to treat them. The experience of 1902,
it seems, is to be repeated. Profess
sor Lorenz this time, according to
press dispatches, comes to give free
treatment to INDECENT American Grip
Piles. This at least is the ostensible
reason. Recent reports indicate that
not all the trea tments are free but
that fees are being accepted for the
"private examinations" On this point
the papers quote Professor Lorenz as
saying:
"Of course, when people come to
see a physician or surgeon in a pri-
vate office they expect to pay a fee
fer examination and treatment. The
receipts for any single day were
never as much as $4,000. The most
was about $1,000"
To those with medical training, and
therefore having knowledge of the
facts, the publicity attending the
present visit is nauseous. But that
is its least Indictment The execrable
taste of the whole matter might be
forgiven if the public were to be the
real benefciaries. AS a matter of
fact, it is the public-the crippled
public-that is suffering from this
blatant advertising campaign. 1t is
the refinement of cruelty for sensa-
tion seeking newspapers to hold out
to the crippled the false hope that DR..
Lorenz is a miracle man" who will
do for them what skilled orthopedic
surgeons in this country have been
unable to do. Medical men on both
sides of the Atlantic know that the
Austrian orthopedist has no phenom-
enal ability that places him in class
by himself. Professor LorenZ himself
knows this-and admits it. The re-
suits accomplished on his previous
trip were no better than the results of
American orthopedic surgeons Of that
time. His most widely heralded
"cure" was not cure; it was a result
as good as, but no better than, good
orthopedic surgeons the world over
constantly get. The accomplishments
on the present trip will doubtless be
those of any good orthopedic surgeon,
with the usual proportion of good,
bad and Indifferent results. Perhaps
one benefit will be the arousing of
those crippled to seek competent med
ical attention. But behind and above
it all will be the bitter resentment
and despair of those poor unfortu-
mates who, while hopelessly crippled
and while getting from American
surgeons the best that science has to
offer, will be convinced that could
they only reach the miracle man"
their cure would be assured. Such
publicity as the present pilgrimage is
bringing forth is deprecated by the
medical profession not because it is
in bad taste but because in its effects,
il is cruel