MEDICAL MAVERICKS Volume Three Hugh Desaix Riordan, M.D. Bio-Communications Press 3100 North Hillside Avenue Wichita, Kansas 67219 USA Copyright © 2005 MEDICAL MAVERICKS Volume Three Copyright © 2005 This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without permission. For information, contact: BIO-COMMUNICATIONS PRESS 3100 North Hillside Avenue Wichita, Kansas 67219 USA ISBN 0-942333-13-6 First Edition Published in The United States of America Cover design by Dean Dodson BCP and the Bio-Communications Press are service marks of The Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning International Inc. ii “It is impossible for anyone to begin to learn what he thinks he already knows.” EPICTETUS Table of Contents Maverick vi Dedication vii Acknowledgements viii Foreword ix Foreword II xi Foreword III xiii Tribute xv Robert F. Cathcart III, M.D. 1 Emanuel Cheraskin, M.D., D.M.D. 15 Carl Ebnother, M.D. 29 Ruth Flinn Harrell, Ph.D. 43 Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P.(C) 69 Masatoshi Kaneko, Ph.D. 93 Linus C. Pauling, Ph.D. 109 Carl C. Pfeiffer, Ph.D., M.D. 141 iv Fowler Border Poling, M.D. 153 Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. 163 Hugh Desaix Riordan, M.D. 181 Roger J. Williams, Ph.D. 221 Chronological List 239 Appendix 241 Bibliography 243 Postscript 251 v Maverick The word “maverick” is derived from an American pioneer, Samuel A. Maverick, who chose not to brand his cattle. Through usage the word “maverick,” in addition to meaning an unbranded range animal, has come to mean an independent individual who refuses, because of what he or she has learned, to conform to prevailing group thought. This book is about such independent individuals who have followed the advice found in this anonymous quotation: Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail. vi Dedication This book, like volumes one and two, is dedicated to the memory of all those medical doctors who, since history has been recorded, have contributed to the pro- gress of the science and art of medicine. This book is also dedicated to the countless num- bers of those people we call patients who have, through- out the ages, endured much, suffered greatly, and bene- fited considerably from those who have practiced the sci- ence and art of medicine. This book is dedicated to the maverick in you – that wonderful element perhaps obvious, perhaps hidden, which has moved you to choose to read this bit of writ- ing. And lastly, this book is dedicated to the memory of Fowler Border Poling, M.D., my first mentor in the use- fulness of orthomolecular therapies to reduce mental and emotional illness. H.D.R. vii Acknowledgements The initial draft of this third Medical Mavericks volume has been in the making for several years. Why so long? Because the eleven people featured are complex and have been enormously productive. To reduce life- times of effort and accomplishment to a few pages is a daunting task for which I needed assistance. Thanks to all those who provided materials, and a special thanks to Angela Addario whose research, or- ganization, creativity, and writing assistance in preparing the material have been essential in bringing Medical Mavericks Three to fruition. I would also like to express gratitude to research librarian Barbara Dodson, and to Patti Jobst, Anh Le, Michael Stewart, Paul Taylor, and Kelly Wong for their assistance in manuscript development for the ortho- molecular.org website and its implementation. H.D.R. viii Foreword Medical Mavericks Three is about some of the or- thomolecular pioneers I have personally known. There are obvious giants in furthering orthomolecular therapies who are missing from this context, such as Fred Klenner, M.D., whose legacy taught us much about the therapeutic benefits of high dose vitamin C. There are many others whom I hope to chronicle in future volumes of Medical Mavericks. They include but are not limited to such names as: Burt Berkson, M.D., Ph.D.; Hyla Cass, M.D.; Jonathan Collin, M.D.; Alan Gaby, M.D.; Leo Galland, M.D.; Richard Huemer, M.D.; Fred Klenner, M.D.; Oscar Kruesi, M.D.; Richard Kunin, M.D.; Michael Lesser, M.D.; Derrick Lonsdale, M.D.; William Philpott, M.D.; Michael Schachter, M.D.; Melvyn Werbach, M.D.; Julian Whitaker, M.D.; and Jonathan Wright, M.D. I am personally grateful to these people and to those featured in Medical Mavericks Three for inspiring me and for impacting my life as well as the lives of countless others who benefit from their knowledge and ix courage to apply what they believe in without knuckling under to orthodoxy. H.D.R. x Foreword II What is orthomolecular medicine anyway? Since less than one percent of practicing M.D.s in the U.S. classify themselves as orthomolecular, let’s review