Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 230-233. (Budapest, 2015)
KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Elek Gábor—Müller Miklós: Bauer Ervin és a rákkutatás
ELEK, Gábor- MÜLLER, Miklós: Ervin Bauer and Cancer Research 95 Ferdinand Blumenthal, a leader in cancer studies and head of the Cancer Institute of the Berlin Charité (see Kotowski 2005', Jenns - Reinicke 2012). Blumenthal, however, could provide him only a part time position at 70% full time salary to perform animal experiments3 4. He occupied this position only for a year. It was here that he measured the surface tension of the supernatants from homogenates of various organs (Table B, row 4) and found the highest frequency of metastases where the surface tension was the lowest {Bauer - Lasnitzki 1925y. As a former pathologist (see Elek - Müller 2006) he would have known that spleen is somehow related to the defence against infectious bacteraemia and inflammation (it becomes enlarged), and indeed he measured high surface tension in sera of erysipelas patients (Bauer 1923a). Every pathologist knows that cancer metastases are very rare in the spleen. And Bauer now found the highest surface tension in the supernatant of the spleen homogenate. He thought of using spleen extracts as therapeutics for cancer. Did he know of Fichera s earlier works? We dont know. But chosing spleen extract as remedy for cancer he unvittingly joined Fichera, Blumenthal ’s greatest scientific opponent (see above). Was this connected to loosing Bauer’s position with Blumenthal? This we don’t know either. His next communication indicates only Berlin as his working place and no longer the Charité {Bauer 1925). With the financial support of Dr. Silten (see Urdangl93T, Leimku- gell999 47-49), the owner of a pharmaceutical firm primarily producing oxygen for inhalation, and probably in the laboratory of his firm, he prepared a spleen extract. He did not publish his method in order to ‘patent’ its product. Only animal experiments are detailed in the article proving the efficiency of the preparation {Bauer 1925). By injecting a sample he could raise the surface tension of rabbit sera to a maximum. These were not tumour-bearing animals, so essentially they were cured of low serum surface tension (Table B, row 5). Possibly he did not have access to tumour bearing animals in this work5. 'The preparation will be produced in the chemical-pharmaceutical firm of Dr Silten and will be named “Supertendin-Silbe ” {Bauer 1925 1724 footnote). The product was marketed and was listed in several editions of the widely used Gehes Codex {1926, 1929, 1933), a compilation of commercialised medical preparations6. It might seem peculiar to us that a manufacturer of medicaments was willing to finance an anticancer preparation not tested on cancer. At that time, however, production and sale of pharmaceuticals was essentially unregulated. Papers on non-specific protein therapy were full of alleged scientific explanations from physiological colloid chemistry. Among others it was claimed that a treatment is only efficient if the surface tension or viscosity of the serum changes (see for example Gutfeld 1925). 3 Letter by Blumenthal to Charité Direction.Humbolt-Universität zu Berlin, Archiv, Medizinische Fakultät, Folder 954, Page 118, October 30, 1923. 4 It is of interest to note that in Blumenthal’s department Lasnitzki also collaborated later with another Hungarian émigré, the biochemist Imre Szörényi (Lasnitzki - Szörényi 1934, 1935). 5 A participant in these experiments was Dr. Alice Pártos, wife of the known painter, Aurél Bemáth, living at that time in Berlin. One of the authors, M. Müller was present during Tokin’s interview with Dr Pártos in Budapest in 1960. 6 Description of the preparation in the 4th (1926, p 978) edition of GEHES CODEX: ‘Supertendin-Silbe, a tissue preparation made of spleen. It is supposed to increase the surface tension of blood serum. According to Dr Erwin Bauer increase of surface tension leads to inhibition of cancer growth and of the formation of metastases and recidives after operative removal of tumour. For treatment of cancer. Dosage not given. Product of Dr Ernst Silten, Fabrik chemisch-pharmaceutische Präparate, Berlin NW 6, Karlstr. 20/a'. Ten 2ml ampules cost Mark 8,48
