SPAHLINGER

Shannon News, 31 August 1926, Page 4

SPAHLINGER

PRAISE FOR SERUM. REPORT TO N.S.W. PREMIER. Dr. M. Mclntyre Sinclair, formerly superintendent of the Queen Victoria Homes for Consumptives,'and visiting physician to the R. T. Hall Sanitarium, Hazelbrook, who was recently commissioned by the New South Wales Ministry to investigate the report upon the Spahlinger cure for consumption, has forwarded the results of his investigations to the Premier. It is clear from Dr. Sinclair’s observations that Dr. Spahlinger has made a remarkably forward move in his scientific investigations; but, owing to his lack of business capacity, is unable to secure sufficient capital to manufacture the vaccine or serum on a large scale. Dealing with this aspect Dr. Sinclair remarks — “So far as I could ascertain from Dr. Spahlinger and his friends, he is willing to accept a large sum of money to free him from his liabilities, and then you trust him to. deliver the goods. I think that is putting it fairly in plain English. I cannot be expected to recommend.this course to any responsible Government. To use Sir Neville Howse’s expressive words, it would be ‘buying a pig in a poke.’ Although Sir Neville Howse and I hold N opposite, views on the value of the serum, we are agreed on that point.”. Dr. Sinclair goes on: “As a result’ of my own personal investigation and examination of cases ■ treated with Spahlinger’s serum, I am of opinion 1 that Spahlinger has discovered a remedy of considerable value, and that every reasonable endeavour should be made to obtain the serum for use in certain types of tubercular disease. “I examined several cases treated, or under treatment, >with Spahlinger’s vaccine, and soon came to the conclusion that its effects, clinically and otherwise, are practically identical with those produced by the tuberculin ‘bacillen emulsion’ of Koch, a remedy with which some of us in New South Wales are quite familiar, and which •I have been using in my own practice for at least twenty’years. Spahlinger’s ‘vaccine’ is, without doubt, a valuable remedy, but it does not, in my opinion, teach us anything we did' not know before. Antitoxic Serum. “Having reached this conclusion in regard to his ‘vaccine’ I devoted most of my attention to Spahlinger’s ‘serum,’ which certainly makes a new claim On medical. science, iflasmuch as the production of an ‘antitoxic serum’ for tuberculosis (on similar lines to the antidiphtheric serum for diphtheria) has up till now baffled the ingenuity of all scientific workers on the subject. In the production of an anti-toxic serum Spahliiiger, in iny opinion, has succeeded where others have failed. In my opinion, it marks a distinct step forward in the treatment of the disease. "It seems to me that, after the failure of so many negotiations, it is now fair to ask Mr. Spahlinger on his part to indicate what reasonable proposals would be acceptable to him, and which, when offered, would not be inconsistent with the principles of ordinary business prudence. The British Government’s offer , still stands good—viz., to tefet out the serum under its auspices in London, provided Spahlinger will submit the remedy for an extensive trial. If the Government or New South Wales saw its way to offer the British Government a proportion of this grant I believe it would be a fair proposal, and, in view of Its doing so, might fairly claim, in return, that a first proportion of any serum released should be apportioned to the Gqvernment of New South Wales. “If these proposed tests under the auspices of the British Government resulted in a favourable verdict for the serum, then I think, we may rest assured that the world would not be found wanting in its tribute to the genius of Dr. Spahlinger.” Ministry May-Act. The report - will be referred to Cabinet for discussion on the lines indicated, if this course should be deemed practicable.