SPAHLINGER TESTED

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 10

SPAHLINGER TESTED

BRITISH INQUIRER'S REPORT

COWS THAT DEFY CONSUMPTION

In one of a series of articles in the "Daily Mail/ Dr. Leonard Williams described some of his inquiries regarding Mr. Spahlinger's researches. Writing from Geneva on 6th November, Dr. Williams said: Yesterday, Dr. Thomas Watts, the member for the Withirigton Division of Manchester; Dr. Henry Jackson, the Mayor of Wandsworth; and I spent a long and interesting day at Mr. Spahlinger s laboratory. These two responsible public men were present while he exposed to us the whole theory and practice, the complete science and art, of the preparation of his remedies. Surrounded by documents, test-tubes, and reagents, he poured forth his interesting story, dwelling upon his earlier j cheeks, the retreats necessary when he found himself in a blind alley, and the hopes and fears incidental to the exploration of a fresh avenue. Every now and again his soliloquy was interrupted by a pertinent question fired at him by one of my companions,. which, having answered, he resumed the even tenor of his way.' Other interruptions were provided by adjournments to different parts of the laboratory where we were shown the working advantages of instruments and 'gadgets'1 which he himself has invented for the purpose of facilitating and speeding the work. A CABINET SECRET. At the close of the seance he invited us to cross-examine him. There was no cross-examination. He had put all his cards on the table and he had arranged them and then played them for our edification. His cards are quite ordinary cards, but they are extraordinarily well arranged, and they are played in a manner which is simply masterly. So much, then, for the question of secrecy. There is no secret, for a secret which is known to other people, if not exactly a "secret de Polichinelle,'-' is, at any rate,, in the nature of a Cabinet secret which will be made public in due course. Such a measure of secrecy as is still maintained is maintained purely in. the public interest; that is, to prevent unscrupulous persons from exploiting worthless nostrums said to have been made according to the Spahlingef methods. On our way back from the laboratory my distinguished companions agreed that, although the process is very complicated, ,the underlying principles seem- so simple, so obvious, indeed,, that the only surprising thing is that no one else hasever thought of them. But perhaps someone has; if so, he has not succeeded in working them out to a material; conclusijn'. Therein lies Spahlinger's force. That. he is a theorist must be obvious; that he is also extremely practical Ls shown by ingenious labour-saving devices which his own ingenuity has pressed into the service, and his original methods of dardisation.There is another- point which surely contributes enormously to his success. It is that his animals lovo him. He has a "way" with them. 'The most timid creatures have no" fear of' him, and he plays with them, like the child which, in gome respects, he is. Enough has-been said by those best, qualified to speak about the merits of Spahlinger's treatment, curative and preventive, where human tuberculosis is concerned. The evidence is co overwhelming that no further insistence is required. But there is another side of the question which has barely been touched upon, which nevertheless, in the view of some people, lies really at the root of the whole gruesome growth. I mean,the question of bovine tuberculosis'". It has, of course, been said that human and bovine tuberculosis have nothing todo with one another. The weight of current opinion is now definitely od the side of the sane and common-senso view that the bacillus of human tuberculosis is but a slight variant .upon the bacillus of the bovine disease, the difference being due to a difference of soil; that if you transplant the bovine bacilj lus on to human soil you give rise to hu- ! man tuberculosis. If ypu can trap the bovine, forestall and eradicate him, then you, will solve an important side of the whole.problem. Well, given enough money and the necessary time, Spahlinger could supply the means for abolishing bovine tuber-' culosis in any herd, or in any district, by preventing its incidence and guarding against its recurrence. That is doubtless a large claim, but it is fully j justified by his experience with his own cattle. He has, for example, about a dozen' cows which have, without excep- | tion, succeeded in defying all attempts to infect them with tuberculosis. These cows are splendid-looking animals. TWENTY-TWO INGREDIENTS. My distinguished colleagues and I can vouch for the ;act that Spahlinger is working like a gdley-slave. The remedies are again- being produced, but at a slow pace. The serum, which, when complete, consists of twenty-two ingredients, so far contains but four or rive. .The Others will follow in due course, biW in its present form the ' serum necessarily falls very far short of its fujl curative potency. This point requires j emphasising. Past experience has ehown all too clearly that the extolling of these remedies before the goods could be delivered raises hopes in many stricken households which are foredoomed to disappointment. Let me, then, repeat that, although the remedies exist, they, exist in quantity which is small, and in form which js very partial, and that they are consequently open only to the few. The laudable desire originating with some/enlightened people to enable Mr. Spahlinger so to increase his plant as to produce his complete remedies in a relatively short time and in quantities really considerable, will have to wait. Since my arrival here the creditors have given another turn of the screw, with the result that some of his, partly immunised horses and some of his fully vaccinated cows have had to be sold and''members of his trained staff have had to be dismissed. Nevertheless, in spite of this really tragic setback, with the help he has already' received and the financial furtherance to which he may confidently looV forward, he can still accomplish a great | deal. But only on the condition that he |is left in peace to pursue his work unhampered by , well-intentioned commissions of the.curious and caravan's of the incredulous. „ •.: