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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 591, 7 April 1891, Page 2

The N.Z. Times has some strong comments on the ridiculous idea of importing Dr Koch’s tuberculine to New Zealand, when even in Berlin the most experienced men have doubts as to the value of the supposed remedy. The Times remarks : — Why is the Agent-General allowed to send consignments of tuberculine to this couniry ? Why is any one permitted to touch the abomination ? The author of this most damaging, most disastrous, most pretentious “ remedy” has lost heart ; his partisans admit that the thing is an absolute failure, yet the medical profession of this Colony is encouraged to experiment with it. When we worship at the shrine of beauty we whisper of the “ human form divine. 1 ' When we want to satisfy the professional instinct for new things we talk about “ experiments on the vile body.” Governments and sanl. tary authorities are powerless to prevent these experiments. But Governments can make up their minds to prosecute in case of fatal result with the utmost rigour of the law. Let the first doctor who kills a patient with tuberculine be tried for manslaughter. In Berlin experiments are to continue, wb observe in our cablemessages. That is no reason for permitting them anywhere else. It is doubtful whether anybody understands tuberculine in Berlin ; it is absolutely certain that nobody knows anything about it anywhere else.