Vitamin C : Nature's Miraculous Healing Missile 0646119850, 9780646119854

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Nature’s Miraculous

Healing Missile! A Handbook related to the best of Vitamin C, for the Medical, Veterinary, Public Health Representatives and all concerned with Public Health Compiled by

Dr. Glen Dettman

Dr. Archie Kalokerinos

Dr. Ian Dettman

Forewords by:

Prof. Linus Pauling, Dr. Alan Lane and Dr. Neil McLeod Vitamin C: Sir Robert McCarrison, Nutritionist of the 1920’s ‘Vitamin C is the spark that ignites the fuel to drive the motor” Read this book and discover irrefutable evidence of why this is so! Learn a new approach to treatment and control of “Killer Diseases” such as Cot Deaths; Hepatitis, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Poliomyelitis, etc.

Vitamin C Nature's Miraculous

Healing Missile

COMPILED

BY:

Glen Dettman Archie Kalokerinos Ian Dettman

FREDERICK TODD MELBOURNE

Copyright © 1993 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by Drs. G.C. Dettman, A. Kalokerinos and I. Dettman

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owners.

First published 1993 FREDERICK TODD - MELBOURNE ISBN 0-646-11985-0 This edition 2007

Notes about this edition: This is a bridging edition since the last print run of the book sold out in late 2006. The entire text and several images from the original publication have been scanned to produce this edition. While every attempt has been made to correct errors generated by the scanning process, it is inevitable that there will be some

spelling errors and occasional truncated words in this edition which are remnants of the scanning process.

This edition printed by PRINT JUNCTION P.O. Box 40 Kilburn North, SA. 5084

Vitamin C, Nature's

Miraculous Healing Missile Contents About the Authors Dedication

Acknowledgements Introduction

CHAPTER 1 — THE SPARK OF LIFE INTRODUCTION - Too good to be true! HISTORICAL SCURVY IN AUSTRALIA ASCORBATE SYNTHESIS TOXICITY OF VITAMIN C URINARY SPILLOVER OF VITAMIN C ASCORBATE AND URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS OTHER FUNCTIONS OF ASCORBATE

VITAMIN C. RDA AND AVAILABILITY RDA, CLINICAL USE AVAILABILITY

OF ASCORBATE

OF ASCORBATE AND TEST STRIPS

CONCLUSION POSTSCRIPT: REFERENCES SUGGESTED FURTHER READING CHAPTER 2 - UPDATE ON WAR. SLAYING GOLIATH WITH A STONE. VIRAL INFECTION POLIOMYELITIS HEPATITIS HERPES OTHER VIRAL DISEASES

CHEMICAL STRESSES - POISONS, TOXINS INORGANIC POISONS

42

MERCURY.

LEAD. ARSENIC. CHROMIUM AND GOLD. ORGANIC POISONS BENZENE POISONING. DRUGS. BACTERIAL TOXINS. TETANUS. BOTLTLISM. SNAKEBITE. PHYSICAL STRESSES HEAT AND BURNS COLD PHYSICAL TRAUMA BONE FRACTURE HIGH ALTITUDE RADIATION POLLUTION AND SMOKER'S SCURVY SMOKING WOUNDS, BONE FRACTURES, AND SHOCK MORBIDITY INDEX - A NEW DIAGNOSTIC TOOL SHOCK REFERENCES

42 44 44 45 45 46 47 47 49 50 52 52 55 56 57 57 59 60 62 65 66 69 72

CHAPTER 3: THE METHOD OF DETERMINING PROPER DOSES OF VITAMIN C FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASE BY TITRATING TO BOWEL TOLERANCE. 86 THE METHOD OF DETERMINING PROPER DOSES OF VITAMIN C FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASE BY TITRATING TO BOWEL TOLERANCE Bowel Tolerance Method ANASCORBEMIA IM AND IV INJECTIONS MONONUCLEOSIS HEPATITIS GASTROENTERITIS BACTERIAL INFECTIONS CANDIDA ALBICANS FUNGUS INFECTIONS TRAUMA, SURGERY CANCER STRESS AND DISEASE IN GENERAL ALLERGIES BACK PAIN FROM DISC DISEASE ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS SCARLET FEVER HERPES: COLD SORES, GENITAL LESIONS, AND SHINGLES CRIB DEATHS (SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME) MAINTENANCE DOSES OF ASCORBATE

COMPLICATIONS

87 88 89 91 92 92 93 93 94 94 94 95 95 95 95 96 96 96 96 96

oF

il

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES LINUS PAULING, VITAMIN C AND THE REMARKABLE ROBERT CATHCART YET ANOTHER CONTRIBUTION LINUS PAULING INSTITUTE HOW DR. CATHCART BECAME INVOLVED THE BOWEL TOLERANCE CONCEPT IS BORN VITAMIN C MULTIFUNCTIONAL TAMING VIRUSES INFECTIOUS HEPATITIS, THE SIMPLE & SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT KIDNEY STONE NONSENSE COLDS, ALLERGIES, HAY FEVER AND CANCER QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ACKNOWLEDGMENT

99

99 101 101 101 102 102 103 104 —_—‘104 105 106 107 107

CHAPTER 4: "ABSTRACTS" OF ABSTRACTS 108 INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ASCORBIC ACID, RADIATION THERAPY, AND MISONIDAZOLE 114 CHAPTER 5: SIGNIFICANCE OF HIGH DAILY INTAKE OF ASCORBIC ACID IN PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND POLIOMYELITIS VACCINE 116 INTRODUCTION

118

THE VIRUS STORY

119

THE CHOLESTEROL STORY

124

THE HEAVY METAL STORY

126

OTHER APPLICATIONS

128

THE CANCER STORY

129

OTHER APPLICATIONS

130

SUMMARY

135

REFERENCES

139

POLIOMYELITIS VACCINE - BRODIE VS. SALK DISCUSSION CONCLUSION REFERENCES

142 147 153 159

APPENDIX

161

CHAPTER 6: THE ROLE OF VITAMIN C IN EXERCISE. JOGGERS BEWARE 'TO RUN OR NOT TO RUN REFERENCES A REPORT ON AUSTRALIAN VITAMIN C

162

- THAT IS THE QUESTION

LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS

163 165 170

AND REPLY'

SUPPLEMENTED

WITH

172

INTRODUCTION:

172

ill

175 175 178 180 181 182

ABOUT THE FOOTBALLERS DOSAGE HAS THE INVESTIGATION PROVED USEFUL? ACKNOWLEDGMENTS REFERENCES EDITORS NOTE:

CHAPTER 7: ALBERT SZENT-GYORGYI AND VITAMIN C

183

THE OPTIMUM INTAKE OF VITAMIN C

186

THE COMMON COLD

187

VIRUSES AND VIRAL DISEASES

188

BACTERIA AND BACTERIAL DISEASES

190

VITAMIN C AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

19]

VITAMIN C AND CANCER

193

CONCLUSION

195

REFERENCES

196

CHAPTER 8: THE CALCIUM AND SODIUM CONTROVERSY THE CALCIUM

AND SODIUM CONTROVERSY.

199 200

DOCTOR HITS AT CALCIUM DOSAGE

200

CANCER PATIENTS AND CALCIUM A CANCER THERAPY MAX GERSON CYRIL SCOTT - VICTORY OVER CANCER

201 201 202

HEALTH SCIENCE PRESS.

HYPOGLYCAEMIA: MICHAEL LESSER SPEAKS ABOUT HAIR ANALYSIS IN HYPOGLYCEMIA

EXCESSIVE CALCIUM

THE SODIUM CONTROVERSY

202 202

203

HIGH BLOOD SODIUM LEVELS AND INGESTION

OF SODIUM ASCORBATE MYTH 204 THE CONCERNED PROFESSION AND LAY PUBLIC 204 IGNORANT PROFESSIONALS 205 THE CLINICAL FACTS 206

CHAPTER 9: VITAMIN C: A POTPOURRI VITAMIN C THE USE OF MEGASCORBATE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS BIBLIOGRAPHY ASCORBATE:

TOMORROW'S MEDICINE

207 THERAPY IN GENERAL PRACTICE

DR. ALAN LANE 214 DIAGNOSIS 214 USE OF ORAL ASCORBATE, THE SERENITY VITAMIN. VITAMIN CIS THE SERENITY VITAMIN. 214 THE FRIEND OF THE GENERAL PRACTITIONERS WIFE! 215

1V

TODAY

... NOTES FROM

207 213 213

JUNK FOOD INTRAVENOUS ASCORBATE THE CLINICAL TROUBLESHOOTER! A FEW NOTES ABOUT DR. ALAN LANE

DIARY OF AN ORTHO-MOLECULAR PHYSICIAN

PANS) 215 216 217

TATTS DISEASE by DR. ALAN

LANE

218

VITAMIN C and the significance of that "wasted spillover"

221

BIBLIOGRAPHY VITAMIN C TRIUMPH

223 by Dr. Glen Dettman

224

ASCORBATE INTAKE BY FIJIANS

225

VITAMIN C, THE MOST POWERFUL AND LEAST HARMFUL OF MEDICAL SUBSTANCES WHAT HE DID VIT C - ASCORBIC ACID 'EXPERTS' PLEASE NOTE ALL SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS DISPROVED! THE VARIOUS MYTHS BEWARE OF EXPERTS WHO DON’T UNDERSTAND! QUITE OK TO TAKE TEN GRAMS PER DAY CONCLUSION

226 226 226 227 Pee 228 228 228

DON'T SUPPORT CLOTS! TAKE SUFFICIENT VITAMIN C 229 THE LANCET, JULY 22ND, 1973. 230 DOUBLE BLIND TRIALS 230 ANIMALS THAT MAKE THEIR OWN VITAMIN C NOT TROUBLED BY THESE PROBLEMS. 230 SOME SURGEONS HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT! 231 PROFESSOR EMANUEL CHERASKIN, M.D., D.M.D., UNITVERSITY ALABAMA, U.S.A 231 TESTING FOR VITAMIN C IN CLOTTING DISORDERS. (URINE RECONMNDED.) 232 A ROXDALE PUBLICATION 232 VITAMIN C HELPS CONTROL BLEEDING 233 PLATELETS ARE AFFECTED 233 STOP THIS CRIMINAL ACT 234 VITAMIN C, USE OR ABUSE? NO SUCH THING AS TISSUE SATURATION THREE GRAMS OF VITAMIN C INSUFFICIENT EXPLAINING THE INEXPLICABLE ACUPUNCTURE SCORNED VITAMIN C &'NORMAL DIET' TRIALS UNDERTAKEN COAGULTION: IMPORTANCE OF TESTING FOR URINARY VITAMIN C URINARY LEVELS OF VITAMIN C SOME EXAMPLES OF VITAMIN C THERAPY HEART DISEASE LIPIDS CANCER AND VITAMIN C FREE RADICALS SURGERY INCREASED REQUIREMIENTS FOR ASCORBATE

DENTISTRY

235 235 236 237 237 239 242 244 244 244 245 246 247 248 248

249 Vv

MENTAL HEALTH

249

ROAD ACCIDENTS BAD BACKS PROTECTING AGAINST SIDE EFFECTS OF IMMUNISATIONS COT DEATHS ANOTHER PHYSICIAN DUPLICATES DR. KALOKERINOS 'RESULTS

249 250 250 251 253

CLINICAL EVIDENCE

254

VITAMIN C - FACT OR FANCY CONCLUSION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS REFERENCES

256 263 263 264

IMMUMSATION, ASCORBATE AND DEATH INTRODUCTION: BIBLIOGRAPHY:

266 266 270

GERM PHOBIA AND IGNORANCE

270

DR STEPHEN MARSHALL - GOD'S SERVANT FACING THE FACTS, A PAPUA NEW GUINEA EXPERIENCE 273 IMMUNIZATIONS MAY HAVE REPERCUSSIONS 273 OUR COMMENT 275 STEVE'S STORY. GETTING INVOLVED WITH GOD'S WORK 275 ONE DENTIST FOR UP TO 180,000 PEOPLE 276 KEEPING HEPATITIS AND OTHER DISEASES AT BAY WITH VITAMIN C_ 277 DR. STEPHEN MARSHALL GOD'S SERVANT. Part 2 INJECTIONS OF VITAMIN C SAVED TYPHOID PATIENTS SEEING IS BELIEVING COMBINING MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY THE FUTURE

278 279 280 281 282

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH STEVE

283

CHAPTER 10: MEGASCORBIC PROPHYLAXIS AND MEGASCORBIC THERAPY. A NEW ORTHMOLECULAR MODALITY IN VETERINARY MEDICINE 284 INTRODUCTION

285

ASCORBATE AND COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY SUBOPTIMAL COMPENSATORY FEEDBACK A SUBCLINICAL ENDEMIC AN OVERVIEW TECHNICAL AND CLINICAL DATA MATERIALS

285 286 288 288 291 291

ADMINISTRATION INTRAVENOUS USE: ORAL ADMINISTRATION: ANALGESIA:

292 292 292 293

CASE HISTORIES: VIRAL DISEASES: DISTEMPER: LONDON FLU: RHINOTRACHEITIS:

294 294 294 295 296

v1

ACUTE BRONCHITIS: JAUNDICE: PREGNANCY AND WHELPING: ALLERGIES: DERMATITIS: RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS: EPILEPSY: URINARY TRACT: SPINAL DEGENERATION: LIGAMENT AND JOINT LAXITY:

297 Zo 297 298 299 299 299 300 300 301

DISCUSSION

302

SUMMARY

303

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

304

REFERENCES

304

CHAPTER 11: THE COT DEATH CONTROVERSY, CLINICAL TRIALS REFUSED. 306

THE TRUTH ABOUT VITAMIN C AND SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME IMMUNISATION COT DEATHS COT DEATHS MULTIFACTORIAL THE KIDNEY STONE MYTH, A SICK JOKE

309 310 311 312

VITAMIN CIN INFANT DEATH BREAST MILK AND VITAMINC 314 SUDDEN SHOCK AND SUDDEN INFANT DEATH 314 TEETHING AND IRRITABILITY 315 THE COMBINATION OF VITAMIN C AND PENICILLIN CAN BE LIFE-SAVING 315 MEDICAL EXPOSE! TRUTH IS COMING TO LIGHT ONE CAUGHT, BUT STILL MORE TO COME! THE TRUTH BENDERS WHAT DID THEY DO? WHAT DID WE SEND THIS EXPERT COMMITTEE? COPY OF LETTER TESTING INFANTS URINE FOR VITAMIN C CONTENT IMPOSSIBLE RESULTS RESULTING FROM INCORRECT TEST IMMEDIATE TRIALS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED

316 Silly) 318 318 318 SLO 321 321 322

MORE EVIDENCE THAT VITAMIN C PREVENTS SIDS SLEEP APNEA PREVENTED BY VITAMIN C OUR COMMENT SIDS AVOIDABLE AND PREDICTABLE SOME WARNING SIGNS A MESSAGE FOR GENERAL PRACTITIONERS WHAT SUPPLEMENTS ARE RECOMMENDED TESTING MILK AND URINE FOR VITAMIN C SPILLOVER WARNING SIGNALS, EVASIVE ACTION. EVERY SECOND CHILD COMPELLING EVIDENCE OBTAINED FROM 'EVERY SECOND CHILD' CONCLUSION

323 323 324 324 324 325 325 326 326 S27 327 333

Vil

334

UPDATE ON COT DEATH PREVENTION

HERE ARE SOME IDEAS ON PREVENTION PREVENTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS IMMUNIZATION SIDS PROFESSOR ROBERT MENDELSSOHN M.D., WARNS PARENTS ABOUT IMMUNIZATIONS

334 336 336 337

RED FACE DAY SIDS PROBLEM SOLVED AGES AGO 338 COPY OF SIDS FORUM NATIONAL NEWS ... SOME CELEBRATION! OUR LETTER TO THIS ORGANIZATION IGNORED. 339 OPEN INVITATION 340 EVERY SECOND CHILD, by ARCHIE KALOKERINOS SUPPORT FROM DUAL NOBEL LAUREATE, LINUS PAULING

340 342

COPY OF LETTER TO SUN-HERALD 16.8.81

343

CHAPTER 12: AIDS: HAS VITAMIN 'C' A ROLE? CONTENTS

345 346

FOREWORD WARNING TO ADHERENTS AND PROMOTERS OF ALLOPATHIC AND ORTHODOX MEDICINE:

346

TREATMENT FOR AIDS. A PROMISING LEAD?

349

FROM THE FORUM AIDS INC. SCANDAL OF THE CENTURY TOP MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST SAYS HIV CORRELATED,

347 351

BUT NOT CAUSE OF AIDS 393)

VACCINE FOR AIDS MAY SPEED DISEASE REVIEW OF AIDS LITERATURE BY BILL MORE ACCEPTANCE OF AIDS VIRUS AS CAUSE OF DISEASE PREMATURE HOW CAN ONE PATHOGEN" EXPLAIN OVER 20 DISEASES? CULBERT AND RAPPOPORT

353 354 355 355 356

HIV NOT THE CAUSE OF AIDS [PART2] BACK TO THE TEST THE REAL AIDS CULPRITS BRUCE HALSTEAD M.D. A USA MEDICAL GLANT AIDS, AZT AND BIG BUSINESS IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION CALL FOR CAREFUL STUDIES FOOTNOTE

358 359 360 361 363 364 364

AID FOR THE AIDS "EXPERTS" BY AN M.D. THAT KNOWS! DEAR JOURNALISTS, NEWSPAPER, TELEVISION AND RADIO

365 365

AIDS IMMUNIZATION RELATED SYNDROMIE 'Hushed UP' Information THE BIG LIE ESTABLISHMENT "EVIDENCE" PSEUDO-SCIENTIFIC TRUTH STOPPED BY DR. GALLO. HOW YOU CAN LEARN MORE. CONCLUSION

367 367 369 370 a7]

WHAT YOUR DOCTOR DOES NOT KNOW IF HE DOES HE WON'T TELL YOU IS THERE A REASON WHY?

Vill

ABOUT

AIDS AND OTHER DISEASE,

AND He 372

DRUGLESS MEDICINE AND BRIAN INGLIS 373 WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT BECHAMP'S APPROACH? 373 A PART TRUTH FOR WHICH WE HAVE BEEN DECEIVED FAR TOO LONG. 374 THE AIDS WAR, VITAL INFORMATION BEING IGNORED DR ROBERT ERDMANN

S75) 375

AIDS RE-EXAMINED: HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE DEFENCES AGAINST IT AND OTHER VIRAL INFECTIONS 376 ACCEPTANCE OF THE OBVIOUS 376 ACTION YOU CAN TAKE 377 IMMUNITY HOLDS THE KEY Sig! FELINE LEUKEMIA AND AIDS 377 CONTROLLING THE 'CARRIERS' 379 FORMULA TO AID IMMUNE SYSTEM 379 SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT 381 COMMENT 381 ALL YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT AIDS AND HOW TO MANAGE IT (PART 1) U.S.A. SEMINAR, SEPTEMBER 29TH, 1984. 382 "HOW TO TREAT AIDS AND OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES." ISN'T THIS IMPERTINENT? 382 HOW DOES DR CATHCART TREAT AIDS VICTIMS? 382 IS THE TREATMENT SUCCESSFUL? 383 WHY HAVEN’T WE ADVISED THE AUTHORITIES? 384 COPY OF LETTER TO MEDICAL JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 6,1983. TREATMENT FOR AIDS A PROMISING LEAD? 384 ALL YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT AIDS AND HOW TO MANAGE IT (PART2) REPLY TO OUR SUBMISSION, MEDICAL JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIA WHO ELSE DID WE CONTACT? WHAT CAUSES AIDS? NEW DISEASES FOR OLD! CROSSCULTURAL IMMUNISATIONS AND AIDS

386 386 387 387 388 388

HOW NOT TO AID AIDS! IS THE DISEASE VACCINE INDUCED? WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF AIDS? WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR AIDS VICTIMS? MORE OVERSEAS OBSERVATIONS MRS. GAVRAN'S QUESTIONS FURTHER MEDICAL SPECULATION, DR. HAROLD BUTTRAM M.D. CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL, HEPATITIS VACCINE & AIDS WHAT THE C.D.C. SAID.

