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The Commoner.
APRIL 25, 1913
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which time the physicians aiding him had en
deavored to eliminate tho great majority who
sought treatment, announcement was made that
the clinic would begin. Meanwhile tho amphi
theater in the lecture hall adjoining the hos
pital had been taxed to its capacity by members
of the medical profession, students of the uni
versity, nurses in the training school, and the
notables who had been invited, to witness the
demonstration.
The German ambassador and the Swiss minis
ter, Surgeon General Stokes, of tho U. S. N., and
former Surgeon General Sternberg, U. S. A., had
already entered tho auditorium.
Preceded by Dr. Borden and Commissioner
Cuno II. Rudolph, who had welcomed him on
the part of the city, Dr. Friedmann and his
corps of assistants entered tho clinic room,
where ho was greeted by a burst of cheers.
Before these had subsided, and while the
demonstrator was busily engaged in sterilizing
tho hypodermic needles with which he was to
work. Secretary of State Bryan and Assistant
Secretary of Slate Osborne slipped into the room
through a sldo door.
Another demonstration greeted them, which
caused the German physician to turn and gaze
in wonder. Ho had met the secretary of state,
however, and smiled his recognition. Ambassa
dor von Bernstorff quickly rose to greet Mr.
Bryan, and the latter turned to shake the hand
of Dr. Friedmann. The physician, however, was
in tho midst of swabbing his hands, and could
not return tho extended greeting, but tho sec
retary of state took him by the arm and assured
him of his best wishes for his success.
Iu introducing the German physician, Dr.
Borden said:
"I take pleasure in introducing Dr. Friedrich
Friedmann. It is not necessary for me to say
anything concerning Dr. Friedmann and his
work. He is known to you all. He has selected
a number of cases of the various forms of
tuberculosis, which Dr. Charles White and I
have helped him diagnose. I can say that they
are all tubercular."
With Dr. Friedmann as assistants wore
Mr. Hundt, Dr. William L. VanSant, resident
physician of the hospital; Dr. Oscar B. Hunter,
Dr. Sloat, and Di Bolton, and Misses Isabel
Price, Naomi Jones, and Eschner, nurses. Tho
physicians wore their white aprons, which en
veloped them from head to foot. The tables
were spread with swabbing cloths, bottles, and
absorbent cotton. Few instruments wero dis
played. The vaccine is given through the
needle.
Dr. Friedmann, unable to speak English with
any degree of fluency, gave his orders by mo
tions of his hands to the nurses, or depended
upon the translations of Mr. Hundt. The assis
tants at first, however, appeared to be slightly
disconcerted. Without waiting, the demonstra
tor seized tho Ud of tho sterlizer and removed it
and began to select his needles. Small brown
vials sat near by containing the serum which he
asserts will eradicate tuberculosis.
But a few minutes were required to make the
preliminary preparations, and Arthur Clements,
thirty years old, was called as the first patient.
The young man did not show in marked degree
the ravages of the disease. The history of his
case was that presence of tuberculosis, "which is
of the pulmonary form, had first been discovered
in May, 1912 followed by a pronounced loss of
weight.
Removing his Coat, Mr. Clements stood before
Dr. Friedmann. The physician laid back his
clothing so as to expose the right thigh, and
quickly inserted his needle. Tho patient did not
flinch. The surface into which the injection was
to be made had been swabbed with iodine to
make it antiseptic, and ho turned away in un
concerned manner. His attack is confined to
ono lung.
Already the nurses had prepared Mrs. George
Cohen, of Alexandria, Va., a hollow-cheeked wo
man, for the injection. The history of her case
showed that she was in the third stage of pul
monary tuberculosis with both of her lungs
badly affected. She was laid upon the operat
ing table and an injection made into her .right
thigh.
There had been little to affect the spectators
in these two cases, other than their physical ap
pearances. As Mrs. Cohen stepped down from
the table, however, the audience turned its eyes
toward the door from which the patients wero
being led. Mr. Hundt, a tall, muscular man,
had gathered into his arms a little figure
strapped to a stretcher. Agnes Dowd, 4 V& years
old, was this little patient.
