ANTIMERISTEM-SCHMIDT
Some, possibly many, of our readers have received a letter from Cologne, Germany, from the “Bakteriologisch-Chemisches Laboratorium Wolfgang Schmidt.” The letter contains a circular directing the attention of American physicians to “Antimeristem-Schmidt.” It also contains some advertising leaflets. One physician in sending this material to The Journal writes:
“A copy of the enclosed circulars has been sent to many of the physicians in this city, and probably elsewhere. Perhaps it has already been called to your attention. Let us be as liberal as possible with our recent enemies. The sooner the old channels of scientific communication are re-opened, the better. But let us not allow such blatant commercialism from a foreign country to go unprotested, any more than we should if it were from our own.”
It should be noted in passing that the envelop in which the Wolfgang Schmidt letter came has on its face a rubber-stamped impress to the effect: “Concerns Cancer Treatment.” The circular letter declares that by means of Antimeristem-Schmidt “either a cure or improvement has been effected in numerous inoperable cases” of malignant tumors. American physicians are asked “to employ the preparation when occasion arises” and are assured that “every medical man in city or country will be able to carry out treatment without preliminary knowledge.” With the letter are two leaflets discussing the use and administration of the product; one contained what was called a “Synopsis of some of the more recent publications regarding the employment of Antimeristem-Schmidt in inoperable malignant tumors.” The “recent” publications comprised three articles published in 1910 and one published in 1912!
Antimeristem-Schmidt was rather widely exploited some six or seven years ago. As was explained in The Journal, March 8, 1913, p. 766, it is a preparation claimed to be useful in the treatment of inoperable cancer and as a supplementary treatment after operations for cancer. The treatment is founded on a theory advanced by one O. Schmidt that the cause of cancer is found in a fungus, Mucor racemosus, which, Schmidt at first asserted, carried a protozoon which he regarded as the real cause of the disease. The vaccine is said to be prepared from cultures from this fungus. While Schmidt claims that he has been able to produce cancer by means of the organism, scientific research has not verified his claims. Extensive clinical trials have shown the treatment to be without effect. The Journal also advised its readers on April 19, 1913, that no license for the sale of Antimeristem-Schmidt had been granted by the Treasury Department and, therefore, its importation into this country was prohibited. Neither the therapeutic nor the legal status of the product has been changed since then.—(From The Journal A.M.A., Dec. 6, 1919.)