389 390 390 390 391 391 392 392

AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF RECENT AIDS SEMINAR: SAN FRANCISCO, BY CAPTAIN ROSS HORNE

394

AIDS. GOOD NEWS FROM SAN FRANCISCO 394 NEWS FROM SECOND SEMINAR 395 THE VIRUS THEORY OF AIDS IS NOT TENABLE AND NEVER HAS BEEN 396 AFRICA AND MALNUTRITION 396 INFLUENCE OF DRUGS 397 MEDICAL DRUGS IMPLICATED . 397 EDUCATION NOT CONDOMS THAT HELPS 397 AIDS A DISEASE YOU CANNOT CATCH, YOU MAKE IT FOR YOURSELF! 397

ix

CONCLUSION

398

CHAPTER 13: AVAILABILITY, DOSAGE AND SAFETY OF INTRAVENOUS AND ORAL ASCORBATE 399 HOW MUCH VITAMIN C SHOULD I TAKE? VITAMIN C TABLETS? Dosage

400 400 401

INFANTS AND PREVENTION OF COT DEATHS? 401 ANY INDICATIONS FOR HIGHER DOSES OF VITAMIN C? 402 IMMUNISATIONS? 403 CAN THE VITAMIN C BE GIVEN ANY OTHER WAY? 403 WHAT SIDE EFFECTS MAY WE EXPECT FROM VITAMIN C 403 AN OUTSTANDING FOOD SOURCE OF VITAMIN C - SYDNEY UNIVERSITY 404 REFERENCES: 405 THE SAFETY OF INTRAVENOUS ASCORBATE NATURE OF PRODUCT PREPARATION OF PRODUCTS CLINICAL USAGE SUGGESTED BIOLOGICAL ACTION INSTRUCTIONS FOR IV USE SOLUTIONS POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS

406 408 408 408 409 409 410 410

SODIUM ASCORBATE FOR INTRAVENOUS USE BIOLOGICAL THERAPIES SODIUM ASCORBATE PRODUCTS FROM THE BIOLOGICAL THERAPIES RANGE

411 412

CHAPTER 14: THE FELIX LETTER AND VITAMIN C GETS A LITTLE RESPECT

414 “The end of the beginning”

LINUS STRIKES AGAIN VITAMIN C GETSA LITTLE RESPECT

414

414 417

Vitamin C, Nature's

Miraculous Healing Missile Introduction, Dedication and Acknowledgements

About the Authors Dr. Glen Dettman after topping his class at the Royal Melbourne Technical College, Junior School, during the depression years, Glen

Dettman left school to accept a position as a Trainee Laboratory Technician at the Veterinary Research Institute, University of Melbourne, (1936). During World War II, he enlisted in the A.I.F.,

Army Medical Corps, where he was made Personal Assistant and Senior Technologist to Major Luey Bryee. He assisted with the original organization of the Blood Bank and was involved with the initial use of Penicillin. He was later to serve as a Commissioned Officer in the Army Medical Corps. in the Reserve Army. Glen tutored upon Army Health, with particular emphasis upon the value of immunisations! At this time he was a Technical Officer with C.S.I.R.O. (1945) and his research activities included such fields as Antibiotics, Bovine Mastitis, Staphylococcal Studies, and produced a Modified Autogenous Staphylococcal Vaccine. He founded the Oakleigh Pathology Service in 1950 and was later elected as a

l

Registered Pathology Practitioner. He earned a B.A. and Ph.D. from the Independent University of Australia and has a long list of Post Graduate Qualifications and Honours far too lengthy to present. Some of these include: Fellow of the Institute of Science Technology (U.K.) Life Fellow of The Royal Society of Health (London) Life Fellow Royal Microscopical Society (U.K.) Fellow of The Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists. Fellow of The International Academy of Preventive Medicine. Fellow of The Hong Kong Medical Technologists Association. Life Fellow International Academy of Biological Medicine. Fellow International Biographical Association. Lifetime Deputy Governor and Member of the Research Board of Advisors, American Biographical Institute. Member of The American Society of Medical Technologists. Member of The Australian Institute of Medical Scientists. Member of New York Academy of Sciences. He is also an Accredited Natural Therapist (Member ANTA) and a

Past Lecturer in Pathology at The Southern School of Natural Therapies. In addition Glen has Authored and co-authored numerous Scientific Papers and Books and he was appointed Head of a Research Team in 1969, to investigate the claims of Dr. A. KALOKERINOS, in relation to Immunization Hazards and Efficacy of Vitamin C. He has been a Co-Worker ever since. Like Dr. KALOKERINOS, he was awarded The Australian Medal of Merit (A.M.M.) for “Outstanding Scientific Research". (1978)

Dr. Archie Kalokerinos took his medical degree from Sydney University in 1951 and then spent six years in England. On his return to Australia he was appointed Medical Superintendent of Collarenebri Hospital where he served until 1975. He is a Life Fellow of the Royal Society for Health, a Fellow of the International Academy of Preventive Medicine, Fellow of the Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists, Fellow of the Hong Kong Medical Technology Association, and a Member of the New York Academy of Sciences. In 1978 he was awarded the A.M.M. (Australian Medal of Merit) for ‘outstanding scientific research’. Dr. Kalokerinos has

2

authored a book with profound orthomolecular medicine implications entitled 'Every Second Child', as well as many scientific papers. He is also author of two books on the subject of opal, on which he is considered to be an international authority. Currently he is working as a general practitioner at Bingara, New South Wales, where he is in charge of the local hospital. He is also the Honorary Medical Advisor for Aboriginal Health.

Dr. Ian Dettman is the son of Dr Glen Dettman. He completed his Ph.D. in biochemistry at Monash University in 1978 where he also graduated with honours as a B.Sc. In addition, he is a Fellow of The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Biology), a Fellow of The Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists, an Associate of The Australian Institute of Medical Laboratory Scientists, Associate of The Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Member Australian Society of Microbiology, Diploma in Naturopathy. Currently he directs and manages Biological Therapies, Melbourne, where he manufactures a range of products for the medical profession and the public.

Forewords DR.LINUS PAULING To Book By Dettman, Kalokerinos and Dettman Research on vitamin C spans continents and centuries. Long before Dr. James Lind published his classic "Treatise on the Scurvy," in 1753, other doctors had been extolling the virtues of citrus fruit for a

great many maladies, most of which, in hindsight, were benefited. For instance, from Allen's "Practice of Physick," London, 1740, Vol.

2, p.2 1: "The juice of lemons and oranges are antiscorbutics never enough to be commanded. And, without boasting, I can affirm that I have never observed in my whole practice so many happy effects by any one simple medicine as by lemons." So it is not surprising that 20th century research would verify astute 18th century observations and determine the factor, ascorbic acid, responsible for those 'happy effects." The ascorbic acid molecule, now commonly called vitamin C, is an extremely simple combination of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, having a very low molecular weight. Its very simplicity explains why it has found its way into literally hundreds of metabolic pathways within our bodies, and why a more than ample amount of vitamin C can control a large variety of maladies. Doctors Archie Kalokerinos, Glen Dettman, and Jan Dettman have sorted through

many thousands of research articles, books and personal communications written in this century about vitamin C and have extracted the cream - those that most clearly and convincingly show how vitamin C performs its "miracles." Most of these articles are exciting to read and some are quite moving. Over the decades it has been a great mystery to me how most medical doctors are so slow to take full advantage of vitamin C's remarkable powers. I believe that this book may help to convince the skeptics by inundating them with

many important historical and informative articles from the past. Back in 1974 1 had the pleasure of writing the Foreword for Dr. Kalokerinos's book "Every Second Child," yet even today, in 1993, none of the many crib death organizations will even discuss vitamin

4

C. Perhaps they will change their minds after reading Dr. Ronald Kilgour's unsolicited letter in this volume. But here in America, even our nutritionally backward government and the medical establishment are beginning to recommend supplements such as beta carotene, niacin, and fibre. Just a few years ago they were insisting that a good diet was quite sufficient. Whether they will ever recommend a high intake of vitamin C is a question the answer to which will depend on politics, reputations, face-saving, and the almighty dollar. It will be interesting to see if this book, for which I am honoured to have been invited to write the Foreword, will turn

the tide for vitamin C.

Linus Pauling Big Sur, California September 1991.

Dr. Alan Lane MBBS.DHTM. The problem is the gap between the scientists who have contributed to this book and those who call themselves scientists, but are really only technologists, who claim that it is all nonsense. We reject your

experience, they say, because it does not conform to our theories. It was even thus in the progress of medical knowledge. Read this book, and if you are convinced that these writers are competent men and truly experienced practically, as well as theoretically, in the unique part vitamin C can play in the healing of disease and maintenance of health in an ever more hostile environment, then believe your own judgement and look further: You will never regret it!

Dr. Neil McLeod M.B. Ch.B (N.Z.) For the past 30 years of medical practice, I have assumed - to quote my medical text book - that 30mg of vitamin C is a 'satisfactory daily dose" to avoid scurvy. I was not told that in the face of stress or disease - the requirements of vitamin C may be many times this socalled satisfactory daily dose. In fact many people deplete their supply of vitamin C because of greater requirements, and inadequate intake in their processed and cooked foods. In my medical training, I was taught that the side effects of vitamin C intake are diarrhoea, and kidney stones. Never was I able to learn that the diarrhoea is useful to titrate the effective oral dose and that kidney stones exist in the minds of critics of vitamin C and not in the kidneys of those receiving daily doses 45 grams intravenously for months. Many Doctors throughout the world now routinely give Intravenous Vitamin C for a whole range of conditions. Megadoses of Intravenous Sodium Ascorbate have been readily available in Australia for many years. Please bear these most relevant facts in mind when reading this book.

NEIL MCLEOD

Dedication Medical history readily talks about 'magic bullets', but these pale into insignificance when the 'BULLET' potential of Ascorbate (vitamin C) is honestly assessed. This 'missile' is dedicated to some very special people, those who have directly helped us, and to the many scientists and questioning lay people who have dared to challenge a monopolistic point of view expressed by a media controlled by an influential minority who think in terms of WEALTH rather than HEALTH. First, to the author of "THE HEALING FACTOR -

VITAMIN C AGAINST DISEASE" the late Dr. Irwin Stone. He made most of the power of this overlooked ‘bullet’ available to professionals through- out the world, at a time (with few exceptions) for a variety of reasons, his work was ignored. As you will read, his works have been more than justified, it would appear that only the WEALTH was given consideration, and the HEALTH was discouraged. In this respect, we thank Irwin's wife, Barbara, for the

encouragement she imparted to this dedicated humanitarian and for her permission to use some of the text from his book for use in this presentation. Next, to those two gallant Nobel Laureates Linus Pauling, the only man in history to have been awarded TWO UNSHARED NOBEL PRIZES, and to the late Albert SzentGyorgyi, MD, Ph.D., who won his Nobel Prize for discovering and describing in detail the molecule HEXURONIC ACID. This is now known, perhaps unfortunately, as VITAMIN C. We refer the inquisitive to Dr. Stone's book, 'THE HEALING FACTOR: VITAMIN C AGAINST DISEASE". This book, originally published by Grosset and Dunlap, New York, 1972, contained forewords by eminent scientists, Linus Pauling and Albert Szent-Gyorgyi. How tragic for mankind that their evaluations have not only been ignored but denigrated by those with pecuniary interests. "Magic bullets’ have very limited functions whereas the ignored missile, vitamin C, when used intelligently and correctly has a multifactorial use. Hence our dedication to those who were gifted sufficiently to understand the missile power of nature's resources, in this instance we refer to vitamin C, Glen Dettman, Archie Kalokerinos , Ian Dettman

Acknowledgements To name all of the pioneers who have assisted with the development of vitamin C therapy would result in a book such as the telephone directory. So we apologise to those who have helped us both on the international and national level, whose names do not appear here. Overseas, we of course pay homage to Linus Pauling and the members of his Institute. At all times he has given us assistance and encouragement. Dr. Robert Cathcart, M.D. has made many important contributions towards the understanding of Ascorbate and we are including his important 'bowel tolerance' paper in this book. Abstracts of papers from a recent seminar (September 1990) held by The National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, held at the Lister Hill Auditorium, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Mary- land, U.S.A., substantiate not only Dr. Cathcart's thesis, but much of Dr.

Stone's work. Titles and a 'sample' are included. The late Dr. Fred Klenner, who was a close friend of Dr. Stone's, was one of the

pioneers of vitamin C. He wrote many papers in medical literature demonstrating that vitamin C, used correctly, could correct almost

any disease, particularly the so called 'Killer- Diseases'. We had the privilege of meeting with him twice and his work must eventually be accepted, thus benefiting humanity. We have included one of his last journal articles wherein he capably summarizes the important discoveries and experiences of his lifetime. Others in the USA who contributed towards the work in the 'dangerous years' and unselfishly gave of their time and talent include Dr and Mrs. Robert Erdmann who were first to encourage us to join forces with the American Heretics Dr. Wendel Belfield, DVM, shared his knowledge

concerning sudden death in animals and confirmed some of our immunological findings. Yet another veterinary surgeon, the late Lyle Baker and his wife Barbara have given us help and encouragement. Dr Ewan Cameron and Dr Newbold have made known to us their valuable work on cancer. Dr Harold Buttram is yet

another physician willing to challenge establishment monopolies and he publishes formidable 'missiles' which are respected by those who we would least expect to do so. Oscar Falconi of Wholesale Nutrition has given of his time, money and support most unselfishly, as has Jay Patrick of Alacer Corp, and then more recently Dr Roy Kupsinel MD, editor of 'Health Consciousness' (USA Journal), has given 9

world wide publicity to our work.Marilyn Gavran of New Jersey has fed us a constant supply of relevant literature. In Australia, Professor Geoffrey Kellerman was first to offer us positive assistance following a decision of the Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists to investigate the work of Dr Archie Kalokerinos. The late Dr Jim Kalokerinos, brother of Archie, also inspired us and was

never afraid to speak out on our behalf. The late Lady Phyllis Cilento who went to her eternal rest at the grand age of 93 proclaiming the merits of nutrition. Her book, "You Cannot Live Without Vitamin C' is good reading for all. Dr Alan Lane has never ceased to be a source

of inspiration and help.Dr Ronald Kilgour fearlessly gave public evidence of how he clinically substantiated the claims of Dr Archie Kalokerinos. Dr Anne Glew made some significant early contributions, and more recently, Dr Ian Brighthope has made significant contributions towards the understanding of nutrition within the medical profession that is virtually bankrupt concerning its place in the science of prevention and healing using diet and supplements. Dr John West has also helped the cause. He publicly offered (TV, press and radio) to be infected with the so called AIDS

virus, providing he was given a 'cover' of vitamin C. He was simply ignored and later given a hard time by the media. Dr Arthur Mowle continues to contribute towards the dissemination of vitamin C knowledge. Last, but certainly not least, we doubt if we would be writing this message without the support of Dorothy Knafelc and her deceased husband, July. Suffice it to say, when we were faced with the inexplicables of modern medicine's failures, they presented an alternative to us that we have followed and continue to follow at the time of writing.

NOTE In this collection of papers, some terms may appear to be conflicting. In the USA the month always appears first, but in the United Kingdom and Australia it appears second. In addition, you may find that terminology concerning grams and milligrams are referred to in slightly different ways. These inconsistencies are related to the original publications.

Introduction Approximately eighty years have passed since medical scientists commenced heralding the virtues of vitamin C. (See introduction, The Healing Factor, Stone, 1972). Dr W. J. McCormick of Canada

wrote extensively about his clinical experiences in a number of scientific journals as did Dr Frederick Klenner of North Carolina, commencing in the forties and continuing up to his untimely death in the year 1984. Klenner successfully treated most so called 'killerdiseases’, including polio, with this Vitamin C, yet as we know from his published papers, absolutely no acceptance was afforded his work. There are big profits in any vaccine that can be marketed, so this is hardly surprising. Then entered into the arena, Dr Irwin Stone, a chemist searching for answers to industrial problems in a brewery. Intrigued with the plethora of references concerning the merits of vitamin C as applied to medicine, Dr Stone realized that vitamin C (a term he disliked as he described why he thought it was a liver metabolise) was indeed a deliberately overlooked and underestimated magic bullet with medical missile potential. He researched the facts for over forty years before publishing his book, 'The Healing Factor, Vitamin C Against Disease’ in 1972.In 1975, Dr Stone sent us a card with the words: "Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened." (Winston Churchill). It is now a well known fact how Dr Stone's enthusiasm and scientific data intrigued the agile, analytical mind of Dr Linus Pauling. After a thorough examination of the facts, Linus Pauling decided he would make his own important trial, using his wife and himself as test models. It

worked, and Irwin had acquired the greatest ally of all. Prior to this, Dr Archie Kalokerinos had been making his own clinical observations and trials on the benefits of vitamin C. His 'heresy' was dismissed by orthodox medical scientists, but Archie, like Irwin Stone, had done a 'Churchill'. He didn't hurry off and he ignored the criticism of his colleagues. During 1969 a new college, The Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists decided to investigate the claims of Dr Kalokerinos. Dr Glen Dettman was appointed to

lead a small research team to the district where Dr Kalokerinos worked, Collarenebri. In short, we found that further investigations should eventuate. It was, 'back to the drawing board’. If what Archie was saying proved to be true, then medicine would be revolutionized.

Lt

Unfortunately the revolution is very slow, as there is no way that medical schools are prepared to admit their errors hastily. Thus, the value of nutrition, and of vitamin C in particular, will be ushered in in their time and in their way. Thousands of children will continue to die from Sudden Infant Death, 'killer diseases’, toxic substances, vaccines, venomous bites and stings, because so called modern

medicine is inflicting grievous insults upon their tiny immature immune systems and denying them the amount of vitamin C required to offset preventable adverse consequences. It's important to state here that when we first researched the vitamin C problem, we had not heard of Dr McCormick, or Dr Klenner, yet as it turned out,

Archie had more or less been duplicating their work without any prior knowledge of these successes. We commenced writing about our results and had many letters and articles published in magazines and journals, including the Medical Journal of Australia. Dr Stone read some of our work and initiated correspondence with us, sending us copies of his book and offering us his valuable friendship and access to his expertise. Thus evolved a close and beautiful overseas partnership which extended to a variety of people dealing with the professional world. (See the names of some of these dedicated humanitarian subjects in 'Acknowledgements'. We actually met Linus Pauling during one of his visits to Australia, when he delivered a message at Monash University (Grimwade address) in 1973.We

were then invited to Sydney University by Professor Freeman to have a 'round table conference' with Dr Pauling and top University Staff. At last we knew we too had an ally! During our many trips to the USA, we have always had access to Dr Pauling and at all times he has given of his time, talent, advice and friendship, without which we are sure none of us could have survived the character assassinations launched against us by the orthodox medical profession and the media. Dr Stone always made the best possible use of our visits, arranging for us to visit and lecture at Universities,

hospitals and other health oriented health groups. He knew that change would come slowly. We found this hard to accept, as the evidence was so strong, so yet once again Irwin Stone was right. One day he wryly remarked to us, 'They (the establishment) don't want to be con- fused by the truth". Whenever (and we must say this is a rarity) the press say something encouraging about our work, then a ‘heavy' from the medical establishment will appear and denounce us.

ite

That is one of the reasons you will find a copy of a paper that one of the Australian Medical Journals declined to publish, this after they said that the paper would be published upon the condition that ‘experts' from the profession would publish their critique of our work together with our article. We will comment further upon this in Chapter 1. To understand the multifactorial use of Ascorbate, you must understand something about the chemistry of it all. Unfortunately most doctors have been taught that it is simply a vitamin that prevents clinical scurvy - a gross understatement and a misunderstanding that continues to limit the healing power of modern medicine. To those who hunger after an in-depth understanding, we recommend the publication of the late Dr Sherry Lewin, "Vitamin C: Its Molecular Biology and Medical Potential’, (Academic Press 1976) and the very thorough 3 volume set by Dr. Alan Clemetson entitled simply, "Vitamin C" (CRC Press 1989). A classical example of the ignorance surrounding 'The Forgot- ten Missile" (Vitamin C), is a publication in the 'New Scientist, 12th Jan.

1991, "Gulf Troops may be Guinea Pigs for Untested Drugs", The caption says "Gulf troops............. which is followed by the text: "The Pentagon wants to give its troops in the Gulf drugs and vaccines that are not licensed for general use. These may include genetically engineered antibodies and a vaccine for botulism that is used by laboratory workers’. "According to a letter from Enrique Mendez, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, American soldiers need the treatment to deal with natural diseases as well as Iraq's chemical and biological weapons." The best preventive or therapeutic treatment calls for the use of products now under ‘investigational new drug' (IND) protocols of the Food and Drug Administration.' wrote Mendez. "For the military, the FDA may waive its normal requirement that patients give their "informed prior consent" before receiving an experimental drug. Mendez argued that these procedures are not feasible when troops are in combat. The Pentagon refused to disclose which drugs they would like to use, fearing that Iraq might find the information valuable. But according to Mendez, "we have nothing exotic in the works" The drugs in question have passed tests for safety, but their effectiveness has not been completely proven.' "According to Carol DeGuzman of Xoma Incorporated, a biotechnology company in Berkeley, California, the defense department has been "Very interested" in one of their

13

products, called E5.This is a genetically engineered antibody that inactivates poisons called endotoxins that are released by Gramnegative bacteria. These bacteria live in human intestines, but are highly toxic if they contaminate other parts of the body during surgery or violent traumatic injuries. About 1000 patients have received ES in clinical trials, but it has not yet received full approval from the FDA. The Pentagon has already bought samples of a similar product from Centocor, a biotechnology firm in Malvern, Pennsylvania’. "The Pentagon may also order a vaccine for botulism, called botulinum toxoid, which is currently distributed by the Centres for Disease Control, in Atlanta, to laboratory workers who handle cultures of the bacterium that causes botulism. an experimental drug because there have been effectiveness. The Pentagon is also evaluating anthrax that could be given more quickly than

It is still considered few studies of its a new vaccine for the current vaccine. Dan Charles, Washington, DC. At the time of writing, (1991), it would appear that officially, the Gulf war is over and it may be very fortunate for the troops that they were not used as 'guinea pigs' as the results, long term, may have eventually been worse than the war itself. The chapters of Dr Stone's book, "The Healing Factor' as you will read, contains all of the answers and nobody should really go to war without under- standing the universal power of the ‘healing and preventive factors of ascorbate’. There is some irony in using human beings as 'guinea pigs' as very few doctors are aware that like humans, guinea pigs do not have the enzyme responsible (Lgulonolactone oxidase) for converting carbohydrates into Ascorbate. This makes guinea pigs one of the few animals that you can theoretically extrapolate results of tests to human beings. Most of the other animals related in Stone's book, are able to synthesize very large amounts of vitamin C (Ascorbate) thus protecting them from toxins and other potentially hazardous sub- stances. That's why the Billy Goat is such a hardy, healthy creature. If required it can make in excess of 50 grams of vitamin C per day and, we might add, without forming kidney stones, or succumbing to any of the many other theoretical diseases proposed by some orthodox physicians and scientists that mankind will suffer if they dare take more than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Homo-sapiens. Currently, the RDA of Vitamin C is about 20 to 50 mg per day, which is unrealistic because we demonstrated and published, (Medical Journal

14

of Australia, 26 Feb. 1977) that under utopian conditions it is possible to obtain at least 8,000 mg (8 grams) per day in the diet. Incidentally, this is about the average amount that most animals are able to make upon a daily basis, if and when necessary. Before concluding this introduction, very few scientists are aware that Australian troops were given large amounts (by orthodox standards) of vitamin C daily when they were in the Middle East during World War Two. In Australia Dr Harold Kitchen was commissioned to make and operate a plant that could provide the troops with vitamin C. Why did the authorities err and discontinue this prophylactic measure? We are unable to tell you, but after reading the information provided in this book, you will be in a better position to make your own decision about the potential of this amazing liver metabolise. To provide the reader with some basic information about vita- min C, the first Chapter will be about 'The Spark of Life', a paper we commented upon earlier in this introduction, that was re- quested from us by the medical profession in 1981.You will read personal correspondence for which we make no apologies - and you will see the reason why! They declined to publish our paper, as they were unable to find anybody within their ranks to write contrary to it. We had it published elsewhere. Good reading, and we hope you not only discover the modern ‘Magic Missile’, but that you'll put it to good use. By doing so, you can expect to have improved health if you are unwell, and continued good health if you already enjoy that invaluable blessing. Your doctors, hospitals, and drug companies,

will see much less of you. If you have children then you should consider the advice given by the various authorities within these pages doubly important.

Dr Glen Dettman Dr Archie Kalokerinos Dr Ian Dettman

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CHAPTER 1 — THE SPARK OF LIFE A paper written by Archie Kalokerinos and Glen Dettman, produced at the request of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners for publication in their journal with proviso nominated by them. Correspondence concerning this appears at the end of the article. This article was first accepted by the Journal of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Subsequently rejected upon grounds disclosed in correspondence as documented at the end of this chapter.

Reprinted from — Health and Healing Journal of Alternative Medicine

Vol 1, No. 1, 1981

16

THE SPARK OF LIFE

by Archie Kalokerinos and Glen Dettman

‘Vitamin C is the spark that ignites the fuel to drive the motor. Sir Robert McCarrison

INTRODUCTION - Too good to be true! If you were offered a substance that could assist with endogenous production of interferon and PGE 1, that activated enzyme systems, assisted with mineral uptake and collagen production, aided healing, prevented capillary fragility and stimulated renal function, was capable of curing both viral and bacterial infections, was a universal detoxifier effective against drugs and venomous bites and was currently being used more and more in the treatment of degenerative diseases, you would rightly scoff, particularly if you were told that this substance was vitamin C. Yet all these claims and more have been documented and put to clinical trial. Obviously with so many claims and so little space to discuss Ascorbate, we are unable to do the subject justice, but hopefully we will challenge your scientific curiosity to the extent where you may conduct some trials of your choice.

HISTORICAL In 1937 Dr Albert Szent-Gyorgyi was awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering Ascorbate, the key to scurvy, which continues to affect the course of mankind to this day. First he called his isolate ignose, because he was so ignorant about it, then later hexuronic acid and, it is now unfortunately known as 'Vitamin C', a misnomer that has retarded and distorted the thinking of most medical scientists throughout the world. Szent-Gyorgyi and Stone prefer to think of Ascorbate as a liver metabolise (1) and once the mental block of vitamin limitation is overcome and Ascorbate is used in excess of minimum daily requirements, medicine takes on a whole new exciting dimension.

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SCURVY IN AUSTRALIA Turner, Pitt and Thomson contributed an article which was published

in the Medical Journal of Australia in 1957 (2). They pointed out that Australia held the record for infantile scurvy and made a number of recommendations including the supplementation of infant milk and foods with vitamin C, and of making scurvy a notifiable disease. They pointed out how Pasteur's germ theory of disease retarded research in the area of nutrition, because scientists began to look for an infective or toxic basis for scurvy. They further recommended multi-vitamin preparations and vitamin C to be put on the ‘free list’. Action since then? Very little we're afraid, indeed the government has 'economised' by denying ‘high potency' vitamin C tablets for pensioners on N.H.S. Time will prove that such economy is false and the result of bias and ignorance comparable to the days of Lind, when the British Admiralty refused to accept his simple scurvy preventive recommendations. History records that 40,000 seamen lost their lives simply because medical opinion seemed more important than conducting clinical trials. Szent-Gyorgyi, although in his eighties now, has made further exciting discoveries about Ascorbate, as have many other reputable

scientists. Yet their work is discredited and scorned, much the same way as Lind, Semmelweiss and others. Acceptance will come, but as scurvy and chronic sub clinical scurvy (C. S. S. syndrome, as defined by Stone) are not notifiable diseases,

then history cannot record the vast amount of occurring tragedies associated with these conditions since recommendations were first made to look at Ascorbate other than a vitamin. In simple terms what we are saying is if we correct the hypo-ascorbaemia, then not only will many diseases disappear from the text book, but patients will respond far more effectively to conventional treatment. SzentGyorgyi emphasized that the real meaning and importance of vitamins are not recognized and illustrates this with the following case history which, he says, repeats itself yearly by many thousands. "Mr. X has a lack of vitamin C and contracts a cold. The cold leads to pneumonia. Mr. X dies and his body is taken to the mortuary, but it is not taken there with the diagnosis 'lack of vitamin C', but with the diagnosis 'pneumonia'. This does not matter for him any more, but matters for the rest of mankind which is misled in its thinking and judgement about vitamins.' (3)

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ASCORBATE SYNTHESIS Most mammals utilize a 4-enzyme system that enables them to make their own Ascorbate. Man lacks the vital fourth enzyme (Lgulonolactone oxidase) and therefore must rely upon an exogenous source of ascorbate (see table | below).

D-GLUCOSE Y (1) D-GLUCURONIC ACID + (2) D-GLUCURONIC ACID LACTONE

v

L~GULONOLACTONE

((1) - (4) = ENZYMES)

(3)

L-GULONOLACTONE OXIDASE (4) ASCORBIC ACID

Man has the first three enzymes in his liver but is missing the fourth enzyme, L-Gulonolactone oxidase, thus blocking the liver production of ascorbic acid. Mammalian synthesis is quite variable and Stone reports that a 150pound goat can produce from 13,000 mg of Ascorbate with very little stress, rising to possibly 100,000 mg or more a day if severely stressed (see table 2 below). Daily Ascorbate Synthesis in Mammalian Livers Ascorbate Produced (mg per 70 kg Body weight per day) Rat - unstressed Rat -stressed

Goat - fully stressed up to Man

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TOXICITY OF VITAMIN C Surely if 'vitamin C' was ever going to produce kidney stones or cause any toxicity whatsoever, then the goat would be the ideal subject to study. Stone says that in discussion with veterinarians they confirm that the goat is a very healthy animal with a low risk of getting cancer. (6)

URINARY SPILLOVER OF VITAMIN C In man, spillover occurs when the plasma level reaches about 1 mg per decilitre. It is a common mistake of dieticians, nutritionists and physicians to think of this as tissue saturation’. IT IS NOT. Ascorbate is a unique substance that is present in variable amounts, being highest in the retina then diminishing in variable amounts throughout the body until it is found in lowest concentration in the white blood cells, the erythrocytes and finally the plasma. (9) This makes the testing of urine an important aid, for if there is no Ascorbate spillover, then we know the plasma levels must be below | mg per decilitre. When the intake of Ascorbate is sufficient to cause this spillover, a small amount of the molecule is cleared through the glomerulus filter in the kidneys and as this dilute or glomerular filtrate is concentrated in the tubules the vitamin C molecules are pumped back into the blood by a special process of tubular reabsorption that requires energy. (10) However, as already stated, the lowest concentration is in the plasma, so spillover does not necessarily mean that all the other tissues of the body are saturated. Many physicians consider it unnecessary to have spillover of Ascorbate as it is an indication of 'tissue saturation' and therefore any further intake is simply excreted and wasted. Obviously, this is incorrect. Although the Ascorbate spillover is at least an indication that the plasma threshold has been exceeded, it does have limitations, for when Ascorbate is deficient it is marshalled to where it may serve the most useful purpose (11). This may decrease the amount of Ascorbate measured as spillover. Furthermore, when kidney failure occurs or the glomerular filtrate mechanism is impaired, large amount of Ascorbate may appear in the urine despite undetectable levels in the plasma or leukocytes. (12)

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ASCORBATE AND URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS We examined 3000 urine specimens from patients who were suspected of having a urinary tract infection, 78% of these specimens were negative for Ascorbate. Of this number, 52% demonstrated laboratory evidence of infection, i.e. increased cellular counts and a bacterial count in excess of 100,000/ml (13). Surely a significant finding? It is hardly surprising that physicians have reported that control of previously chronic urinary tract infections has been achieved simply by supplementing the patient's Ascorbate intake. This evidence is supported by Slodkowski who reported potentiation of the action of several antibiotics of 50% to 75% when using ascorbic acid (14). In addition Crocker recommended that Ascorbate

be added to procaine penicillin as it inhibits the development of toxic side effects (15). But please note, neither of these authors presumed that there was sufficient vitamin C in the average daily diet to fulfill these functions.

OTHER FUNCTIONS OF ASCORBATE Ascorbate is involved in a variety of metabolic pathways and amongst the documented claims we see that we can reverse staphylococcal resistance (16), that it is interrelated with other vitamins resulting in their sparing usage (17), it is an electron transporter (18), an enzyme activator (19), is involved with oxidation and reduction (20), and a chelating agent (21). We further read that pregnancy, lactation, thyrotoxicosis and achlorhydria increased the amount of Ascorbate used each day. That rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, acute and chronic infections involving physical stress, sidetrack the Ascorbate from the plasma to the tissues or storage depots. Increased metabolism stimulated by these conditions increases the need for Ascorbate (22). One third of the protein of the

body is collagen and the quality of that collagen is contingent upon the intake of Ascorbate (23). As many of our perplexing degenerative diseases are collagen-associated, shouldn't Ascorbate supplementation improve the health of such victims? Cameron and Pauling have shown that cancer patients benefit from oral supplementation. Quality of life is improved and extended, pain is relieved and in many cases tumour regression occurs (24). In

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Australia, Glew and others have experienced similar findings (25).

Last year we attended a seminar conducted by the Committee for World Health at San Diego in the U.S.A. Here we were privileged to hear Professor David Horrobin discuss the role of Vitamin C in PGE, production (prostaglandin) (26). Professor Benjamin Siegal described how endogenous interferon production was stimulated by large amounts of Ascorbate (27). Irwin Stone elaborated upon this (28) and we heard how Dr Robert Cathcart had treated a whole host of viral disorders without having to use hospital facilities (29). The remedy?

VITAMIN C. RDA AND AVAILABILITY OF ASCORBATE Vilter states, "Many factors increase the requirements for ascorbic acid (30). Currently we recommend that 10 to 100 mg is more than sufficient for most people, but sufficient for what? We agree that in most instances this should prevent clinical scurvy but whoever envisaged the multiplicity of biochemical and immunological insults we would inflict upon man in the guise of progress? The average mammal makes about 10g of ascorbate per day. In 1977 we published the results of some trials we conducted in Fiji which showed that the daily intake of Ascorbate varied between | to 8g per day contingent upon age and eating habits (3 1). Yet, there are those in all sincerity who would tell us that anything in excess of lg of vitamin C a day is a health hazard. A whole host of theoretical x misfortunes will befall us if we eat good fresh food! It is worth \en" recording that the pioneer of megascorbic therapy, Dr F. Wenner, has taken 15g of sodium ascorbic per day for well over the past thirty years. Countless other scientists are awakening and recommending that we should be putting the amount of Ascorbate obtainable in good fresh food back into our diets. That is grams per day and not mgs. The only side effect - chronic good health. Nowhere in the literature is a single case of kidney stones reported, no hospital that we have ever visited was a patient there BECAUSE of a vitamin C overdose, yet these same hospitals have up to 20% bed occupancy as the direct result of iatrogenic disease. Testing the vitamin status of women on the contraceptive pill, the Briggs showed that there was a deficiency of many vitamins and in particular 500 mg of vitamin C

me

was recommended for pill-takers plus other vitamins (32). The point is, if this one partly researched area demonstrates an increased requirement of vitamin C, then other previously neglected areas might well cry out for extra supplementation, well above the recommended daily amount. For example, smokers, 'fast food' consumers, those on prescription drugs and recipients of immunisations, and drinkers not only of alcohol but our now heavily '‘treated' domestic water supplies which contain fluoride, a known vitamin C antagonist (33). Not to mention the majority of us who live in city areas and who are forced to breathe polluted air. Of course the list of man- made 'contributions' is endless, as are the

published papers which show that no other substance is as versatile or as effective as Ascorbate, providing it is used well over the recommended

RDA. CLINICAL USE We have successfully used Ascorbate in oral and I.V. doses of up to 200g per day for many years. No serious side effects have been encountered and it does all that people like Klenner claim for it, but you must give sufficient. It is not a 'do it yourself cure for the layman, but requires considerable experience to enable the physician to give the correct advice and mode of treatment. Nobody, we hope, would treat a streptococcal throat with only 1000 units of penicillin and then report adversely upon his results, yet this utilising of Vitamin C at too low doses in clinical situations is happening with monotonous regularity with vitamin C. It is patently true that our evidence is mainly anecdotal, but this surely is a reflection upon the profession. We do not have the means to conduct clinical trials and, for obvious reasons, pharmaceutical houses are not interested. Despite this, hundreds of physicians throughout the U. S.A. and Australia are using Ascorbate exactly as we have described and they are obtaining comparable results. Our urgent request is for the profession to arrange for some trials - these could be in the areas where we have already had considerable success. Examples are treatment of drug and alcohol addiction (34), detoxification of venomous bites and treatment of hepatitis (29). We confidently

predict that when this is done and the results are made public then physicians will regain their rightful place, not only as compassionate

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healers but also effective in the practice of preventive medicine. A dream, or reality? Well, if you read Sir Macfarlane Burnet's book,

'Dreams, Genes and Realities' he says this: 'Ideally the physician's therapeutic agents should be limited to substances natural to the body'. After all, which one of us has a valium deficiency, an aspirin deficiency or even a vaccine deficiency? And isn't Ascorbate a substance natural to the body?

AVAILABILITY OF ASCORBATE AND TEST STRIPS A few words about supplies of Ascorbate and test strips. Ascorbate is best obtained in powder form, either as the sodium or acid salt. The two main suppliers are Roche, and CSR which 1s an agent for the Japanese company, Takeda. Strips are available for testing urinary vitamin C from Ames (C- stix) and Boehringer (Rapignost). Merck also make a test strip but don't try and measure urinary vitamin C with their product (Ascorbinsaure) as this 1s strictly for food and

beverage testing. The uric acid in urine will give impossibly high results, very embarrassing, particularly if you have them written up in the medical literature, before you find your mistake! We make a 15g bottle of sodium Ascorbate suitable for I.V. use and further information about this and other vitamin C products may be obtained from the authors.

CONCLUSION We conclude this paper with a quote often attributed to Sir Robert McCarrison but actually originated by Alexis Carrel. 'If the doctors of today do not become the nutritionists of tomorrow, then the nutritionists of today will become the doctors of tomorrow.’

POSTSCRIPT: C Stix (Ames) and Rapignost are no longer available. C-Strips are currently available from Wholesale Nutrition at a cost of

$10.00 for 200: Address: Box 3345, Saratoga, California, 95070, U.S.A.

Vitamin C for injection may be obtained from Biological Therapies,

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10, 20-30 Malcolm Road, Braeside, 3195, Victoria, Australia. Telephone: (03) 9587 1948 - Facsimile: (03) 9587 1720.

REFERENCES 1. Stone, I., 'The Healing Factor, Vitamin C Against Disease’, Grosset & Dunlap, New York, 1972. 2. Turner, E., Pitt, D., and Thomson, R., 'Scurvy Yesterday and Today', Medical J. of Australia, 243-246. 22.8.1959. 3. Szent-Gyorgyi, A., 'On a Substance that can make us sick (if we do not eat it!)'. Executive Health. V2. 1977. 4. Saloman, L.1., and Stubbs, D.W., 'Some Aspects of the Metabolism of Ascorbic Acid in Rats'. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 92:128-140.1961. 5. Chatterjee, I.B., ‘Evolution and Biosynthesis of Ascorbic Acid’. Science. 182:1271-1272. 1973. 6. Salaman, M., 'An Interview with Dr Irwin Stone'. Total Health. Oct. 1980. 7. Burns, J.J., "Biosynthesis of L-ascorbic acid; Basic defect in scurvy’. Amer. J. Med. 26:740-748. 1959. 8. Bell, Davidson and Scarborough., 7th Ed., 249. 1968. 9. Yavorsky, M., Almaden, P., and King, C.G.J., Biol.Chem. 106.525.1934. 10. Vilter, R.W., Sebrell/Harris,'The Vitamins', 2nd Ed. 486. 1967. 11. Vilter, R.W., Sebrell/Harris,'The Vitamins’, 2nd Ed., 501. 1967. 12. Harris, A., 'Ascorbic Acid', The Lancet. 615. 17.3.1979. 13. Kalokerinos, A., and Dettman, G.C., Vitamin C and the

Significance of that Wasted Spillover’. Australasian Nurses J. 19.1977. 14. Wlodkowski, A., 'Abstracts of Annual Meeting American

Society Microbiology’. AAM ASM A411. 1977. 15. Crocker, B., 'Procaine Penicillin’. Aust. Prescriber. V3,

No.2. 1979. 16. DAgata, A., 'Vitaminologia'. 14, 82. 1956. 17. Iteid, M.E., 'Vitamins'. N.Y., 1269. 1954. 18. Mapson, L.W., Sebrell/Harris, 'The Vitamins', 2nd Ed., 386. 1967.

23

19. Nagashima, Z., Uchiyama, M. Bull. Agr. Chem. Soc., Japan.23,555.1959. 20. Mapson, L.W., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Se. 92,21.1961.

21. Mirvish, S., Science. V 177 :s 65. 1974. 22. Vilter, R.W., Sebrell/Harris. "The Vitamins', 2nd ed., 503.

1967. 23. Stone, I., 'The Healing Factor’. Grosset & Dunlap. New

York. 25671972. 24. Cameron, E., and Pauling, L. 'Cancer and Vitamin C’.

Norton & Co., U.S.A. 1979. 25. Glew, A., ‘Vitamin C and Cancer’. Australian Nurses J. April

1978. 26. Horrobin, D., 'Ascorbate Regulation Synthesis of Prostaglandins and Benefits to Immune System". Paper presented World Congress on Virus, San Diego, USA. March

29th-30th. 1980. 27. Siegal, B., ‘Nutrition, Interferon and the Immune Response".

Paper presented World Congress on Virus, San Diego, U. S.A. March 29-30th, 1980. 28. Stone, I., 'Relationship of Ascorbate Availability to Inter-

feron Production'. Paper presented World Congress on Virus. San Diego, U.S.A. March 29th-30th, 1980. 29. Cathcart, R., 'Ascorbate in the Treatment of Viral Disease’. Paper presented World Congress on the Virus. San Diego, U.S.A. 29th-30th March, 1980. 30. Vilter, R.W., Sebrell/Harris. 'The Vitamins’, 2nd ed., 501. 1967. 31. Dettman, G.C., and Kalokerinos, A., 'Ascorbate Intake of Fijians'. Med. J. Aust. 26.2.77. 32. Briggs, M.B., and Briggs, M.H., "Vitamins Supplements benefit oral contraceptive users'. Modern Medicine, 45. November 15th, 1976.