Resting quietly upon her uncomfortable bed,
the golden-haired child, with her locks caught
up by a blue ribbon, gazed out upon the curiouB
throng. When she had boon placed upon tho
table, however, she lost her composure. As Dr.
Friedmann, with his needle in hand, stopped
to her side, she raised her frightoued eyes and
began to cry.
Pushing the sleeve from her wasted arm, as
he smiled down into her tear-stained face, tho
physician endeavored to quiet tho baby. The
nurses added their efforts, but in vain. Through
the quiet room was wafted tho piteous wail,
"Where is my papa; I want daddy." Tho ma
jority of tho men gathered In tho congested
auditorium wero members of tho medical pro
fession, accustomed to witnessing scenes of
suffering, but tho faces which gazed down upon
the frail form stretched before them were
strained, and many eyes wero dimmed by unshed
tears.
Into the vein of the right arm the needle was
thrust. Quickly the other arm was prepared for
inoculation, and then the child was turned upon
her hip and the third injection was given. She
was suffering from tuberculosis of the hip, and
her limbs were practically useless. For the bone
and joint disability Dr. Friedmann gives both
veinous and muscular Injections, but in pul
monary affections he usually confines his inocu
lations to muscular tissues.
Charles H. Stansbury, formerly of Ohio, but
now a temporary resident of Washington, was
the next patient to place himself in the hands
of Dr. Friedmann. Tuberculosis had attacked
his foot, causing him to undergo operations
which had resulted in the amputation of the left
leg halfway to the knee. His pTesent disability
is tuberculosis of the breast bone. The injec
tion was made in his right hip.
Next in lino stood seven-year-old Edith
Strawser, whose only whimper was "it hurts"
as the needle was driven into her thigh.
The hero of the day was Phillip Chase, a boy
of five, who hobbled unassisted to the operating
table upon his crutches. As ono of the nurses
stroked back the boy's dark hair, Dr. Friedmann
quickly made three injections, one in tho veins
of each arm, and a third into the thigh. Through
out the operation the child wore a smile upon
his pale face, and as he was again set upon his
feet and started toward his father who stood
at the door with out-stretched arms to receive
him, the whole audience applauded.
The other patients were Mrs. Elizabeth
. Fawcett, Helena Taylor, Isadore Frutberg, David
Krant, Le Roy E. Keeley, and Frederick Stoff
reger. Wlien the last of the patients had left the
room, the audience showed its appreciation of
the work which they had witnessed by a burst
of applause which Dr. Friedmann acknowledged
with a happy smile. He quickly gathered to
gether his paraphernalia and made ready to re
turn to his hotel.
His plans were to leave at midnight for Pro
vidence by way of New York, and he had yet
to pay his respects to the German ambassador at
the embassy. He also, at the invitation of Sec
retary of State Bryan, called upon tho latter
early in the evening. "
Dr. Friedmann pronounced his clinic in this
city as one of the most successful which he has
ever conducted. He declared that he was ex
tremely pleased with it because of tho varied
cases which were presented for treatment.
Every known form of tuberculosis, he said, had
been submitted to him, and he expressed con
fidence that they would soon show signs of im
provement. The visiter was equally well pleased with the
reception which had been accorded him by the
public men of the city. President Wilson, he
said, had manifested an Interest in his work,
and Secretary of State Bryan, was referred to
by the physician, as a man of "extremely im
pressive personality."
Dr. Friedmann said that while Senator
Hughes had apprized him of his intention to en
deavor to secure the license for him to practice
in this city, he was not sure that he could so
arrange his plans as to avail himself of the
opportunity, were ttje permission granted. He
announced, however, that he expects to return
within five or six weeks ' look after the pa
tients treated yesterday, and to give them a
second inoculation if their condition at that
time will permit.