what the 1% know. The standard definition of orthomolecular medi- cine is: “THE PRACTICE OF PREVENTING AND TREATING DISEASE BY PROVIDING THE BODY WITH OPTIMAL AMOUNTS OF SUBSTANCES WHICH ARE NATURAL TO THE BODY.” (From www.orthomolecular.org) There is another truth that is essential to under- stand when using the orthomolecular approach. That is that many illnesses are genetotrophic. This is a term de- veloped by the brilliant mind of Dr. Roger Williams, who is featured in one of the chapters in Medical Mavericks Three. xi Genetotrophic: “THESE ARE DISEASES IN WHICH THE GENETIC PATTERN OF THE AF- FLICTED INDIVIDUAL REQUIRES AN AUGMENTED SUPPLY OF ONE OR MORE NUTRIENTS, SUCH THAT WHEN THESE NUTRIENTS ARE ADE- QUATELY SUPPLIED, THE DISEASE IS AMELIORATED.” Roger J. Williams, Ph.D. I prefer to think of it as practicing good medicine which is effective, has side benefits instead of side ef- fects, is less costly than medications, and in many cases should be the first choice for therapy. After reading a glimpse into the lives of these superb observers and do- ers, you will agree. H.D.R. xii Foreword III Those who are superb chronological thinkers may prefer that the vignettes in this book were sequenced ac- cording to life span rather than alphabetically. For you, they are so listed at the end of the book. Although there is considerable merit in using the chronological approach, I, being somewhat of a maverick myself, preferred not to follow that convention. I did this, in part, because the underlying messages we receive from this material are timeless. Whether it be the most ancient Hippocrates or the more recent Hoffer, the vignettes repeatedly reflect the wisdom of Schopen- hauer’s observation that new thought and new truths most often go through three stages. First, they are ridi- culed. Next, they are violently opposed. Then, finally, they are accepted as being self-evident. H.D.R. xiii xiv A Tribute to Hugh D. Riordan, M.D. 1932 –2005 by Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P.(C) The world lost one of its greatest visionaries and humani- tarians when Hugh D. Riordan, M.D., passed away sud- denly and unexpectedly on Friday, January 7, 2005. Dr. Abram Hoffer, one of the original founding fathers of the field of orthomolecular medicine and one of the medical mavericks featured in this book, offers the following tribute to his long time friend and colleague, Dr. Hugh D. Riordan. Orthomolecular psychiatry and medicine emphasize the vast importance of nutrition and of reinforcing the diet with nutrients which are needed in large doses. For many patients, the usual amounts of nutrients that are present in the best of diets are not sufficient to achieve and maintain good health. The term “orthomolecular” was created by two-time Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Linus Pauling, whose contribution to what we know about the biochemistry of the body became the basis for much of modern medicine. But because he emphasized the use of doses of vitamins that are much larger than those recommended by our “recommended daily allowances” (RDA), his view be- came very unpopular, and the word “orthomolecular” achieved fame as an irritant for the medical and other healing professions. Dr. Pauling’s conclusions were de- rived from the studies of a number of pioneering physi- cians who found that certain vitamins in large doses had therapeutic properties that had been previously unrecog- nized. xv Many years were required before the medical profession recognized that vitamins had any value at all. At first, the usefulness of such vitamins was restricted exclusively to preventing classical deficiency diseases, such as scurvy, pellagra, and rickets. This is the old “vitamins- as-prevention” paradigm. This is what we all grew up with. This meant that vitamins were needed only in very small doses and only for the classical diseases. It also meant that they were not to be used for other conditions and never in large doses. The early orthomolecular pioneers – or, in Dr. Riordan’s terms, “Medical Mavericks” – persisted in demonstrating that vitamins are more versatile. Gradually, this led to the establishment of the “vitamins-as-treatment” para- digm, in which vitamins were recognized as having value for conditions not considered “deficiency” diseases, and in much larger doses. The best example is vitamin B3, the niacin form, which in doses of 3 grams daily (which is 150 times the amount needed to prevent pellagra) low- ers total cholesterol, elevates HDL (the beneficial type of lipoprotein) and generally normalizes blood lipid levels. This modern paradigm is slowly growing – in spite of the opposition from governments, from the standard medical professions and from their journals.