33. 'Fluorides aggravate vitamin deficiencies. Prevention’. June 1965. Reprinted in Australia, New Horizons, V5. No. 1. 25-26, 1979. 34. Kalokerinos, A., and Dettman, G.C., 'Escape from Hell.

The Orthomolecular Treatment of Drug Addition’. New Horizons, Vol.5. No. 2, 1979.

35. Cilento, P., Kalokerinos, A., Dettman, I., and Dettman,

26

G., "Venomous Bites and Vitamin C Status'. Australasian Nurses J. May 19, 1980.

SUGGESTED

FURTHER READING

'The Healing Factor, Vitamin C Against Disease’, by Dr Irwin Stone. Publishers, Grosset & Dunlap, New York, 1972. "Vitamin C, Its Molecular Biology and Medical Potential’. By Dr Sherry Lewin, Academic Press, 1976.

"Vitamin C Against Cancer’. By Dr H. Newbold. Publishers, ‘Cancer and Vitamin C'. By Dr Cameron and Dr Pauling. Distribution, W. Norton, N.Y., 1979. "Vitamin C, the Common Cold and the Flu'.

By Dr Pauling. Freeman & Co., San Francisco, 1976. Sebrell/Harris. "The Vitamins’. New York, 1967.

Second edition. Academic Press,

‘Scurvy Past and Present. By Dr A. Hess. Published by Lippincott Company, U.S.A.,

1920.

"You Can’t Live Without Vitamin C'. By Lady P. Cilento Whitcombe & Tombs, 1979. Second Conference on Vitamin C. V. 258. Annals of the New York

Academy of Sciences, 1975. "Vitamin C', Dr. Alan Clemetson, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

AUSTRALIAN FAMILY PHYSICIAN

April 21, 1980 Address all correspondence to: 4th Floor, 70 Jolimont Street, Jolimont, Vic. 3002

Telephone: (03) 654 3000 Dr. C. G. Dettman, 9, Rogers Street, MENTONE, VIC. 3194

24

Dear Dr. Dettman,

Dr. Richard Pincus, a member of our Editorial Advisory Panel, has

suggested I write to you regarding the provision of an article for Australian Family Physician. For the May, 1981 issue of the journal, we are devising a theme on 'Controversies in medical practice’. It is our plan to include a series of articles which highlight a somewhat 'different' — if not controversial - approach to treatment, and with each of these to include also a corresponding article which outlines a ‘contrary', or more ‘orthodox' approach. This is not in any way intended to disparage either approach, but to provide the readers of the journal with two viewpoints rather than the more usual single view. I understand that both Dr. Kalokerinos and yourself have offered to submit an article which discusses the place of Vitamin C in medicine. It is suggested that the article be of approximately 2000 words in length, and illustrations, if appropriate, are welcomed. The deadline for receipt of manuscript is January 15, 1981, and when forwarding same we would be pleased to receive brief notes about each writer, plus a passport type photograph of the principal author. I look forward to hearing your confirmation of this arrangement. Yours sincerely,

(Signed) John A Baker Managing Director

ORTHOMOLECULAR MEDISEARCH 9 Rogers Street, Mentone, 3194. Dr. John Baker, 27.04.80.

Managing Editor, Australian Family Physician, 70 Jolimont St., Jolimont, Victoria, 3002. Dear Dr. Baker,

28

I have discussed your offer of contributing an article to your journal under the terms of your letter dated 21st April 1980 with Dr. Archie Kalokerinos. We are pleased to accept and assure you of our complete co- operation. We understand that our article will be constructively evaluated & commented upon by a member with an ‘orthodox’ approach. Although this is welcomed, we wonder if it would be possible for us to have access to this 'opposite' approach before the articles go to press. The object being to include, if indicated, a brief report in support of our thesis? Finally, may we suggest that you contact any or all of the following scientists residing in California, U.S.A. for further articles? Dr. Linus Pauling, Linus Pauling Institute of Science & Medicine, 2700 Sand Hill Rd., Menlo Park, California 94025. Dr. Irwin Stone, 1331 Charmwood Square, San Jose, California 95117. Dr. Robert Cathcart, c/o Box 1113, Sunnyvale, California, 94088. Dr. Frederick Klenner, P.O. Box 840, Reidsville, North Carolina, 27320

Dr. Klenner, M.D., is the pioneer of 'megascorbic' therapy, Dr. Irwin Stone, is the pioneer of 'megascorbics', Dr. Linus Pauling should hardly need any introduction, & Dr. Cathcart, M.D. is better known as a surgeon & for his introduction of the Cathcart Orthocentric Hip Prosthesis. | am enclosing a copy of an article he recently contributed to the Australasian Nurses Journal. Most certainly you will be launching a journal full of controversy, but then we are reminded that 'controversy is the yeast that keeps science in lively fermentation’. Looking forward to hearing further from you. Yours sincerely, (Signed) Glen Dettman c.c. Dr. Archie Kalokerinos. Encl. ANJ March 1980.

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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

FAMILY MEDICINE PROGRAMME "Greater Pacific House" (15th Floor) Cnr. 55 Lavender St. & Harbour View Crescent MILSONIS POINT, N.S.W. 2061 Telephone: (02 922 4288 Telex: Holding AA21540 In reply please quote ........... June 10, 1981 Dr Archie Kalokerinos

C/- Aboriginal Medical Service 36 Turner Street Redfern 2016 Dear Archie

Many thanks for sending me a copy of your article on Vitamin C 'The Spark of Life, which you wrote with Glen Dettman. I gather that its "ultimate rejection" was due to the fact that it could not be published under the covering title of "Controversies in Medical

Practice". Apparently the Australian Family Physician had intended running such a series and your article was considered in that light. You may well consider this a subterfuge by means of which the editorial panel got some ‘hot property" off the editorial desk. Well, be that as it may, I thought I would send a copy of the article back to Dr Judith Lumley, the Medical Editor, and ask her to reconsider it for publication. | think the article could do with some tightening up for, although it has an enormous amount of very powerful material within it, it might possible be criticised for being a blatantly personal crusade on the part of two enthusiastic clinicians who have proven the worth of the substance. Who knows, but I just have a hunch that

might be true. Anyway Archie, 1 will be in touch after I have heard further and therefore will keep you posted with developments. John Bouley and 1 will be getting our first effort down on tape this week

30

so you should all have something interesting to listen to in a short space of time.

With kind regards Sincerely (Signed) Warren 0-aborne Medical Educator

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (Inc. in NSW) Ath Floor, 70 Jolimont Street, Jolimont, Vic. 3002.

Telephone: 654 3000 PUBLICATIONS

DIVISION

3rd July, 1981

Dr. W. Ogborne, 'Bagsworthy' 31A Carrington Road, WAHROONGA. NSW 2076 Dear Warren,

| have been requested by the Editorial Advisory Panel to reply to your letter to Judith Lumley about the Ascorbate paper by Dr. Kalokerinos. We are not shrinking from controversial issues - who started Skyrme Rees on his way? Indeed this article was discussed as one of a series. The original premise was to publish an article by the author, providing that we could solicit an article giving a contrary opinion. Curiously, despite efforts, the opposite article was not obtain- able and the project has been shelved. Judith as editor has the right of selection of articles and the Editorial Advisory Panel unanimously supports her in this aspect in general and regarding this article in particular. It is recognised that difficulties exist because both medical and managing editors have changed since the original negotiations were undertaken. Incidentally you refer to Dr. Pauling

a

and believe that he was awarded the Noble Prize for his information on megadoseage of ascorbate - it is the understanding of the Panel that it was work other than this which gained him the Nobel Prize. 1 trust that this explanation clarifies the situation for you and thank you for your interest. With kind regards, Yours sincerely, (Signed) Ralph H. Lewis Chairman Editorial Advisory Panel

ABORIGINAL MEDICAL SERVICE CO-OPERATIVE LTD. 36 TURNER STREET Postal Address: REDFERN, N.S.W. 2016 P.O. Box 174 REDFERN, NSW, 2016 Phones: 699 2493 699 8891 699 5823 698 1639

August Sth 1981. Glen. This beats it all! What happened to those who oppose us? Archie Kalokerinos.

a2

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners FAMILY MEDICINE PROGRAMME "Greater Pacific House" (15th Floor) Cnr. 55 Lavender St. & Harbour View Crescent MILSON'S POINT, N.S.W. 2061 Telephone: (02 922 4288

Telex: Holding AA21540 In reply please quote ........... 28th July, 198 1. Dr. A. Kalokerinos,

C/o Aboriginal Medical Service, 36 Turner St.,

REDFERN,

2016

Dear Archie,

I have not forgotten the promise I made to send your article on Megadose Vitamin C to the editorial panel of the Australian Family Physician for comment. I received the enclosed letter from Ralph Lewis a couple of weeks ago but, as I was in Melbourne last week, I had the opportunity of speaking with him personally and deferred sending on his reply until I had done that. Whilst the reply probably does not answer the fundamental question - 'why not publish the article as it stands anyway" I' think it does genuinely indicate that the article was not rejected because it was considered 'academically unacceptable".

As you probably know by now, John Boully and I have recorded our first tape and I will be interested to hear how it was received at A.MLS. With kind regards, Yours sincerely, (Signed) Warren Ogborne, Medical Educator

33

CHAPTER 2 - UPDATE ON WAR. SLAYING GOLIATH WITH A STONE. (Dr Irwin Stone)

This deals with five chapters from the late Dr Irwin Stone’s classic book, “The Healing Factor, Vitamin C Against Disease” (Chapters 13, then 24-27). Please note that the following chapter references refer to Dr Stone’s original book and not to this book.

These chapters are directly applicable to peace and war time usage, thus we have referred to Vitamin C as ‘““Nature’s Indestructible Missile”. Included are discussions on viral diseases (Ch 13), chemical stresses, poisons and toxins (Ch 24), Physical stresses (Ch25),

Pollution and smoker’s scurvy (Ch 26), Wounds, bone fractures and shock (Ch 27). A complete bibliography as referred to in the following text appears at the end of Chapter 2 of this book.

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VIRAL INFECTION The many different contagious diseases that afflict man may be divided and classified according to the nature and characteristics of the infecting agent that causes the disease. Three groups are generally recognized: the viral disease, the bacterial infections, and the diseases caused by more advanced types of parasitic agents. It so

happens that this classification also denotes the relative size and complexity of the infectious agents. The viruses are the simplest and most primitive forms; in fact, they are sort of transitional substances between living and non-living matter. They cause a wide variety of diseases such as poliomyelitis, measles, smallpox, chicken pox, influenza, "shingles", mumps, and rabies. The common cold,

discussed in the previous chapter, is a virus disease, although various bacteria generally infect the weakened tissues as secondary invaders. When a virus infects a mammal and gains a foothold in the mammalian body, the mammal reacts by showing the symptoms of the disease and at the same time organizes its own biochemical defenses against the virus. In nearly all mammals, this biochemical defensive reaction is at least twofold: the victim starts to produce antibodies against the virus and also increases the rate of ascorbic

acid synthesis in its liver. This is the normal mammalian reaction to the disease process, except in those species, like man, that cannot manufacture their own ascorbic acid. Let us see what a review of the medical literature reveals about megascorbic therapy and viral disease:

POLIOMYELITIS The application of ascorbic acid in the treatment of poliomyelitis is an incredible story of high hopes that end in disappointment, of blunders and lack of insight, of misguided labours and erroneous hypothesis. And then, when a worker finally seemed to be on the right path and had demonstrated success, hardly anyone believed his results, which were systematically ignored. Within two years after the discovery of ascorbic acid, Jungeblut (1) showed that ascorbic acid would inactivate the virus of poliomyelitis. This was followed, in 1936-1937, in rapid succession by other workers showing similar inactivation of other viruses: by Holden et al. (2), using the herpes virus; by Kligler and Bernkopf (3), on the vaccinia virus, by

35

Langenbusch and Enderling (4), with the virus of hoof-and-mouth disease; by Amato (5), on the rabies virus; by I,ominski (6), using

bacteriophage; and by Lojkin and Martin (7), with the tobacco mosaic disease virus. Thus, at this early date it was established that ascorbic acid had the potential of being a wide spectrum antiviral agent. Here was a new ‘magic bullet' that was effective against a wide variety of viruses and was known to be completely harmless. Materials with such exciting properties do not happen often and a tremendous amount of research time should have been expended in tracking it down in minute detail, but let us see what happened. The reader should realize that this work was being carried out in the preSalk days. Then, all a doctor could do in a polio case was apply symptomatic relief and hope for the best. An epidemic could run its course without much interference from medicine and an effective,

harmless virucide would have been a priceless commodity. Jungeblut (8) continued his work and published a series of papers from 1936 to 1939 in which he showed that the administration of ascorbic acid to monkeys infected with poliomyelitis produced a distinct reduction in the severity of the disease and enhanced their resistance to it. Sabin (9), attempting to reproduce Jungeblut's work on monkeys, failed to obtain these partially successful results. In further efforts to explain their variable clinical results, both scientists got bogged down chasing the technical details of the tests. It may be easy for us to look back now and say that the size and the frequency of the dosages were insufficient to maintain high levels of ascorbic acid in the blood during the incubation of the disease. The upshot was that the negative findings of Sabin effectively stifled further research in this field for a decade. In 1949, the first of a remarkable series of papers appeared. Klenner (10) described his successful treatment of poliomyelitis, as well as a variety of many other viral infections, using ascorbic acid. He gave the rationale for his treatment, his technique in detail, and his

dramatic case histories. Klenner realized that the secret was in the massive doses he employed, and he tried to impart this knowledge to an unbelieving profession. In his 1952 paper, Klenner further discussed his ascorbic acid treatment of polio and comments on Jungeblut's earlier work, stating:

"His results were indecisive because the amount of vita- min C given

36

was inadequate to cope with the degree of infection. Sabin's results were not as suggestive as Jungeblut's because he, Sabin, used a greater dose of virus and less Vitamin C.'

Klenner's suggested optimal dosage rate for virus infections, calculated on the basis of a 70-kilogram (154-pound) adult, was 4.5 to 17.5 grams of ascorbic acid given every two to four hours around the clock (27 - 210 grams per day). This amount goes far beyond anything that had been previously tried. He records one successful case history after another in these papers, as well as in his 1953 report. His results indeed proved that ascorbic acid was a harmless and effective wide-spectrum virucidal agent. If high blood and tissue levels of ascorbic acid are continuously maintained, an extremely unfavourable environment for viral growth and reproduction is created in the human body. Two other papers appeared in 1952, in which ascorbic acid was used in the therapy of poliomyelitis at daily doses below those recommended by Klenner. Gsell and Kalt (1 1), using 5 to 25 grams per day, reported that there were no definite effects on the course of the disease. Besides using lower dosages, they also started this treatment on the majority of their patients only after they had had the disease for at least four days. Baur (12), using 10 to 20 grams per day, was able to report beneficial results in shortening the fever and convalescent time. Greer (13), in 1955, using doses in Klenner's recommended range (50 to 80 grams per day), recorded the good clinical results he had obtained in five serious cases of poliomyelitis. Over the years, the emphasis of medical research on poliomyelitis has shifted toward the development of vaccines. These are now widely used and have the disease under control. But a polio vaccine is only effective against the polio virus and has no action on the viruses of other diseases. The main value of Klenner's work is in showing that any active viral disease can be successfully brought under control with ascorbic acid if the proper large doses are used. It is inconceivable, but true, that Klenner's pioneering work has been almost completely ignored; no large- scale tests have been made to explore the exciting possibilities of his provocative clinical results. Millions of dollars of research money have been spent in unsuccessful attempts to find a nontoxic, effective virucide and all sorts of exotic chemicals have been tried. All the while, harmless, inexpensive, and nontoxic ascorbic acid has

37

been within easy reach of these investigators. It might prove to be the "magic bullet’ for the control of the viral diseases.

HEPATITIS Soon after the discovery of ascorbic acid, Bessey and coworkers

(14), in 1933, showed that guinea pigs deprived of ascorbic acid developed a fatty degeneration of the liver. Ten years later, Russell and Calloway (15) also showed pathologic changes in the livers of guinea pigs with scurvy. Willis (16), in 1957, further investigated and extended these earlier observations and demonstrated the vital importance of ascorbic acid in maintaining healthy liver tissue free of cirrhotic, degenerative changes. Ascorbic acid should, therefore, be twice as sound for use in the treatment of the viral liver disease, viral hepatitis. When used at the necessary high dosages it should inactivate the hepatitis virus and it should also act on the liver tissue to prevent degenerative changes. In 1954, Bauer and Staub (17) observed good results in the treatment of viral hepatitis with the use of 10 grams of ascorbic acid per day. It accelerated the disappearance of the symptoms of the disease and shortened the duration of the illness. Earlier, in 1937, Spengler (18), using only 100 milligrams per day by injection in a case of liver cirrhosis brought on by the toxaemia of pregnancy, noted ascorbic acid's diuretic effect, which helped clear up the disease, and reported good recovery. Twenty years later in Germany, Kirchmair (19) used 10 grams of ascorbic acid daily for five days on sixty-three children with hepatitis and found marked improvement, weight gain and good appetite in the first few days, rapid disappearance of jaundice and half the hospitalization time. The swelling of the liver, which normally took 30 days to subside, only took nine days with ascorbic acid. In 1960, Calleja and Brooks (20) reported successful treatment with 5 grams of ascorbic acid a day for twenty-four days in a refractory case of hepatitis that did not respond to other medication. Baetgen (21), giving 10 grams of ascorbic acid a day to 245 children with hepatitis, obtained results similar to Kirchmair's, with rapid recovery and better tissue repair. Dalton (22), in 1962, also reported dramatic and rapid recovery of a case of hepatitis. In these clinical reports on

hepatitis, the doses of ascorbic acid were below the range postulated by Klenner and also below the quantity considered necessary by the

38

genetic disease concepts. The provocative clinical results reported in the medical literature have not been extended or explored. Further intensive clinical research is needed on the use of ascorbic acid at the proper high-dosage rate for the control of this serious liver disease and also for the prevention and therapy of the degenerative, cirrhotic liver changes that occur, for instance, from the excessive use of

alcohol. It is tragic that organizations concerned with alcoholism have not picked up these exciting leads for further exploration to prevent the degenerative liver changes which cause such misery and death to so many. The long-term preventive use of only 10 grams of ascorbic acid a day may be sufficient.

HERPES This is an acute inflammatory affliction of the skin or mucous membrane and is known in many different forms, all annoying and some quite serious. Two common forms are "fever blisters', or herpes simplex, a more or less serious condition depending upon the location of the "blisters", while "shingles", or herpes zoster, is a

serious and painful disorder which seems to follow and inflame the paths of certain nerves. The virus appears to reside in the skin and the disease starts when the victim is exposed to excessive stresses such as overexposure to sunlight or poisons, infections, or physical or emotional stresses. These are all conditions where ascorbic acid is at a low ebb in the body and this may be part of the triggering mechanism that starts the disease. It was shown early by Holden & Molloy (2) that ascorbic acid inactivated the herpes virus. Clinical tests conducted later indicated provocative improvements. Dainow (23), in 1943, reported successful treatment of 14 cases of "shingles' with injections of ascorbic acid; Zureich (24), in 1950,

treated 327 cases of 'Shingles' and claimed cures in all in 3 days of injections of ascorbic acid; Klenner (10), in 1949, injected eight 'shingle' patients with ascorbic acid and seven claimed cessation of pain within two hours after the first injection. Seven also showed drying of the blisters within one day and in three days were clear of the lesions. Again, no large-scale testings have been made to verify these exciting results, with the numerically and statistically significant volume of cases that medicine demands before it accepts

39

a treatment. This is another job for a government supported program,

but no one has picked it up and carried it through.