Meanwhile, he said, that he thought some plan
would be evolved whereby physicians through
out the country may administer the treatment,
thus making it unnecessary for him to per
sonally caro for all cases.
Absence of any representative of the public
health and marine hospital service, by the heads
of which the official investigation of the Fried
mann euro is bolng made, was the subject of
comment by many of th'oBo present nt the clinic.
It is understood that Dr. Bluo and his assistants
wero of tho opinion that thoir presence at tho
clinic might bo considered a recognition of tho
remody, and they did not care to compromlso
their position until tho investigation has boon
completed and reported upon.
COMMENT OX CLINK!
"It Is a very groat subject, this of tho euro
for the groat white plague, and It would bo
very hard to judgo tho worth of a euro moroly
from witnessing Its application. Its valuo must
bq determined by tho results It brings in tho
patients who aro inoculated. Until that timo
I think that all judgments of tho preparation
should bo withheld." Socrotary of State Bryan.
"He handles himself well, and impresses ono
most favorably." Commissioner Rudolph.
"It has been most certainly a good thing that
tho physicians of tho district havo had this
opportunity to observe Dr. Friedmann at hin
work and'Htudy his methods." Health Ofllcer
Woodward.
"I was very much Impressed with Dr. Frlod
mann. I consider him ono of tho groatest of
diagnosticians."- Dr. William Cline Bordon.
"Dr. Friedmann handles himself in an excel
lent manner and made a good Impression. Dr.
Friedmann is earnest and convincing In his
efforts, and should bo given every encourage
ment, and not condemned without at least a
fair trial." Dr. Charles Stanley Whito.
ONE MAN'S FAILURE
Tho Cedar Rapids (la.) Republican proaches
a powerful temperance sermon and it ought to
bo read in every homo in America. Tho Re
publican says: Thomas Soabrooke died in
Chicago tho other day in miserablo surround
ings. A dozen years or so ago ho was easily
tho foremost comedian on tho stage. Ho was
a born comedian. There was no horseplay offect
In his acting. At that timo ho was ablo to
mako $75,000 a year, for ho could draw audi
ences that would warrant a manager in paying
him such a salary. Tho announcement that Soa
brooke was in tho cast always filled a theater
in thoso days.
But Seabrooko made one mistake. IIo
thought he could get away with John Barley
corn and put him under tho table. He knew
that other men had failed, and failed miser
ably, in the unequal contest, but he thought
that he was to be tho one exception, tho man
who could win the victory. But he didn't win.
They never do win who start out on such a
trial of strength. The end is always the same,
dishonor, humiliation, shamo and suffering of
every kind. Seabrooko died in delirium
tremens. He had ono supreme agony of mind,
when all the devils and snakes of hell tormented
him, and .then he was dead, dead at a time when
he ought to be In the beginnings of a mellow
maturity, tho kind of maturity in which Joe
Jefferson was at his best and during which he
gave his friends and admirers their greatest
pleasure out of art.
But Joe Jefferson didn't drink the stuff, while
Thomas Q. Seabrooke drank it and was fool
enough to believe that he could get away with it.
CIVILIZATION
If civilization can be defined as the har
monious development of the human race, physi
cally, mentally and morally, then each indi
vidual, whether his influence is perceptible or
not, raises the level of the civilization of his
age just in proportion as he contributes to tho
world's work a body, a mind and a heart cap
able of maximum effort. No one lives unto him
self or dies unto himself. The tie that binds
each human being to every other human being
is one that can not be severed. We can not
without blame, invite a physical weakness that
can be avoided or continue one which can bo
remedied. The burdens to be borne are great
enough to tax tho resources of all when service
is rendered under the most favorable conditions;
no one has a right to offer less than the best
within his power.
GOOD WORK
Robert F. Taylor, Idaho: Enclosed you will
find $5.00 for which please extend my subscrip
tion one year and also send The Commoner one
year to the other four names enclosed herewith.
This club is the result of one-half hour';, work;
I wish I had the time to raise a club of ono
thousand subscribers to The Commoner.
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