The following statement concerning the Orgone Energy Devices, proposed for the treatment of cancer by Wilhelm Reich, M.D., Founder, Wilhelm Reich Foundation, was i-ecently distrib uted to the 58 Divisions of the American Cancer Society for their information. Orgone Energy Devices After careful study of the literature and research laboratories and the Wilhelm Reich other information available to it, the Ameri Foundation, together with a branch research can Cancer Society has found no evidence that laboratory at Forest Hills, Long Island, New treatment with the Orgone Energy Devices York. At the Orgone Energy Observatory at results in any objective benefit in the treat Orgonon, Rangeley, Maine, Dr. Reich concen ment of cancer, or that diagnosis by means of trated on orgone biophysics and orgone ther the Reich Blood tests is a reliable method of apy, developing the devices already described. detecting cancer in human beings. He claimed that these devices greatly bene fited patients with various conditions and dis Orgone EnergyAccumulator eases, including cancer, and advanced the Reich blood tests for use in judging the treat The orgone energy accumulator was in ment and its results. vented by Wilhelm Reich, M.D. to treat cancer and other diseases by absorbing “¿bluebions― or “¿CosmicOrgone Energy,― also known as Tests “¿COE,―from the atmosphere through several The only information in the American Can layers of alternating organic and metallic cer Society's files on these tests was contained material around the patient. A “¿shooter―was in a letter dated April 25, 1949, from a corre used to concentrate “¿orgoneenergy― on spe spondent who wrote in support of Dr. Reich's cific sites. The accumulator itself @@-asa tall methods, stating: “¿.. Dr. Reich discovered cabinet resembling a telephone booth. Accord that the cancer is a total body disease, the ing to the instructions, different sized accumu tumor being merely a symptom of a disinte lators should be used by different sized persons grative process in the total organism. Based so that the inner metal walls would “¿notbe on his finding that erythrocytes are charged further away from the surface of the body with a biological energy (which he has termed than approximately 2 to 4 inches.― A blanket ‘¿orgone') and that unhealthy erythrocytes for bed patients, a cone for treatment of the have a low orgone charge, he succeeded in head, and other variations were also devel developing 4 tests for cancer: a culture test, a oped. biological resistance test, a disintegration in physiological salt solution test, and a blue Proponent margin test. These tests show clearly the The inventor of these devices and the dis difference between healthy and cancerous coverer of “¿cosmicorgone energy― was Wil blood, and can spot the cancer disease before helm Reich, who received a Doctor of Medicine the development of a tumor . .“Elsewhere in degree from the Medical School of the uni this letter it was noted that an account of versity of Vienna in 1922, and was for several these blood tests was published in 1942 in The years associated with Dr. Sigmund Freud. Ac International Journal of Sex-Economy and cording to an article in Science, in October Orgone Research, Volume 1. 1954, “¿Wilhelm Reich's early work in psycho analysis in Austria and Germany was gen Federal Action erally accepted by psychoanalysts as an im portant contribution. His collected papers on In March, 1954, a permanent injunction was character formation, published in book form in issued by the Federal District Court of Port 1933, were considered a pioneer clinical study land, Maine, enjoining Dr. Wilhelm Reich, his of both ego psychology and the techniques of wife, TIm Ollendorff Reich, and the Wilhelm character analysis.― But Dr. Reich's status Reich Foundation, from distributing “¿orgone suddenly changed. In 1934, according to the energy― devices on complaint of the U.S. Food translator's preface to the second edition of and Drug Administration that these devices Character Analysis, he was excluded from the were misbranded by false and misleading rep International Psychosomatic Association. He resentations in the labeling, stating that they went to Norway, where according to the arti provided adequate and effective treatment of cle in Science, “¿heclaimed discovery between cancer and other diseases and conditions. The 1936 and 1939 of ‘¿avisible ubiquitous cosmic decree was won by default, since Dr. Reich energy,' and began to publish a magazine on contended that the court had no jurisdiction sexual economics. About 1940, he came to this to deal with and inquire into the realm of basic country.― research and “¿BasicNatural Law,― and he In this country, Dr. Reich bought a 280 acre failed to appear or answer the complaint for estate in Rangeley, Maine, which he called injunction. The decree instructed the defend Orgonon, and established a press, an institute, ants to recall for destruction or for salvage 131 of materials all the devices on out-of-state treatment of diseases and that no energy such rental, together with all the misleading label as that described by Dr. Reich is detectable ing which included 10 books by Dr. Reich, some by any scientific method. The conclusion was selling at prices up to $10, and many maga inescapable that the Reich devices were illegal zines, pamphlets and bulletins. His followers under those provisions of the Federal Food, strongly protested, charging interference with Drug, and Cosmetic Act which bans therapeutic freedom of the press and “¿bookburning.― devices from interstate commerce if their A fact sheet from the Food and Drug Ad labeling is false or misleading in any particu ministration stated: “¿TheFederal Food, Drug, lar.― and Cosmetic Act includes authority for the In May, 1956, Dr. Reich, and Michael Silvert, investigation of devices such as Orgone En M.D., of New York City, with whom Dr. Reich ergy Accumulators and we made an extensive had continued to carry on the business trans investigation of the various orgone energy actions and affairs of the Wilhelm Reich Foun devices which were distributed by Wilhelm dation, were convicted by jury of criminal con Reich and the Wilhelm Reich Foundation. tempt of the injunction. Dr. Reich was sen Thorough tests were made by the best medi tenced to 2 years and Dr. Silvert to 1 year cal clinicians available to determine whether and a day in jail. After appeals were carried the devices exerted any beneficial effect in to the Supreme Court and denied, both men cancer and other serious disease conditions. served prison sentences. Dr. Reich died in Outstanding physicists were also engaged to prison; Dr. Silvert died shortly after he was re subject the devices to the closest examination leased. The Foundation was also found guilty and testing to determine whether any energy of contempt and fined $10,000. Since Dr. such as ‘¿Orgone' was accumulated by the de Reich's death, several of his books have been vices. The results of all the clinical and physi reissued, thus keeping the interest in “¿Orgone cal tests conclusively established that orgone Energy― alive. It is not known whether it is energy accumulators were worthless in the being used to treat cancer at the present time. HE WHO SEEKS FINDS One of our graduates, class of 1963, who spent a year with us as a cancer training fellow, has recently gone into practice. He is now with the school on a part time basis, serving in the admitting and diagnosis clinic. On the days when he is in the clinic we have a decidedly higher number of requests for exfoliative cytology and biopsy examinations than when older instructors, well versed in dental procedures but less alert to soft tissue lesions, are in charge. This young dentist within the last six months has found in his private practice two cases of oral malignancy, established by biopsy diagnosis. The older dentist with whom he is associated has not seen a single case of oral cancer in many years of practice. —¿PaulE. Boyle, D.M.D., “¿Roleof the Dentist in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cancer.―Arizona Medicine 22: 811-814, 1965; p. 811. 132.