OTHER VIRAL DISEASES Klenner (25), in 1948, and Dalton (22), in 1962, reported their successful experiences with virus pneumonia treated with ascorbic acid in 42 cases and 3 cases, respectively. Paez de la Torre (26), in 1945, found good results in measles in children. 1Cenner (10), in 1949, successfully used ascorbic acid as a prophylactic in a measles epidemic and gave a dramatic case history in his 1953 paper in the treatment of a ten-month-old baby with measles. Zureich (24), in

1950, treated seventy-one cases of chicken pox with ascorbic acid and 1Cenner (10), in 1949, also mentions the good response he

obtained in this disease. 1Cenner also cites the dramatic results he obtained in virus encephalitis and also in 33 cases of mumps and many cases of influenza. Vargas Magne (27), in 1963, treated 130 cases of influenza for one to three days using up to 45 grams of ascorbic acid. The patients were both male and female, aged ten to forty years; 114 recovered and 16 did not respond. The present direction of the research on influenza in this country is oriented to lead to the development of a vaccine. There appears to be no provision in this research program for testing massive doses of ascorbic acid in the prevention or treatment of influenza. Amato (5), in 1937, found that the rabies virus could be inactivated with

ascorbic acid. A search of the literature revealed no further work in the thirty-five years since this paper originally appeared. Here could be the nucleus of a possible harmless treatment of this fatal disease if the necessary work would be conducted using large, continuing doses of ascorbic acid. There is a very great need for a relatively harmless treatment of rabies as the present therapy is almost as bad as the disease. This is certainly an area where more work should be done, and done soon in view of the recent findings of large reservoirs of the rabies virus in bats (28,29). Still another area, long unexplored, is in the prophylaxis and treatment of smallpox. A 1937 report by Kliger and Bernkopf (3) stated that ascorbic acid inactivates the vaccinia virus. Nothing further can be found in the medical literature to indicate the use of ascorbic acid in the related disease, smallpox. Infectious

40

mononueleosis, usually a long drawn-out disease, should be amenable to treatment with ascorbic acid, and one case, with dramatic recovery, has been reported (22). Many of the papers cited above end with the plea for further work on a larger scale to evaluate thoroughly the use of massive doses of ascorbic acid in the therapy of the viral diseases. These pleas have gone unheeded. Was it because there was no rationale for the high dosage rates under the old vitamin C theory? The new genetic disease concept now supplies a logical rationale for the use of these high doses of ascorbic acid in therapy. From the work already conducted, it would appear that ascorbic acid is a most valuable weapon in the fight against the viral diseases when used under the proper conditions. How valuable it is we shall never know unless large-scale clinical tests are undertaken by our presently constituted public health agencies and publicly supported health foundations. Let us see if the record of the next decade is better than the last.

CHEMICAL STRESSES - POISONS, TOXINS One of the main functions of ascorbic acid in the mammalian body is to maintain normalcy under the effects of environmental stresses. To accomplish this, when under stress, most mammals merely produce more ascorbic acid in their livers. Stress covers a wide variety of conditions, and in this chapter we will discuss chemical stresses. The chemical stresses include such hazards to which we are exposed by contact, breathing, eating, and smoking; attacks by poisonous insects and reptiles; and the highly poisonous toxins of bacterial growth and infection. The amount of work expended over the past forty years on the use of ascorbic acid to counteract the bad effects of chemical stresses is voluminous and it is again impossible to completely cover the field. Even for a brief introduction to this subject, we must subdivide the topic. First, let us see what medical literature reveals

about inorganic poisons.

INORGANIC POISONS The majority of the inorganic chemical hazards consist of the poisonous metals, such as the mercury in the seafood we eat, the lead in the paint chips killing ghetto children, the hazardous industrial metals, and the pharmaceutical metals like arsenic.

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MERCURY. In 1951, Vauthey showed that a certain dose of mercury cyanide injected into guinea pigs killed 100 percent of the animals within | hour. If, prior to this mercury injection, he kept his guinea pigs on megascorbic levels of ascorbic acid (equivalent to 35 grams a day for a human weighing 70 kilograms or 154 pounds), 40 percent survived the mercury poisoning. A similar protective effect against bichloride of mercury had been found ten years earlier by Mavin in Argentina. This was further confirmed, in 1964, by Mokranjac and Petrovic. Certain mercury compounds are used in medicine, such as diuretics

(to reduce body fluids), which produce toxic reactions in patients. Chapman and Shaffer, in 1947, showed that the toxicity of certain

mercurial diuretics could be reduced by prior or simultaneous administration of ascorbic acid. They also reported that in cardiac failure patients, a dose of only 150 milligrams of ascorbic acid increased the diuretic action by 50 percent. Further work on ascorbic acid and the mercurial diuretics was reported by Ruskin and Ruskin in 1952. (1).

LEAD. In the 1939 report of a study of 400 workers in a large industrial plant, where exposure to lead hazards was great, Holmes and coworkers observed that the symptoms of chronic lead poisoning resembled subclinical scurvy. As an experiment, they used a group of seventeen people with chronic lead poisoning and gave them 100 milligrams of ascorbic acid daily. Within a week or less: 'Most of the men enjoyed normal sleep, lost the irritability and nervousness so common with high calcium treatment of lead poisoning, enjoyed their food more and no longer had the tremors. Several cases of leukopenia (low white cell blood counts) ...... were cured by the ascorbic acid treatment.’ Marchmont-Robinson, in 1941, working with 303 employees of an automobile body plant, where lead exposure was high due to the practice of soldering the seams with lead-containing solder and grinding it to a smooth finish, exposed workers to both lead fumes and lead dust. Beginning in June 1939, each worker was given two sticks of gum containing 50 milligrams of ascorbic acid at lunch. The author states, "This study confirms the contention of Holmes that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has a

42

detoxifying action on lead in the human body." He concludes with the statement, "The routine administration of 50 milligrams of ascorbic acid daily appears to protect workers exposed to lead dust against the usual effects of chronic absorption" (2). In tests on animals, Pillemer et al. (2) reported tests on guinea pigs poisoned with massive doses of lead carbonate (an old-time white paint pigment) and fed different levels of ascorbic acid. In discussing "paralysis, convulsions, and death," the report states: "Here the

beneficial effects of a high ascorbic acid intake were striking and appear to be unequivocal. In both experiments only two of the twenty-six guinea pigs on the vitamin C regime developed clear-cut spasticities or paralysis, and none of the pigs died of lead poisoning during the period of observation. On the other hand, eighteen of the forty-four animals on the low ascorbic acid intake developed some form of neuroplumbism and twelve died of typical lead poisoning." The so-called high and low intakes were respectively 50 milligrams and 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, assuming the guinea pigs weighed about 400 grams (the authors did not report the guinea pig weights). On this basis the daily ascorbic acid intakes for an adult human for their "high" successful series would be 3,500 milligrams and for their "low" ineffectual series, 155 milligrams. But even this ineffectual

level is more than twice the current daily recommended allowance for man. At this point, we will discuss the short note appearing in 1940 in which Dannenberg et al. (2) conclude, 'Extremely large doses of ascorbic acid were without effect in the treatment of lead intoxication in a child aged twenty-seven months." From the time the child was fifteen months old, it had eaten wood, paper, and painted articles. When first seen it was a very sick, thirty-six-pound, twentyseven-month-old boy and a diagnosis was made of chronic lead poisoning and lead encephalosis. For seventeen days the little boy was given 100 milligrams daily of ascorbic acid in divided doses and a daily injection of 250 milligrams ascorbic acid, for a total of 350 milligrams per day. For perspective, this calculates only to about 1.5 grams a day based on a 150-pound adult. A blood examination showed the lead content to be over twelve times higher than normal. After seventeen days, the child showed no improvement and was taken off the "high" ascorbic acid and other therapy was substituted which still included 50 milligrams of ascorbic acid a day. The child

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was discharged eighty-three days after admission, but still not completely free of the after-effects of the lead intoxication. It is likely in this case that the lead poisoning was so severe that the socalled extremely large doses of ascorbic acid were insufficient to cope with the problem. The fact that the child did not die in the first few weeks after hospitalization and slowly recuperated is probably an unrecognized tribute to the value of ascorbic acid. In 1963, Gontzea and coworkers (2) studied the blood ascorbic acid levels in long-term workers in a lead-storage battery plant. The blood levels were found to be low and they concluded that persons exposed

to lead require larger intakes of ascorbic acid to avoid subclinical scurvy. In further tests on animals, three Chinese workers, W. HanWen et al., kept a hundred tadpoles in water with high lead content for twenty-four hours and eight died. The living tadpoles were divided into tanks containing plain water as a control and plain water containing 31 mg % of ascorbic acid. Six days later, all the tadpoles in the ascorbic acid treated water were alive, while 88 percent in the plain water had died. Uzbekov, in 1960, reported the results of his

tests on lead-poisoned rabbits using ascorbic acid and eysteine. He concluded that this combination should not only be used in the treatment of lead poisoning but also as an antidote (2).

ARSENIC. In the early 1940's, various arsenical compounds were in cur- rent use for the treatment of syphilis. These compounds produced toxic reactions in the patients and many papers were published showing the detoxifying properties of ascorbic acid when used in combination with these arsenical drugs. Typical are the reports of McChesney and associates, and Abt, in 1942; Lahiri, in 1943; and MeChesney, in 1945. Lahiri states, "The administration of vitamin C is the safest

way of avoiding arsenical intolerance in antisyphilitic therapy." In 1962, Marocco and E. Rigotti showed that ascorbic acid prevented kidney damage in arsenic poisoning (3).

CHROMIUM AND GOLD. The recent work of Samitz and coworkers (4) has shown that ascorbic acid can be used to aka chromium poe ue oe chrome ulcers in industry. Gold ire used medical

with ascort n prevented ient which cabe pee was showntheinpat Brazil in 1937 and 1940 (5). ifiteabate as p review we have covered the poisonous metals (mercury, lead, chromium, and gold) and a nonmetal (arsenic). In each case, ascorbic acid was shown to counteract the poisonous effects. Yet all this suggestive work has apparently been ignored, particularly in two current serious problems: first, the deaths or long-term damage of children from eating paint chips containing lead, and second, exposure to high mercury levels in certain seafoods.

ORGANIC POISONS BENZENE POISONING. Benzene is a component in various chemical manufacturing processes, such as DDT production, and workers may be exposed to vapours from this volatile ingredient. Many papers, dating back to 1937, have been published showing that exposure to Benzene depletes the body of ascorbic acid, that this brings on a state of subclinical scurvy, and that the administration of ascorbic acid helps

prevent and alleviate the symptoms of chronic benzene exposure. The 1965 paper by Lurie gives an excellent review and many references to the early literature. Lurie was able to eliminate chronic benzene poisoning among the workers in a South African chemical plant by seeing to it that they received some ascorbic acid in a daily ration of orange juice. In the Czech paper by Thiele, in 1964, he states the chronic benzene poisoning causes, ". . . vitamin C deficiency without signs of scurvy [and] toxic damage of the capillaries and excessive bleeding.' These latter symptoms are characteristic of prolonged deprivation of ascorbic acid. Forssman and Frykholm, in 1947, reported from Stockholm that, "exposure to benzene creates an increased need of vitamin C and that an extra supply of vitamin C gives increased resistance to the effects of benzene." A Russian paper by Filipov appeared which showed that rats reacted to DDT injections by producing more ascorbic acid. This

would indicate that ascorbic acid might be useful in the treatment of DDT poisoning in man and other animals; however, no further work in this critical area was noted (6).

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DRUGS. The effectiveness of drugs in therapy is limited by their toxic actions on the body. The dosages employed are a compromise between their therapeutic effect and their poisonous effect. Ascorbic acid has long been known to detoxify the poisonous effects of various drugs and to potentiate their therapeutic effects. The highly poisonous convulsive drug, strychnine, is rendered harmless with ascorbic acid as shown by Dey (7) in 1965 and 1967. All of his mice died when injected with 2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight of strychnine, whereas if the mice were first injected with ascorbic acid 15 minutes before administration of strychnine, they did not die. With ascorbic

acid at 100 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, there was 60 percent survival; with 1,000 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, none of the poisoned animals died. For a 70-kilogram animal, the size of a human adult, this would be equivalent to 7 grams and 70 grams of ascorbic acid respectively. Dey also pointed out that his observations might be useful in the treatment of tetanus (lockjaw), which we will discuss later. In 1959, Schulteiss and Tarai (7)

suggested the use of ascorbic acid to avoid the harmful side effects of digitalis therapy of heart disease in the aged. Ascorbic acid reduces the toxicity and side reactions of the sulfa drugs. The toxic effects of

aspirin are alleviated by ascorbic acid, Too much vitamin A induces a scurvy- like syndrome which is promptly relieved with ascorbic acid as shown by Vedder and Rosenberg in 1938 (8). In acute poisoning by barbiturates, a 1965 Chinese paper (9) showed that intravenous administration of large doses of ascorbic acid had a therapeutic effect on relieving the depression of the central nervous system caused by the drug. It increased the blood pressure and respiration, and produced more forceful heartbeats. Ten years earlier Klenner reported on his successful treatment of barbiturate poisoning by injecting 54 grams of ascorbic acid on the first day. A 1960 paper by Ghione (9), from the University of Rome, reported that ascorbic acid at 100 milligrams per kilogram of body weight attenuated and abolished the effects of morphine in rats. With the narcotics problem among our young people reaching such vast proportions, it is a sorry commentary that these observations and others on the efficacy of

ascorbic acid have not been the basis of a crash research program to help solve some of the addiction problems. Most addicts and smokers of marijuana are probably in a severe state of subclinical

46

scurvy. It may be possible to utilize megascorbic levels to aid in the treatment of addiction and to relieve the drug withdrawal symptoms. By relieving the subclinical scurvy and maintaining their health at a higher level, it may serve to prevent backsliding to the drugs. We will never know unless the appropriate research is conducted. A paper on anaesthesia and ascorbic acid, in the literature since 1944, should have elicited wide responses in surgery. Beyer and coworkers (10) found that the use of anaesthetics had a profound influence on the blood levels of ascorbic acid in dogs. They also found that nonscorbutic, ascorbic acid-deprived guinea pigs be- came anaesthetized sooner and deeper. Recovery was slower and the guinea pigs showed more prolonged toxic after-effects than animals

with adequate ascorbic acid. In one test using chloroform, the aciddeficient animals died from respiratory arrest under conditions which only induced light anaesthesia in the ascorbic acid-protected group. I wonder whether in the last twenty-five years any further tests were made to explore these observations and if any hospitals bother to check the ascorbic acid adequacy of their patients before subjecting them to anaesthesia? Further exploration may improve the chances for patients undergoing surgery.

BACTERIAL TOXINS. The toxins are a group of poisons of protein-like nature which may be produced by certain pathogenic bacteria, by insects such as spiders and scorpions, and by poisonous snakes. We will discuss the bacterial toxins first. The toxins of certain disease-producing bacteria are among the most poisonous substances known. The symptoms and morbidity of the disease are due not so much to the presence of these bacteria, but to the toxins they produce. Much work was expended in

the 1930s on the diphtheria toxin and its inactivation by ascorbic acid, but since diphtheria is no longer much of a problem, we will start our discussion with the more important tetanus toxin and its consequent disease, lockjaw.

TETANUS. Every time you suffer a deep cut, you are a potential victim of the

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serious, life-threatening disease, tetanus. The spores of the germ Clostridium tetani have a wide distribution and are especially abundant in the soil. The germs are anaerobes and cannot grow in the presence of air. Because of this, they only infect deep cuts out of contact with air. The usual treatment is to give a prophylactic injection of tetanus toxoid or antitoxin. According to Bytehenko of the World Health Organization, tetanus had killed more than a million people in the last ten years, ‘killing more than smallpox, rabies, plague, anthrax, and polio, yet it receives less attention by

public health authorities and medical science than any of these.’ If the disease develops in spite of precautions, the patient is in trouble. Current treatment is nearly as bad as the disease itself. There is definite need for an improved therapy and ascorbic acid may be the basis for it if only the research would be conducted. The 1966 paper by Dey (11) reports on tests with groups of animals given the same amount of tetanus toxin. In the first group given the toxin alone, all animals perished in 47 to 65 hours. The second group, in which ascorbic acid was given (1 gram per kilogram of body weight) at the same time, and then twice daily for three days, all animals survived and only very mild symptoms appeared. Animals of the third group received the ascorbic acid for three days prior to the toxin inoculation and then for three days after. All these animals not only survived, but did not show any symptoms of the poisoning. A fourth group was comprised of animals given the toxin, and the ascorbic acid was withheld until the tetanic symptoms appeared, usually sixteen to twenty-six hours later. They were then inoculated with ascorbic acid (1 gram per kilogram of body weight) twice daily for three days. The ascorbic acid prevented the spread of the symptoms and they all survived. In the fifth group, the ascorbic acid administration was further delayed for forty to forty-seven hours until there were marked symptoms of the disease and all the animals survived. Here is the nucleus of successful results which should have initiated wide-scale research into a disease for which modern medicine has failed to produce an effective treatment. The dosages used by Dey, if scaled up to the size of a human adult of 70-kilogram weight, are equivalent to 140 grams a day. Some will regard this amount as a heroic measure, but it is not far from the 70 grams a day used

intravenously for reducing the intraocular pressure in human

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glaucoma. Further research would indicate the proper dose to be used. It is of further interest and importance that Klenner, in 1954,

reported on the successful treatment of tetanus with massive doses of ascorbic acid. Even long before, in 1938, we find that Nitzesco and

coworkers reported inactivating tetanus toxin with ascorbic acid. The details of the needed research will be discussed after we look into the related problem of botulism (11).

BOTLTLISM. Botulism is a deadly type of food poisoning caused by the ingestion of the toxins produced in foods by the growth of the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum. This is a germ closely related to the one causing tetanus and grows in nonacid foods in the absence of air. Improperly preserved packaged foods are the main source of this toxin. The onset of the symptoms is abrupt and the mortality may be as high as 65 percent. Five different types of botulinus toxins have been identified, each one requiring its own antiserum for treatment of the disease. The results of treatment with the antiserum are disappointing once the symptoms appear, but the treatment may be effective if applied before the onset of symptoms. Clearly, present therapy is rather primitive and a more effective treatment is needed. The detoxicating powers of ascorbic acid are well known and its action on increasing the survival of animals treated with many related bacterial toxins was reported in 1938 by Buller-Souto and Lima (12). In view of this, it is indeed surprising that use of ascorbic acid as a possible means of therapy and survival in botulism has not been further explored over the past three decades. Research should be immediately initiated because the problem is pressing and more lives will be lost the longer it is delayed. The research on tetanus, botulism, and other important bacterial toxins could be combined in initial experiments on guinea pigs and monkeys. Inoculating them with lethal amounts of toxins and determining the correct amount of ascorbic acid (as sodium ascorbate and administered intravenously) required to permit survival and eliminate the symptoms of these intoxications could be the first step. The amounts used will be in the

megascorbic range as established by Dey and Klenner (11).

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SNAKEBITE. There are about 2,500 species of snakes throughout the world and about 10 percent are venomous. This minority causes about 30,000 to 40,000 deaths each year, mostly in Asia. In the United States, about 7,000 people are bitten annually, of which about 40 to 60 percent are children and young adults. The regions of highest incidence are the southern and western states and in the period from 1950 to 1959 there were 158 snakebite deaths in this country. The usual treatment consists of supportive measures and injection of antivenin. It is necessary to identify the snake involved in order to obtain the correct type of antivenin since they are highly specific. For instance, the antivenin for the pit vipers is not recommended for the coral snakes. Since time is of the essence in treatment of a snakebite, a general treatment based on a more widely available material than antivenin and one not limited by the high specificity for certain snakes would be highly desirable. There have appeared suggestive reports on the use of ascorbic acid for treating snakebites which have never been

properly explored. In 1938, Nitzesco et al. (11) showed that ascorbic acid when mixed with cobra venom rendered it harmless. Guinea pigs injected with the cobra venom were all dead in two to three hours, while those injected with the venom-ascorbic acid mixture, not only all survived, but did not even show any of the snakebite symptoms. They also emphasized the importance of high dosages. With 25 milligrams of ascorbic acid, all the animals survived; with 10 milligrams, the guinea pigs survived for a while, but eventually died; and with 5 milligrams there was no beneficial effect. A 1947 paper from a Bogota Colombia oil company hospital (13) describes the dramatic emergency treatment of three snakebite cases where the biting snakes were not identified. The victims were first given the local treatment of incision of the wound, suction and

tourniquet plus the oral administration of orange or lemon juice. They injected 2 grams of ascorbic acid intravenously every 3 hours. The author, Dr. Perdomo, states that immediately after the first injection of ascorbic acid a very favourable response was noted and, after subsequent injections, there was a complete elimination of all symptoms. The patients were observed up to a week later and showed no general or local complications. A plea was made for more research.

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In a 1943 paper from India, Kahn (13) reported that ascorbic acid was ineffective for preventing death in dogs injected with cobra venom. On examination of his experimental conditions, we find that he used only one injection of ascorbic acid to counteract the lethal dose of cobra venom. This dose amounted to only 70 to 140 milligrams of ascorbic acid per kilogram of body weight. Dey (11) required 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of ascorbic acid per kilo- gram of body weight to counteract the lethal effects of tetanus toxin. In his dogs Kahn used less than 1/3 to 2/3 of the ascorbic acid dosage employed by Perdomo in humans and between 1/7 and 1/3 of the dosage suggested by Dey. It is likely that, if Kahn's tests were repeated using higher levels of ascorbic acid, the results would be as successful as the others. Klenner, in 1953, also indicated the

usefulness of ascorbic acid for snakebites. In a recent personal communication, he stated that he has not only successfully treated cases of snakebite in man megascorbically, but also in dogs, which totally contradicts Kahn's remarks. In 1957, he also revealed the usefulness of ascorbic acid in treating black widow spider bites. Similarly McCormick, in 1952, used ascorbic acid in the treatment of

scorpion stings (13). Here we have the basis for a simple and apparently harmless and effective treatment for a wide variety of animal toxins which has been available, but ignored, for many years. Further exploration of these known facts, using a procedure similar to the tests suggested previously for tetanus and botulism, may provide a new, effective, and immediate treatment for snakebites, black widow spider bites,

scorpion stings, and serious multiple bee stings by the mere intravenous infusion of sodium ascorbate at megascorbic levels. The groundwork has been laid for further exploratory research. The above discussions are devoted to the bacterial and animal toxins, but ascorbic acid would probably be as effective against the plant toxins, such as mushroom poisons, as is indicated in the 1939 paper by Holland and Chlosta (14). Still their plea for further research remains unanswered to this very day. The body has other biochemical pathways of detoxification besides ascorbic acid and the liver is usually referred to as the organ of detoxification. Nature moved the ascorbic acid-synthesizing enzymes into the liver during the evolution of the mammals. The liver thus became a much more efficient organ of detoxification, protected

il!

against the tissue-damaging effects of the various poisons which were concentrated in the liver. The protective action of ascorbic acid against liver damage was shown in 1943 by Beyer and again in 1965 by Soliman et al. (15). Additional research might show that longterm prophylactic megascorbic intakes may prevent cirrhosis and fatty degeneration of the liver which occur in those chronically exposed to toxic levels of various materials. One group that might benefit from further work in this area is the large number of alcoholics who eventually suffer from liver damage and cirrhosis.

PHYSICAL STRESSES The physical stresses include exposure to heat and cold, physical trauma, burns, noise, high altitude, drowning and ionizing radiation.

The usual mammalian response to stress is increased secretion of the hormones of the adrenal gland. This increased adrenal activity depletes ascorbic acid from the gland, which normally contains a higher concentration of ascorbic acid than any other body tissue. In mammals which produce their own ascorbic acid, this depletion is rapidly replenished. In the guinea pig, some monkeys, and man, the depletion is made up by robbing the body of its tissue stores of ascorbic acid. If the tissue stores are low, adrenal ascorbic acid may be insufficiently restored and the normal adrenal hormonal response to continued stress may become inadequate. In 1952, Pirani (1) published a review of the work of the first twenty years of the ascorbic acid era. In the bibliography there were 242 references on the relationship of ascorbic acid to stress phenomena. Here, again, we are confronted with a mass of literature

from which we can select only a few. The conclusion reached in this review was that under normal conditions, the tissue stores are adequate to cope with acute stress. However, during severe chronic stress, especially after traumatic injuries or burns, and during protracted stimulation of the adrenal cortex, the administration of ascorbic acid is indicated.

HEAT AND BURNS In a paper on "artificial fever" in which guinea pigs and human subjects were exposed to high environmental temperatures, Zook and Sharpless, in 1938, showed that high temperature exposure

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accelerates the destruction of ascorbic acid and increases the physiological need for it. Twenty-one years later, Thompson and coworkers confirmed this on women living in southern Arizona. They demonstrated that the rate of depletion of ascorbic acid in blood serum was significantly higher in summer than in winter. The basal metabolism, in a majority of their subjects, also diminished significantly in the summer. They stated, "It is apparent that ascorbic acid metabolism was altered in some manner due to increased requirement or destruction" (2).

In 1944, a paper by Henschel and coworkers (2) was published on short-term tests on the ability to work in hot environments. The subjects had been exposed to high temperatures from three hours to four days, under rigidly controlled environmental, dietary, and work

conditions. Some of the subjects had been given 500 milligrams of ascorbic acid a day. This work was summarized as having 'failed to demonstrate any significant advantage for men receiving supplements of ascorbic acid." Then along in 1948 came the report by Weaver (2) on the prevention of heat prostration describing longterm tests on workers in a Virginia rayon plant who had been exposed to high temperatures and humidifies. Weaver found that he was able to eliminate heat prostration in the employees by the daily administration of only 100 milligrams of ascorbic acid. Before instituting this regimen in 1938, there had been twenty-seven cases of heat prostration; in the following 9 years not a single case was reported in the group taking the daily 100 milligrams. During the discussion following the presentation of this paper, Dr. Weaver described the case of heat prostration in a sub-contractor who was brought to his medical department at 3 p.m. in collapse and cyanotic. He administered 500 milligrams of ascorbic acid intravenously and by 6 p.m. the man was able to walk to his car and return home. He was back on his job the next day. A similar test, conducted in the high temperatures near the furnaces of a steel plant, on combinations of salt tablets with vitamins, failed to show any benefits from the

vitamins. In this study, Shoudy and Collings administered even less ascorbic acid than the marginal levels used by Weaver. In any further clinical work conducted in this area, megascorbic levels of sodium

ascorbate should be used. Sufficient sodium ascorbate must be available to main homeostasis under the severe heat stresses. Weaver

me)

used only about 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight. Agarkov reported in 1962 that 15 milligrams per kilogram of body weight improved the heat resistance of rats (2). Further studies are required to assess the proper usage of ascorbic acid in heat stress. The use of ascorbic acid in the treatment of severe burns has been neglected, even after 1Casson (3) published his dramatic results in 1951. His basic procedure might have eliminated suffering and saved the lives of many fire victims over the past twenty years if it had been more widely used. Klasson reported on sixty-two burn cases from a variety of causes such as hot water, hot grease, gasoline explosions, and chemical agents. He used ascorbic acid topically, by mouth, and intravenously. He applied a | percent ascorbic acid solution in 0.9 percent salt solution or a 2 percent ascorbic acid ointment in a water-soluble base directly to the burned area. When these were applied, there was immediate relief from pain, which permitted a reduction in the morphine given the victims. Spraying the throat or gargling with 1 percent ascorbic acid in normal saline solution, rapidly alleviated the hoarseness and pain caused by swallowing smoke. In addition, Klasson gave up to 2,000 milligrams of ascorbic acid a day by mouth or intravenously and at "no time were deleterious effects from the drug observed." In severe bum cases, there is usually a suppression of urine and Klasson found the ascorbic acid treatment maintained the urinary output at normal levels. He summarized his study by stating that ascorbic acid alleviates pain, hastens healing, combats the accumulation of toxic

protein metabolises in severe burn cases, and reduces the time needed before skin grafting. Klenner (4), in 1971, stated he had

found: the "secret" for reducing pain and infection from severe burns, preventing toxemia and promoting healing. This method is summarized in the following five steps: 1. The patient is kept unclothed without dressings in a warmed cradle. 2. A 3 percent solution of ascorbic acid is sprayed over the entire burned area every two to four hours for about five days. 3. Vitamin A and D ointment is then alternated with the 3 percent ascorbic acid spray. 4. Megascorbic doses are administered by mouth and vein of 500 milligrams of ascorbic acid per kilogram body weight as sodium

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ascorbate (35 grams for a 70- kilogram adult) every eight hours (105 grams a day) for the first several days, then at twelve-hour intervals (1 gram calcium gluconate is given daily to replace calcium lost in body fluids). 5. Supportive treatment is given. What more suggestive and promising leads are required to start a program of research to explore a new treatment for burns to replace the rather primitive methods now used? Klasson cites fifteen references from the medical literature, dating back to 1936, which led him to try ascorbic acid. Later work (5) showed the profound influence of burns on the ascorbic acid metabolism, but no group bothered to conduct the large-scale crucial clinical trials using ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate at megascorbic levels (topically,

orally, and intravenously), to develop an improved therapy.

COLD There is a considerable medical literature on cold temperatures and their effect on the ascorbic acid in the body. Outstanding are the investigations of the Canadian Dugal and coworkers, starting in 1947, continuing for many years, and summarized in 1961. In their 1947 paper (6), they reported that rats, which were exposed for long periods to freezing temperatures, but which were able to adjust to these low temperatures, had large increases in the ascorbic acid levels of their body tissues; whereas, those rats unable to adjust to

the cold environment had decreased levels. They concluded that maintenance of life at low temperatures requires large quantities of ascorbic acid. This was further confirmed with tests on guinea pigs. In long-term tests on monkeys reported in 1952, Dugal and Fortier (6) found that among monkeys exposed for six months to cold temperatures (SOF) and then subjected to subfreezing temperatures (40F) those given 325 milligrams of ascorbic acid daily for the sixmonth period were far more resistant to the intense cold than those given only 25 milligrams a day. Since their monkeys weighed about 12.5 pounds, this calculates to 4,000 milligrams, or 4 grams, a day

based on the weight of a human adult (70 kilograms) for the coldresistant group and 300 milligrams daily for the group showing no resistance. No tests have been conducted to determine if

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the resistance of humans to cold temperatures could be improved using 4 grams or more of ascorbic acid. One short-term test (thirteen days) on soldiers, reported in 1954, employed only 525 milligrams of ascorbic acid a day in one group and 25 milligrams in another. Both groups were exposed to cold temperatures on survival rations. The group on the high, but still marginal levels of 525 milligrams, showed improved resistance to the cold and a large decrease in foot troubles over the 25-milligram

group. In another short-term test reported, in 1946, Glickman and coworkers broadly concluded that the results of their experiment indicated clearly that the ability of men to withstand the damaging effects of repeated exposures to cold environments cannot be appreciably enhanced by giving 'excessive" doses of ascorbic acid or other vitamins above the amounts required for adequate nutrition. However, their idea of an "excessive" dose of ascorbic acid was 200

milligrams a day, which had been shown to be ineffective in the monkey experiments previously mentioned (6). We cannot say, at this point, whether the megascorbic levels will improve human resistance to cold or not, but if further tests are to be conducted, they should use at least the levels found successful in monkeys. There are millions of people suffering each year from the effects of winter cold who may benefit if these tests yield successful results.

PHYSICAL TRAUMA Ungar (7), a member of the Free French Forces studying wound ballistics, provided information of vital importance which might have saved the lives of thousands of soldiers and auto accident victims if it had been properly followed up. The purpose of his study was to relate the degree of trauma expressed in terms of physical energy with the severity of shock as estimated by mortality. Ungar took anaesthetized guinea pigs and dropped known weights from different heights onto the animals and found there was a definite relationship between transmitted energy and tissue damage and mortality. The startling fact brought out by his research was that in guinea pigs subjected to the dropped weights, which ordinarily would kill 100 percent of the animals, these animals would always

56

survive if given an injection of ascorbic acid in doses above 100 milligrams per kilogram of body weight shortly after the trauma. His injection dosage calculates to over 7 grams of ascorbic acid, based on a 70-kilogram body weight. The prompt administration of this amount or more of ascorbic acid on the battlefield to wounded soldiers or to auto accident victims at the scene may prevent shock and insure survival until they reach a hospital. You might well ask how it is possible for such an important observation to lay dormant for 30 years.

BONE FRACTURE The 1946 paper by Andreae and Browne (7) showed that in man, both burn and bone fracture trauma produce rapid decreases of ascorbic acid in the whole blood and the white blood cells. A 1962 paper from the Soviet Union by Merezhinskii (7) reported tests on guinea pigs with bone fractures. Merezhinskii showed that the daily administration of 40 milligrams of ascorbic acid was sufficient to correct for the ascorbic acid losses due to the trauma but 10 milligrams was not. He found that the recovery from bone fractures was considerably shortened when large doses of ascorbic acid were given. His successful 40-milligram dose, when scaled up to a 150pound body weight, amounts to the daily intake of about 9 grams of ascorbic acid, while his inadequate 10-milligram dose is equivalent to 2.3 grams a day.

HIGH ALTITUDE Exposure to high altitudes is a severe form of stress because the rarefied atmosphere induces oxygen deprivation, known as hypoxia. Hypoxia is a lack of the proper levels of oxygen in the blood and tissues. Severe hypoxia can be induced in the body by means other than high altitude, such as drowning. Our discussion of high altitudes will also apply to these other conditions. If people are transported from sea level to high mountainous altitudes, there is a chance that

they will develop acute mountain sickness before they become accustomed to the great heights. The disease is called soroche in the Andes and probably has many other local names in various mountain areas. The air we breathe contains about 20 percent oxygen at sea

level but only about 15 percent at about 15,000 feet. High altitude

a

was also a problem in aviation before the advent of the pressurized cabin. As long ago as 1938 it was perceived that ascorbic acid increases the altitude tolerance of ski troops and rabbits. Peterson, in 1941, showed that mice injected with ascorbic acid were able to withstand repeated exposure to air pressures that were 1/6 normal, while their untreated companions succumbed. Krasno and coworkers showed, in 1950, using human subjects repeatedly exposed to 18,000-foot altitude conditions, increased utilization of ascorbic acid

with consequent depletion. This was confirmed in guinea pigs exposed to the same high altitudes, with the animals manifesting abnormally low levels of tissue ascorbic acid. In a 1959 paper from Yugoslavia, Wesley and coworkers reported that in guinea pigs exposed for one hour to low air pressures equivalent to a 30,000-foot height, there was a drop in ascorbic acid levels and a substantial increase in the toxic dehydroascorbic acid levels. This was also confirmed in dogs: and tests were made on men who responded similarly to the hypoxia, depending upon the intensity and duration of exposure (8). Even with this extensive background of suggestive research, I was unable to find anyone who was inspired to prevent altitude sickness or the bad effects of hypoxia by the administration of high levels of ascorbic acid. The closest to a test of this nature was reported by Brooks (8), in 1948, using the dyestuff, methylene blue. She found that if people who normally suffered from altitude sickness were given 0.2 grams of the methylene blue before ascending to about 15,000 feet in a four-hour automobile trip, they no longer became ill. Also, untreated subjects who became ill with headache and nausea at 10,000 feet, if given 0. 1 gram of methylene blue, were free of the symptoms without an hour. Methylene blue and ascorbic acid are both members of oxidation-reduction systems and should have similar therapeutic actions. Anything methylene blue can do, ascorbic acid should do better. The diuretic effect of ascorbic acid should also help relieve the pulmonary oedema that develops at high altitudes. It is time now for the necessary further clinical work, since hypoxia is a widespread problem much beyond altitude sickness. The results obtained would be important in the treatment of the hypoxia of non-fatal drownings, of infants during birth, during anaesthesia in surgery, in prolonged surgical procedures, and in suffocation cases, to prevent brain damage.

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RADIATION Exposure to radiation is an extremely stressful situation for the living organism. The term "radiation" includes ultraviolet rays, X- rays, gamma rays, and other 1onizing radiation in the radiant- energy spectrum. The dangers of exposure to X-rays have been recognized in recent years and the radiation casualties of the atom bombings are proof of the hazards. Exposure to radiation, as an occupational hazard for physicians specializing in radiology, has had a lifeshortening effect and has increased susceptibility to disease, as compared to physicians in other specialties (9). There have been numerous papers published showing that exposure to X-rays lowers the levels of ascorbic acid in the body: Kretzschmer et al., in 1947; Monier and Weiss, in 1952; Hochman et al. and Oster et al., in 1953;

Dolgova, in 1962; and many other papers from the Soviet Union from 1963 on (10). In general, these papers indicate that in guinea pigs, which cannot synthesize their own ascorbic acid under stress, there are decreases of ascorbic acid in the blood and tissues after irradiation. Animals, such as rats and rabbits, that produce ascorbic

acid in their livers under stress usually suffer an initial drop in their ascorbic acid level which rises after the liver has had a chance to replace the lost ascorbic acid. If the irradiation is severe enough to interfere with the synthesis of ascorbic acid, the losses remain. The use of ascorbic acid as a protection against the unfavourable effects of radiation goes back many years and, in spite of the fact that the investigators used pitifully small doses of ascorbic acid, many reported good results. Carrier and Schnettler, in 1939, using only 200 milligrams a day of ascorbic acid, reported good results and recommended it as the medication of choice. They were able to prevent the leukopenia (reduction of white blood cells in the blood) induced by exposure to X-rays. This was confirmed by Clausen, in 1942, who prevented the

leukopenia in ten stomach-cancer patients treated with X-rays by giving them a daily injection of 500 milligrams of ascorbic acid. Wallace, in 1941, injected only 50 milligrams of ascorbic acid daily and was able to report that it prevented many general symptoms of radiation sickness and al- most entirely eliminated the severe nausea and vomiting, but it did not prevent the intestinal changes due to the heavy pelvic X-ray treatments administered (11).

Kalnins, from Sweden, who published many other papers in this

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area, reported in 1953 that the X-ray lesions of guinea pigs given 50 milligrams a day of ascorbic acid were much better protected against the damaging radiation effects than those given only | milligram a day. He thought that the large doses of ascorbic acid acted as detoxicants for the histamine-like bodies or the leukotoxins developed in the irradiated tissue. Yusipov, from the Soviet Union, in two short papers reporting tests in 1959 on rabbits and rats that did not specify the dosages of ascorbic acid he used, indicated that if ascorbic acid was given before the irradiation, it exerted an unfavourable effect, but if administered afterward it was beneficial. He recommended the use of ascorbic acid in the treatment of acute radiation sickness in the latent period and period of climax. He mentions that the clarification of the role of ascorbic acid in acute radiation sickness is one for the immediate future (11). Several papers have appeared showing the protective effect of ascorbic acid on various bodily enzymes against destruction by ionizing radiation. In the 1965 paper by Shapiro et al. (12), the scientists suggested the comprehensive testing of ascorbic acid as a radiation-protective agent in animals. Although the usefulness of ascorbic acid has been indicated, the crucial clinical tests, using the higher levels of ascorbic acid, have not been initiated. These long-overdue tests should be started and thoroughly explored.

POLLUTION AND SMOKER'S SCURVY Great effort is being expended to cleanse our environment and there is hope for eventual success in minimizing man-made contamination. There are, however, some areas which may not fully respond, and a complete elimination of pollutants certainly is not likely in the foreseeable future. One area of pollution is the natural background

radiation level due to cosmic and other radiation from the sun and outer space. Even when crowds of people congregate they are irradiating themselves and surrounding people with the rays from the radioactive potassium in their bodies. Another segment is in carbon monoxide exposure. While a major source of local carbon monoxide buildup in the atmosphere is due to combustion of fuels, (estimated to produce 200 million tons a year), even if this were completely eliminated, there would still be other sources.

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Carbon monoxide is produced naturally in the human body at the rate of 0.42 millilitre per hour and a major source of carbon monoxide intoxication is cigarette smoking (1). The oceans are a natural source for carbon monoxide (2) as well as plants (1). The air over the oceans and virgin forests, far from human contamination would thus never be free of a low, but definite, level of carbon monoxide. Traces of

carbon monoxide are even found in stored soft drinks (3). Thus, it would be impossible for one to avoid carbon monoxide altogether. Measures to lessen direct contamination of the air and soil are being developed, but it may take years for them to take noticeable effect. In the meantime, a supplemental approach to this problem, which is being suggested, is to make the population more resistant to the harmful effects of the pollutants by using ascorbic acid. The previous chapters on the effects of ascorbic acid in combating the various chemical and physical stresses suggest a valid basis for this new approach. The daily administration of a few grams of ascorbic acid may be adequate to increase the resistance of the body to these chronic toxic environmental stresses. In the case of carbon monoxide toxicity, a 1962 paper from the Soviet Union (3) showed that chronic exposure of guinea pigs to carbon monoxide increased the rate of consumption of and requirement for, ascorbic acid. The effects of chronic carbon monoxide poisoning were counteracted by administering 40 milligrams of ascorbic acid daily. For a 300gram guinea pig, 40 milligrams are equivalent to 9,000 milligrams (9 grams) for a 150-pound body weight. In 1955, Klenner (3) noted that the treatment of choice for

carbon monoxide poisoning, both acute and chronic, was ascorbic acid. Two other papers need to be mentioned in this discussion, one appearing as far back as 1938 and the other in 1958. Ungar and Bolgert (4) showed that ascorbic acid would protect guinea pigs against death from exposure to high concentrations of hydrochloric acid vapour, nitric oxide, and other vapours. To be effective, however, it was necessary to give not less than 500 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, which is equivalent to about 35,000 milligrams for a 150-pound body weight. Ozone, a necessary constituent of the upper atmosphere and a contaminant produced in the air we breathe under certain conditions, is a toxic oxidizing substance. Mittler (4), in 1958, reported that a single injection of ascorbic acid

61

into mice before exposing them, for 3 hours, to air containing an

ozone level of 8 to 25 parts per million, provided a higher rate of survival than among untreated mice. Will the agencies now so concerned with our external environment also be concerned with our

individual internal environment and implement research on.the use of ascorbic acid to combat environmental hazards?

SMOKING Smoking is an intense form of concentrated individual air pollution. With all the furor about cleaning up the air we breathe, smokers nonchalantly inhale the concentrated smoke from a plug of burning tobacco an inch or two from their face. This smoke contains levels of gaseous pollutants - carbon monoxide, hydrocyanic acid, nitric oxide, sulphur dioxide, and acetonitrile - in many higher concentrations than would ever be permitted in the air we breathe. In addition, the smoke contains finely dispersed carcinogenic tars, poisons such as nicotine, radioactive dust such as polonitum-210, and other ingredients. These are deposited on the tissues of the mouth, tongue, pharynx, bronchi, and interior of the nose. We have here a highly irritating form of local chemical stress which depletes the tissues of their stores of ascorbic acid. Research may eventually show that this chronic irritation and depletion are what finally trigger the neoplastic process. Many reports can be found in the medical literature on the destructive influence of tobacco smoke on the ascorbic acid levels of the body. As far back as 1939, Strauss and Scheer (5) found that smoking produced a constant and marked reduction in the excretion of ascorbic acid, indicating its destruction in the body by smoke constituents. McCormick (5), in 1952, stated: "In determining the anti-infectious protective dosage of vitamin C there is another factor which is not generally considered. When the vitamin is employed to neutralize toxins of endogenous or erogenous origin, the action is reciprocal in that the vitamin is also neutralized proportionately, leaving less available for physiological needs. To illustrate, the writer has determined by laboratory and clinical tests that the smoking of one cigarette neutralizes in the body approximately 25 milligrams of vitamin C, or the amount in one medium-sized orange. It will thus be seen how difficult it is to meet the bodily requirement of the pack-a-day smoker for even the

62

protective level of vitamin C from dietary sources. It is thus obvious that the steady smoker, who is usually short on his dietary intake as well, requires a much heavier therapeutic dosage of this vitamin that the non- smoker.' Bourquin and Musmanno (5), in 1953, reported that nicotine, added

to human blood, decreased its ascorbic acid content by 24 to 31 percent. They concluded that larger amounts of ascorbic acid should be taken by habitually heavy smokers. Venulet, in a series of papers published during 1951 to 1956, as reviewed by Andrzejewski (5), showed that the inhalation of tobacco smoke produced a marked loss of ascorbic acid in animals and man. In 60 medical students, the

blood ascorbic acid levels were 1.0 to 1.2 mg % in nonsmokers, and 0.6 to 0.9 mg % in smokers. The nonsmokers who volunteered to smoke six to eight cigarettes a day suffered a significant decrease in serum ascorbic acid levels by the third day. This drop disappeared five days after cessation of smoking. If the levels in man parallel those found in animals, there is a large decrease for each internal organ. There are considerable differences in the ascorbic acid content found in the milk of smoking and nonsmoking mothers. Maximal differences occur in the spring when the levels average 5.9 mg % in nonsmoking women against 2.1 mg % in smoking women. Venulet concluded that smoking is involved in the pathogenesis of certain widespread disorders such as scurvy, gastric ulcer, and cardiovascular disease. Apart from the difficulties arising from ascorbic acid depletion, smoking lowers the general bodily resistance to disease. Goyanna (5), in 1955, in a paper entitled 'Tobacco and Vitamin C" thoroughly indicts tobacco smoking for its destructive action on the body's ascorbic acid. He showed that in heavy smokers, ascorbic acid is destroyed and no longer excreted in the urine. He described the many functions of ascorbic acid in the body including its role in detoxicating poisons. In his concluding paragraph he states, "The salvation of the smoker may be in this vitamin." In 1960, Dietrich and Buchner (5), demonstrated lowered blood

plasma ascorbic acid levels in smokers and concluded that smokers exhibit a vitamin C deficiency compared to nonsmokers. They advised all smokers to consume an abundance of vitamin C to

prevent development of a deficiency.

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Durant et al. (5), in 1962, also confirmed that the blood ascorbic acid of smokers is lower than nonsmokers. He gave 1 gram of ascorbic acid a day to pack-and-a-half cigarette smokers and found that the increases in blood ascorbic acid never attained the peak levels shown by nonsmokers. He concluded that there is an ascorbic acid deficiency in smokers. Rupniewska (5), in 1965, also reported a decreased store of ascorbic acid in aged smokers. Calder, Curtis, and Fore (5), in 1963, indicated that tobacco smoker destroyed vitamin C in solution. They also demonstrated a statistically significant difference in blood plasma ascorbic acid and leukocyte ascorbic acid contents of cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. The more cigarettes smoked, the lower were the ascorbic acid blood levels. A 1968 study by Brook and Grimshaw (5) demonstrated that blood plasma and leukocyte ascorbic acid levels are significantly lower in men than in women. In nonsmokers, the plasma levels declined with age while the leukocyte levels did not. Cigarette smoking was found to significantly lower both the blood plasma and the leukocyte ascorbic acid concentrations. Heavy smoking had the same effect on the blood plasma ascorbic acid as increasing the chronological age by 40 years. Pelletier (5), in tests on five smokers and five nonsmokers, as reported in 1968, demonstrated that the ascorbic acid levels of the blood and blood plasma of smokers were about 40 percent that of nonsmokers. On giving his subjects 2 grams of ascorbic acid a day, he found that after continued administration the blood ascorbic acid levels stabilized at approximately the same values for both groups. However, the urinary excretion of ascorbic

acid by the smokers never reached the levels excreted by the nonsmokers, which indicated a continuing greater utilization of the ascorbic acid by the smokers. He also made tests on guinea pigs which were fed nicotine for one month in amounts comparable to those consumed by heavy smokers. There was a drop in the blood and tissue ascorbic acid, as compared to guinea pigs fed the same diet without the nicotine, amounting to 49 percent in the adrenal gland, 50 percent in the kidneys, 47 percent in the heart, and 34 percent in the liver. From all the research work, it should be evident that habitual

smokers, unless they take steps to correct the condition, are likely to be in a chronic, subclinical scorbutic state. In this situation, the

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classical signs of scurvy may not be manifest, but the body is in a state of biochemical scurvy. With this depletion, there is lowered

resistance to disease and the biochemical detoxication processes are impaired. I have termed this bodily condition, 'Smoker's Scurvy" and a very simple cure for it is - stop smoking. For the numerous hardcore smokers who cannot kick the habit, cigarette manufacturers

could institute a program of research to determine if the long-term daily use of ascorbic acid will provide some protection against cancers, emphysema, coronaries, and other diseases which afflict

smokers. Research conducted at Tulane University by Schlegel and coworkers (6), and mentioned previously, prompted Schlegel to recommend the daily use of 1.5 grams of ascorbic acid to prevent the recurrence of bladder cancer in smokers.

WOUNDS, BONE FRACTURES, AND SHOCK It has been known for hundreds of years that wounds will not heal and that healed old wounds and scars reopen in people deprived of ascorbic acid and afflicted with scurvy. Scurvy also weakens the bones and renders them more susceptible to fracture. In the forty years since the discovery of ascorbic acid, there have been so many papers published on the beneficial relationship of ascorbic acid to wound healing, on the improved strength of the scar tissue, and on the faster healing of bone fractures, that it is just impossible to fully review this vast volume of work within a brief chapter. However, the interested reader can refer to the papers presented at the Scientific Conference on vitamin C, held by the New York Academy of Sciences in 1960 (1),. The papers by Abt and Schuching, Robertson, Gould, Crandon, Fullmer, and Lee are of particular interest in this connection. The utilization of ascorbic acid in wound healing is now so well documented that there are many surgeons who routinely provide their patients with 1 or 2 grams of ascorbic acid a day, postoperatively, to aid in their healing and recovery. In spite of the vast number of published papers, it is still not known whether these are the optimal levels for this purpose and whether the patients would benefit from the administration of higher amounts. This should be the subject of further research. Of particular interest at this

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point is the recent work of Dr. Steinberg (1), of Jewish Memorial Hospital in New York City, in the successful treatment of gangrene of the legs and feet with sodium ascorbate. In five cases of longstanding gangrene, resistant to other forms of treatment and some scheduled for amputation, the administration of up to 5 grams of sodium ascorbate daily, in addition to other treatment, brought about

improvement and healing in a few weeks. These cases of gangrene were caused by arteriosclerotic occlusion, diabetic endarteritis, and

polyeythemia vera. While the ascorbic acid status of the patients was not determined, it is likely they were suffering from severe chronic subclinical scurvy. Much follow-up work is needed on this promising lead in the treatment of gangrenous lesions. But even in wound healing, the full potential of ascorbic acid may not be entirely exploited. For instance, there is a critical shortage of hospital beds and all the medical and other facilities necessary to maintain them. Research should be instituted to determine if the daily routine administration of a few grams of ascorbic acid to hospital admissions would hasten their recovery and shorten their hospital stay. Many patients now entering hospitals are already in a prescorbutic state. If their hospital stay could be shortened by 25 percent, it would be equivalent to building and staffing a new facility for every four in existence, at only pennies a day per patient.

MORBIDITY INDEX -

A NEW DIAGNOSTIC TOOL

Another area of medical treatment which requires more investigation is the use of ascorbic acid as a diagnostic and prognostic tool. Blood samples are usually taken from patients and a variety of examinations are made on them. It is rare, however, that a

determination of ascorbic acid is ever made on these blood samples. Because of complications in the methodology developed over the years, the determination of ascorbic acid in blood has lost much of its diagnostic value and has fallen into disrepute. The methods in use during the 1930s determined the true, 96 reduced" ascorbic acid in the blood. In 1943, when new procedures were introduced, what was determined was the "total" ascorbic acid, which not only included the "reduced" ascorbic acid but the "oxidized" dehydroascorbic acid and other decomposition products. The actual results obtained by these two different types of methods were not comparable and caused

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much confusion, which still exists. While it is possible to separately determine the ascorbic acid and the dehydroascorbic acid by either techniques, it was seldom carried out and reported in the research work of the past forty years. The development of a possible valuable diagnostic tool was delayed for four decades due to a lack of appreciation of the simple physiochemical facts involved. What is needed in these determinations is not the "total" or the "reduced" ascorbic acid, but the ratio of the two components, ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid. In 1955, Chakrabarti and Banerjee (2), after reviews of the prior work, pointed out the paradox of dehydroascorbic acid which, at low levels, behaves essentially like ascorbic acid in giving protection from or curing scurvy, but is toxic at high levels. They determined both the ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid in the blood of many of their patients. They found that the ascorbic acid levels went down and dehydroascorbic acid levels went up as their patients became sicker and finally died from meningitis, tetanus, pneumonia, and typhoid fever. If the patients survived, the trend was reversed. Hoffer and Osmond (2), in 1963, cited many other references relating to mental stress and mental disease affecting the ascorbic acid blood levels and also first calculated the ascorbic acid/dehydroascorbic acid ratios which showed some startling statistics. These figures, along with some others which I calculated from another paper (3), are assembled in the following table. Inspection of the figures on this table shows the inadequacy of 'total' ascorbic acid blood levels as a diagnostic measurement. Because of the high dehydroascorbic levels, many of the dead patients had higher "total’ levels than the survivors. With many investigators during the past three decades reporting "total' ascorbic acid in their work, it can

easily be discerned how the present confusion and lack of confidence in blood ascorbic determinations resulted. The 'reduced" ascorbic acid levels are a superior indicator, but most significant is the ratio of ascorbic acid/dehydroascorbic acid, which I term the "morbidity" index. The "normals' had a morbidity index of approximately 15 although an individual taking high levels of ascorbic acid would have even a higher index. Those who were critically sick but survived had a morbidity index of about 1.0, while those who died had much less,

0.3 to 0.5. During convalescence of the survivors the morbidity index jumped to 3.0 to 5.0.

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Tool and Index of Survival Morbidity Index as aPrognostic | “Reduced” “Oxidized” “Total” Ascorbic Ascorbic Morbidity Number Ascorbic | Acid = Acid =| Index

of

Acid

| (AA)

(DHAA))

reac (g/100m) “Gng/l00m!) (mg/100ml)) :

_AA

~DHAA

|

|

| i

(The figures for the last seven entries in the table above were calculated from the data of Bhaduri et al. (3), while the rest are from Chakrabarti et al. (2).)

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There is a logical physiochemical explanation for these variations. Ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid, as explained in earlier

chapters, are members of a reversible oxidation-reduction system.

The redox potential depends on the relative amounts of each component of the systems. For healthy tissue processes, that ratio must favour high amounts of ascorbic acid and very low levels of dehydroascorbic acid in order to keep the redox potential low. In pathology, the tissue potentials approach more oxidative levels as the disease progresses, and recedes again as the disease clears up. Incalculable time has been wasted by hundreds of investigators over _ the past forty years of research work. They were trying to relate ascorbic acid blood levels to a disease process, but did not realize these simple facts and only determined and reported either "total" ascorbic acid or "reduced" ascorbic acid. Much of the confusion during the past four decades is due to this inadequate data. The value of megascorbic therapy may be in maintaining the redox tissue potentials at the necessary low levels and maintaining the morbidity index in the upper brackets. The constant presence of high ascorbic acid levels may suppress the formation of the toxic dehydroascorbic acid. Here we have a potentially valuable tool which may aid the physician in determining how sick his patient really is and his chances for survival. Further research should resolve the question of how valuable a tool the morbidity index really can be.

SHOCK Shock is a very dangerous condition of general bodily collapse that can rapidly appear as the result of the stresses of severe, traumatic injuries, burns, major surgery, massive haemorrhage, abdominal injury, and dehydration. The fundamental defect in shock is failure of effective blood flow and hence impaired transport of vital materials in the blood to the organs and tissues. This is brought on by increased permeability of the capillaries, resulting in loss of blood plasma into the surrounding tissues. The lowered blood volume, with its increased percentage of blood cellular constituents, is more difficult to pump through the arteries and veins. The volume of blood being pumped from the heart is low and the blood pressure is low.

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The patient is usually in a state of collapse with a pallid, moist skin and impaired mental faculties. It is necessary to rapidly correct this condition and usually the first measures are to assure proper breathing and replace the blood's volume of fluid. The use of ascorbic acid in the treatment of shock has been repeatedly suggested in many papers over the past thirty years. These papers include reports not only of successful experiments on laboratory animals, but on case histories on man. There is a perfectly good rationale for this use of ascorbic acid because of its long-known beneficial effects in preventing capillary fragility and the fact that haemorrhage is a characteristic symptom of ascorbic acid depletion. In 1941, in experiments on cats bled of 50 percent of their blood volume, Stewart and co- workers (4) were able to prolong the animals’ lives with an intravenous injection of ascorbic acid of 100 milligrams or more per kilogram of body weight. In 1943, nearly three decades ago, he noted that particular emphasis should be laid on the possibility of utilizing his observations in the treatment of human traumatic and surgical shock. Further tests on guinea pigs, reported in 1944 by MeDevitt and coworkers (4), showed ascorbic acid increased their resistance to trauma and improved their survival. In studies on eleven human subjects undergoing major surgery they sampled the patients' blood for ascorbic acid determinations before, during, and after the operations. Of the eleven cases, five had subnormal ascorbic acid levels before the operation and eight had levels markedly below normal immediately postoperatively or within twenty-four hours. Haemorrhagic shock induced in guinea pigs by a standardized bleeding procedure was the subject of a 1946 paper by depasqualini (4). She found that if the guinea pigs were given 200 milligrams of ascorbic acid five minutes before the start of bleeding, it prevented haemorrhagic shock and 94 percent of her eighteen test animals survived, while 90 percent of the seventeen animals not given ascorbic acid died. Holmes (5), in 1946 discussed the use of ascorbic acid to relieve the increased capillary permeability occurring in shock. He cites the successful results of a group of cooperating

surgeons using ascorbic acid to successfully treat surgical shock. Another surgeon used it successfully preoperatively and postoperatively in fifty serious abdominal operations. In

approximately 2,000 cases of dental extractions, ascorbic acid was

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administered thirty to forty- five minutes before the extraction, preventing shock and postoperative weakness. It was also employed in thirty-five cases of minor injuries, in which instances it helped the injured to survive the long trip to the hospital. He also cites the experiences of other cooperating physicians. He noted that there was no question on the value of adequate amounts of ascorbic acid in the maintenance of a healthy condition of the capillary walls and that it may also be useful in combating the anoxia of shock. The highest blood levels of ascorbic acid were reached after two or three hours on oral administration and in three to five minutes when given intravenously. In 1946, S. M. Levenson and associates (6), reported on the use of ascorbic acid, vitamins Bl, and B2, and nicotinic acid in severe injury, haemorrhage, and infections in humans. They conclude that their work adds further support to the idea that large doses of these materials may serve a useful purpose in treating acutely ill patients. In 1962, a conference and workshop on haemorrhagic shock was held at the Rockefeller Institute. As reported in Science by Simeone (6), Dr. Levenson presented a paper revealing that injured animals

suffer from biochemical scurvy. Levenson's claim that ascorbic acid could influence the mortality from haemorrhagic shock was "viewed with skepticism." In 1947, Zerbini (7) reported on a duodenal ulcer

operation where the patient went into postoperative shock. Prompt administration of 2 grams of ascorbic acid, intravenously, pulled him out of the shock within minutes. Continued large dosages of ascorbic acid made the patient's recovery ‘uneventful.' Zerbini noted that his one observation is merely suggestive but that 'further studies would obviously seem worthwhile." In the course of tests in eighty surgical operations, Pataky and associates (7) reported in 1957 that they were able to inhibit the passage of plasma through the intact vessel walls, and to control surgical shock with large doses of ascorbic acid. Kashchevskaia (7), in a 1958 paper from the Soviet Union, showed that ascorbic acid is intimately involved in the state of shock. Strawitz and coworkers (8), using rats to determine the effect of ascorbic acid and methylene blue in haemorrhagic shock, reported in 1958 that both agents significantly reduced the mortality rates and, in addition, ascorbic acid lengthened the survival period. In 1963, Santome and Gomez (9), using dogs as experimental

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animals, checked the earlier work of Sayers et al. on rats in

haemorrhagic shock. They found an increase in the blood ascorbic acid levels and a highly significant decrease in the adrenal gland ascorbic acid, in spite of the higher levels in the blood. The higher blood level is likely to be an artifact because the liver rapidly synthesized ascorbic acid under the stress and it poured it into a reduced volume of blood. The low ascorbic acid levels in the adrenal glands are probably a more reliable criteria of the response to the heavy stresses to which the animals were subjected. In a paper published in 1967, Koesard-Varo (9) discussed micro- circulation (the capillary system), capillary permeability, and ascorbic acid. She made the following interesting observation which involved her in the study of the microcirculation. She found that in nosebleed due to high blood pressure, if a 1-1,000 adrenaline solution were applied to the surface of the nasal mucous membrane or if ascorbic acid were injected individually, the bleeding would continue. However, if they were both done simultaneously, the blood flow stopped ‘instantaneously, as if one turned off a faucet. The bleeding does not recur." Ascorbic acid has a known protective action on adrenaline in the circulation. The electron microscope studies of the capillary bed of ascorbic acid-deficient guinea pigs, by Gore and coworkers (10), published in 1968, disclosed the ultrastructural basis for the capillary defects, the microdiscontinuities and microlesions which lead to

capillary fragility. The above review of the highly suggestive research over the past three decades illustrates the possible usefulness of ascorbic acid in the prevention and treatment of traumatic, haemorrhagic, and surgical shock. Yet how much use is being made of this data in present-day shock therapy9 In a paper published in 1969 by Weil and Shubin (11), workers in the Shock

Research Unit of a large medical school and hospital, there is not a single mention of ascorbic acid. With shock still claiming so many victims in highway accidents and battlefield casualties, the need for more work in this area is urgent.

REFERENCES VIRAL INFECTION 1. C. W. Jungeblut., Inactivation of Poliomyelitis Virus by

G3

Crystalline Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid). Journal of Experimental Medicine, vol. 62: pp. 517-521. 1935. 2. M. Holden and R. J. Resnick., In Vitro Action of Synthetic Crystalline Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) on Her-

pes Virus. Journal of Immunology, vol. 31: pp. 455-462.1936. M. Holden and E. Molloy., Further experiments on Inactivation of Herpes Virus by Vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid). Ibid., vol. 33: pp. 251-257. 1937. 3 . I. J. Kligler and H. Bernkopee, Inactivation of Vaceinia

Virus by Ascorbic Acid and Glutathione. Nature, vol. 139: pp. 965-966. 1937. 4. W. Langenbusch anda. Enderling., Einfluss dervitamine auf das Virus der Maul-und 1Cavenseuch. Zentralblatt fur Bakteriologie, vol. 140: pp. 112-115. 1937. 5. G. Amato Azione dell'acido ascorbico sul virus fisso della rabbia e sulla tossina tetanica. Giornale di Batteriologia, Virologia et Immunologia (Torino), vol. 19: pp. 843-849.1937. 6. I. Lominski., Inactivation du bacteriophage par lL'acide ascorbique. Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de Ses Filiales (Paris), vol. 122: pp. 766-768. 1936. 7. M. Lojkin., Contributions of the Boyce Thompson Institute, vol. 8, No. 4. 1936. L. F. Martin. Proceedings Third Interna-

tional Congress of Microbiology, New York, 1940, p. 281. 8. C. W. Jungeblut., Further Observations on Vitamin C Therapy in Experimental Poliomyelitis. Journal of Experimental Medicine, vol. 65: pp. 127-146. 1937. Ibid., vol. 66: pp. 459-477, 1937. Ibid, vol. 70: pp. 315-332. 1939. 9. A. B. Sabin., Vitamin C in Relation to Experimental Poliomyelitis, Journal of Experimental Medicine, vol. 69: pp. 50731521939. 10. F. R. Klenner., The Treatment of Poliomyelitis and Other Virus Diseases with Vitamin C. Southern Medicine and Surgery, vol. 111: pp. 209-214. 1949. Massive Doses of Vitamin C and the Virus Diseases. Ibid., vol. 113: pp. 101107. 1951. The Vitamin and Massage Treatment for Acute Poliomyelitis. Ibid., vol. 114: pp. 194-197. 1952. The Use of Vitamin C as an antibiotic. Journal of Applied Nutrition, vol. 6: pp. 274-278. 1953. The Folly in the Continued Use of a Killed Polio Virus Vaccine. Tri-

te

State Medical Journal, pp. 1-8. Feb. 1959. 11. 0. Gsell and F. Kalt., Treatment of Epidemic Poliomyelitis with High Doses of Ascorbic Acid. Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift, vol. 84: pp. 661-666. 1954. 12. H. Baur., Poliomyelitis Therapy with Ascorbic Acid. Helvetia Medica Acta, vol. 19: pp. 470-474. 1952. 13. E. Greer., Vitamin C in Acute Poliomyelitis. Medical Times (Manhasset), vol. 83: pp. 1160-1161. 1955. 14. 0. A. Bessey., et al. Pathologic Changes in Organs of Scorbutic Guinea Pigs. Proceedings Society Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol. 31: pp. 455-460. 1934. 15. W. 0. Russell and C. P. Calloway., Pathologic Changes in the Liver and Kidneys of Guinea Pigs Deficient in Vitamin C. Archives of Pathology, vol. 35: pp. 546-552. 1943. 16. G. C. Willis., The Influence of Ascorbic Acid upon the Liver. Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 76: pp. 1044-

1048. 1957. 17. H. Baur and H. Staub., Therapy of Hepatitis with Ascorbic Acid Infusions. SchweizerischeMedizinischeWochenschrift,

vol. 84: pp. 595-5997. 1954. 18. F. Spengler., Vitamin C and der Diuretische Effekt bei Leberzirrhose. Munchen Medizinische Woehenschrift. vol. 84: pp. 779-780. 1937. 19. H. Kirchmair., Treatment of Epidemic Hepatitis in Chil-

dren with High Doses of Ascorbic Acid. Medizinische Monatschrift. vol. ll: pp. 353-357. 1957. Ascorbic Acid Treatment of Epidemic Hepatitis in Children. Deutsche Gesundheitwesen, vol.12:pp.773-774. 1957. Epidemic Hepatitis in Children and Its Treatment with High Doses of Ascorbic Acid. Ibid., vol. 12: pp. 1525-1536. 1957. 20. H. B. Calleja and R. H. Brooks., Acute Hepatitis Treated with High Doses of Vitamin C. Ohio State Medical Journal, vol. 56: pp. 821-823. 1960. 21. D. Baetgen., Results of the Treatment of Epidemic Hepatitis in Children with High Doses of ascorbic Acid in the Years 19571958. Medizinische Monatschrift. vol. 15: pp. 30-36. 1961. 22. W. L. Dalton., Massive Doses of vitamin C in the Treatment

of Viral Diseases. Journal Indiana State Medical Association, vol. 55: pp. 1151-1154. 1962.

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23. I. Dainow., Treatment of Herpes Zoster with Vitamin C. Dermatologia, vol. 68: pp. 197-201. 1943. 24. M. Zureick., Treatment of Shingles and Herpes with Vitamin C Intravenously. Journal des Practiciens, vol. 64: p. 586. 1950. 25. F. R. Klenner., Virus Pneumonia and Its Treatment with

Vitamin C. Southern Medical and Surgery, vol. 110: pp. 3646. 1948. 26. J. M. Paez de la Torre., Ascorbic Acid in Measles. Archives

Argentinos de Pediatria, vol. 24: pp. 225-227. 1945. 27. R. Vargas Magne., Vitamin C in Treatment of Influenza. El Dia Medico, vol. 35: pp. 1714-1715. 1963. 28. J. B. Enright., Geographical Distribution of Bat Rabies in the United States. 1953-1960. American Journal of Public Health, vol. 52: pp. 484-488. 1962.

29. G. L. Humphrey et al., Fatal Case of Rabies in a Woman Bitten by a Bat. Public Health Reports, vol. 75: pp. 317-326. 1960. J. R. Kent. Human Rabies Transmitted by the Bite of a Bat. New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 263: pp. 10581065. 1960.

CHEMICAL STRESSES - POISONS, TOXINS 1. M. Vauthey., Protective Effect of Vitamin C against Poisons. Praxis (Bern), vol. 40: pp.284-286. J. V. Mavin. Experimental Treatment of Poisoning of Guinea Pigs with Ascorbic sociedad Argentina de Biologia (Buenos 581-586. 1941.

1951. Acute Mercury Acid. Revista dela Aires), vol.17: pp.

M. Mokranjac and C. Petrovic., Vitamin C as an Antidote

in Poisoning by Fatal Doses of Mercury. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Seances de I'Academie des Sciences, vol.

258: pp. 1341-1342. 1964. D. W. Chapman and C. F. Shaffer., Mercurial Diuretics.

Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 79: pp.449-456: 1947. A. Ruskin., and B. Ruskin., Effect of Mercurial Diuretics

upon Respiration of Rat Heart and IUdney. Ill. Texas Reports on Biology and Medicine, vol. 10: p.429. 1952. 2. H. N. Holmes et al., Effect of Vitamin C on Lead Poisoning. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine, vol 24: pp.

Ts

1119-1127.1939. S. W. Marchmont-Robinson., Effect of Vitamin C on

Workers Exposed to Lead Dust. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine, vol. 26: pp. 1478-1481. 1941. L. Pillemer et al., Vitamin C in Chronic Lead Poisoning. American Journal of Medical Science, vol. 200: pp.322-327. 1940. H. Han-Wen et al., Treatment of Lead Poisoning. II. Experiments on the Effect of Vitamin C and Rutin. Chinese Journal Internal Medicine, vol. 7: pp. 19-20. 1959. A. M. Danneberg et al., Ascorbic Acid in the Treatment of Chronic Lead Poisoning. Journal American Medical Association, vol. 1 14: pp. 1439-1440. 1940. G. A Uzbekov., Ascorbic Acid and Cysteine as Detoxicants in Lead Poisoning. Voprosy Meditsinskoi Khimii (Moskva),

vol.6: pp. 183-187. 1960. J. Gontzea et al., The Vitamin C Requirements of Lead Workers. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Augenwardte Phisiologie Einschliesslich Arbeits Physiologie (Berlin), vol. 20: pp.20-33. 1963. 3. E. W. MeChesney et al., Detoxification of neoarsphenamine

by Means of various Organic Acids. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, vol. 80: pp.81-92. 1942. A. F. Abt., The Human Skin as an Indicator of the Detoxifying Action of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) in Reactions Due to Arsenicals Used in Antisyphilitic Therapy. U.S. Naval Medical Bulletin, vol.40: pp.291-203. 1942. IL D. Lahiri., Advancement in the Treatment of Arsenical Intolerance. Indian Journal of Venereal Diseases and Dermatology, vol.9: pp. 1-2. 1943. E. W. MeChesney., Further Studies on the Detoxification of

the Arshenarnines by Ascorbic Acid. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, vol.84: pp.222-235. 1945. N. Marocco and E. Rigotti. ffidney Protective Effect of Vitamin C in Arsenic Poisoning. Minerva Urologica, vol. 14:

pp.207-212. 1962. 4. M. H. Samitz et al., Studies on the Prevention of Injurious Effects of Chromates in Industry. Industrial Medicine and Surgery. vol.3 1: pp.427-432. 1962.

76

M. H. Samitz et al., Ascorbic Acid in the Prevention of Chrome Dermatitis. Archives of Environmental Health, vol. 17: pp.44-

45.1968. D. J. Pirozzi et al., The Effect of Ascorbic Acid on Chrome

Ulcers in Guinea Pigs. Archives of Environmental Health, vol. 17: pp. 178-180. 1968. 5. A. Renzo., Salts of Gold and Vitamin C. Brazil-Medico, vol.51:

pp.1135-1136.1937. D. Peryassu., Vitamin C and the State of Intolerance to Gold, Bismuth and Arsenaobenzene. Hospital-Rio de Janeiro, vol. 17: pp. 127-158.1940. 6. J. B. Lurie., Benzene Intoxication and Vitamin C. Transactions of the Association of Industrial Medical Officers, vol. 15:

pp.78-79.1965. H. Thiele., Chronic Benzene Poisoning. Pracovni Lekarstvi,

Vol. 16: PP. 177. 1964. S. Forssman and K. L. Frykholm., Benzene Poisoning II.

Acta Medica Scandinavia, vol. 128: pp.256-280. 1947. I. M. Filipov., Effect of Low DDT Doses upon the Ascorbic Acid Biosynthesis in Rats. Voprosy Pitaniia (Moskva), vol.23: pp.7073. 1964. 7. Protective Action of Ascorbic Acid and Its Precursors on the Convulsive and Lethal Actions of Strychnine. Indian Journal Experimental Biology, vol.5: pp.110-112. 1967. Also Die Naturwissenschaften, vol.52: p. 164. 1965. E. Schulteiss and J. Tarai., Effect of Ascorbic Acid on Side

Effects Caused by Digitalis Therapy of Heart Disease of the Aged. Zeitschrift fur die Gesamte Innere Medizin und LThre Grenzgebiete (Leipsig)., vol. 14: pp.267-268. 1959. 8. I. Dainow., Ascorbic Acid in the Prevention and Treatment of Accidents due to the Sulfonamides. Dennatologica (Basle), vol.83: pp.43-44. 1941.

L. Pelner., Sensitivity to Sulfonamide Compounds Probably Avoided by Combined Use with Ascorbic Acid. New York State Journal of Medicine, vol.43: p. 1874. 1943. S. L. Ruskin., Vitamin C-Sulfonamide Compounds in the

Healing of wounds. Archives of Otolaryngology, vol.40: pp. 115122. 1944. (For references to aspirin to@city see Reference 3, Chapter 21).

fe!

E. B. Vedder and C. Rosenberg., Journal of nutrition, vol. 16:

p.57. 1938; 9. IL Hwi et al., A Study of Therapeutic Effect of Large Dosage of Injected Ascorbic Acid on the Depression of the Central Nervous System as in Acute Poisoning due to Barbiturates. Acta Phannaceutica Sinica (Peking), vol. 12: pp. 764-765. 1965. R. Ghione., Morphine Spasm and C-Hypervitaminosis. Vitaminologia (Tuhn), vol. 16: pp. 131-136. 1958. 10. IL H. Beyer et al., The Relation of Vitamin C to Anesthesia Surgery. Gynecology and Obstetrics, vol.79: pp.49-56. 1944. 11. P. K Dey., Efficacy of Vitamin C in Counteracting Tetanus To3dn Toxicity. Naturwissenschaften, vol.53: p.310. 1966. F. R. luenner., Recent Discoveries in the Treatment of Lock-

jaw with Vitamin C and Tolsenol. Tri-State Medical Journal. July 1954. I. Nitzesco et al., Antitosic Powers of Vitamin C. Bulletin

Academie de Medicin de Roumanie, vol.3: pp. 781-782. 1938. 12. A. Buller-Souto and C. Lima., Action of Vitamin C on the

To3dns of Gas Gangrene and Others. Memodas do Institute Butantan,vol.12: pp.265-296.1938. (AlsopublishedinComptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de Ses Filiales (Paris). See Chemical Abstracts. 1939.) 13. H. Perdomo., Snake Venom and Vitamin C. Revists de la faculatad de Medicina (Bogota), vol. 15: pp. 769-772. 1947. F. IL A. Ehan., Antidotes of Cobra Venom. Journal Indian

Medical Association, vol. 12: p.313. 1943. F. R. Klenner., The Use of vitamin C as an Antibiotic. Journal

Applied Nutrition, vol.6: pp.274-278. 1953. W. J. McCormick., Ascorbic Acid as a Chemotherapeutic

Agent. Archives of Pediathes, vol.69: pp. 151-155. 1952. F. R. 10enner., The Black Widow Spider. Tri-State Medical

Journal. December 1957. 14. G. Holland and W. Chlosta., Vitamin C and Mushroom Poisoning. Deutsche Medizinische Woehenschrift, vol.65: p.1852.1939. 15. K. H. Beyer., Protective Action of vitamin C against Experi-

mental Hepatic Damage. Archives Internal Medicine, vol. 7 1: pp.315-324.1943. M. A. Soliman et al., Vitamin C as Prophylactic Drug Against Experimental Hepatotoxicity. Journal Egyptian

78

Medical Association, vol.48: pp.806-812. 1965.

PHYSICAL STRESSES 1. C. L. Pirani., Review: Relation of vitamin C to Adrenocortical

Function and Stress Phenomena. Metabolism, vol. 1: pp. 197222! 1952: 2 . J. Zook and G. R. Sharpless., Vitamin C in Artificial Fever. Proceedings Society Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol.39: pp.233-236. 1938. E. M. Thompson et al., The Effect of High Environmental Temperature on Basal Metabolism and Serum Ascorbic Acid Concentration of women. Journal of Nutrition, vol.68: pp. 3547. 1959. A. Henschel et al., Vitamin C and Ability to Work in Hot Environments. Americal Journal of tropical Medicine, vol. 24:

pp.259-265. 1944. W. L. Weaver., The Prevention of Heat Prostration by Use of Vitamin C. Southern Medical Journal, vol.41: pp.479-481.

1948. L. A. Shoudy and G. H. Collings, Jr., Clinical Trial of Vitamin B | and Vitamin C in the Prevention ofheat Disease. Industrial Medicine, vol. 14: pp.573-575. 1945. F. T. Agarkov., New Possibilities of Increasing Heat Resist-

ance of the Body in Light of Experimental Data. Patologicheskaia Fiziologiia i Ekspermental'naia Terapiia (Moskva), vol.6: pp.70-73. 1962. 3. D. H. Klasson., Ascorbic Acid in the Treatment of Burns.

New York State Journal of Medicine, pp.2388-2392. October 15,1951. 4. F. R. Klenner., Observations on the Dose and Administra-

tion of Ascorbic Acid When Employed Beyond the Range of a Vitamin in Human Pathology. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol.23: pp.61-88. 1971. 5. M. B. Coventry and G. B. Logan., Emergency Treatment of Burns in Children. Postgraduate Medicine, vol. 15: pp. 150156. 1954. C. E. Emery, Jr., et al. Effect of Thermal Injury on Ascorbic Acid and Tyrosine Metabolism. Proceedings Society Experi-

ihe

mental Biology and Medicine, vol. 106: pp.267-270. 1961. J. Kalina and B. Hejda., Vitamin C in Patients with Burns. Acta Chirugicae Plasticae, vol.7: pp.139-145. 1965. 6. L. P. Dugal., Vitamin C in Relation to Cold Temperature Tolerance. Annals New York Academy of Sciences, vol.92, Article 1: pp.307-317. 1961. L. P. Dugal and M. Therien., Ascorbic Acid and Acclimatization to Cold Environment. Canadian Journal of Research, vol. 25, Sec. E: pp. 11 1- 136. 1947. L. P. Dugal and G. Fortier., Ascorbic Acid and Acclimatization to Cold in Monkeys. Journal of Applied Physiology, vol.5: pp. 143-146. 1952. L. Leblane et al., Studies on Acclimatization and on the

Effect of Ascorbic Acid in Men Exposed to Cold. Canadian Journal Biochemistry and Physiology, vol.32: pp.407-427. 1954. N. Glickman et al., The Tolerance of man to Cold as Affected by Dietary Modifications: High Versus Low Intake of Certain Water-Soluble Vitamins. American Journal of Physiology, vol.146: pp.538-558. 1946. 7. G. Ungar., Effect of Ascorbic Acid on the Survival of Traumatized Animals. Nature (London), vol. 1: pp.637-638. 1942. W. A. Andreae and J. S. L. Browne., Ascorbic Acid Metabolism After Trauma in Man. Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol.55: pp.425-432. 1946. M. F. Merezhinski., Preservation of Ascorbic Acid and Glutathione Resources in Tissues of Animals Suffering from Trauma and Supplied with Various Amounts of Vitamin C. Chemical Abstracts, vol.57: pp.15712-15713. 1962. 8. W. Pfannstiel., Luftfahrtmed Abhandl, vol.2: p.234. 1938; and G. Dorholt. Ibid. vol.2: p.240,1938. Cited in Krasno et al. J. M. Peterson., Ascorbic Acid and Resistance to Low Oxygen Tension. Nature, vol.148: p.84. 1941. L. R. Krasno et al., Effect of Repeated Exposure of Human Subjects to 18,000 Feet Without Supplemental Oxygen. Aviation Medicine, vol.21: pp.283-292,312. 1950.

I. Wesley et al., The Use of Vitamin C in Aviation Medicine. Vojnosanitetski Pregled (Beograd), vol. 16: pp.207-211. 1959. M. M. Brooks., Methylene Blue, an Antidote to Altitude

80

Sickness. Aviation Medicine, vol. 19: pp.298-299. 1948.

9. R. Seltser and P. E. Sartwell., The Effect of Occupational Exposure to Radiation on the Mortality of Physicians. Journal American Medical Association, vol. 190: pp.90-92. 1964. E.B.Lewis., Leukemia, Multiple Myeloma and Aplastic Anemia in American Radiologists. Science,vol.142:pp.1492-1494.1963. 10. C. H. Kretzschmer et al., The Effect of X rays on Ascorbic Acid Concentration in Plasma and in Tissues. British Journal of Radiology, vol.20: pp.94-99. 1947. M. M. Monier and R. J. Weiss., Increased Excretion of

Dehydroascorbic Acid and Diketogulonic Acids by Rats after X-ray Irradiation. Proceedings Society Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol.81: pp.598-599. 1952. H. L. Oster et al., Effect of Whole Body X-Irradiation on Ascorbic Acid of Rat Tissues. Proceedings Society Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol.84: pp.470-473. 1953. A. Hochman and I. Block-Frankenthal., The Effect of

Low and High X-ray Dosage on the Ascorbic Acid Content of the Suprarenal. British Journal of Radiology, vol.26: pp.599-

600. 1953. Z. Ya.Dolgova., Ascorbic Acid Exchange During the Action of X rays on the Organism. Meditsinskaya Radiologiya (Moskva), vol.7: pp.67-70. 1962.

11. C. Carrie and 0. Schnettler., Prevention of Leucopenia afterroentgen Irradiation. Strahlentherapie, vol.66: pp.149154.1939. A. Clausen., Treatment of X-ray Leueopenia with Vitamin C. Acta Radiologica, vol.23: pp.95-98. 1942. W. S. Wallace., Studies in Radiation Sickness II. Southern

Medical Journal, vol.34: pp.170-173. 1941. V. Kalnins., The Effect of x-ray Irradiation on the Mandibles of Guinea Pigs Treated with Large and Small Doses of ascorbic Acid. Journal of Dental Research, vol.32: pp. 177-188. 1953. V. S. Yusipov., Effect of Ascorbic Acid on the Carbohydrate Function of the Liver and the Survival Rate of Animals with Acute Radiation Sickness. Meditsinskaia Radiologiia (Moskva), vol.4: p.78. 1959. V. S. Yusipov., The Role of ascorbic Acid in Radiation Sickness.

Meditsinskaia Radiologiia. (Moskva), vol.4: pp.79-81. 1959.

81

12. E. Genazzani and E. Miele., Ionizing Radiations and Lysozyme. II. Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale (Napoli), vol.35: pp.1798-1801. 1959. B. Shapiro et al., Ascorbic Acid Protection Against Inactivation of Lysozyme and Aldolase by Ionizing Radiation. U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, SAM-TR-65-71: pp.1-3. November 1965. B. Shapiro and G. Kollman., Protection by Ascorbic Acid Against Radiation Damage in Vitro. Journal of the Albert Einstein Medical Center (Philadelphia), vol.15: pp.63-70. 1967.

POLLUTION AND SMOKER'S SCURVY 1. National Academy of Sciences. Effects of Chronic Exposure to Low Levels of Carbon Monoxide on Human Health, Behaviour and Performance, Washington, D. C., p. 15. 1969. 2. J. W. Swinnerton et al., The Ocean: A Natural Source of Carbon Monoxide. Science, vol. 167: pp.987-986. 1970.

3. V. M. Nizhegorodov., Effects of Chronic Carbon Monoxide Poisoning on 24-Hour Vitamin C Requirements in Animals. Zdravo-okhr (Byeloruss), vol.8: pp.50-53. 1962. F. R. Klenner., The Role of Ascorbic Acid in Therapeutics. Tri-State Medical Journal, November 1955. P. P. Gray, I. Stone and H. Rothchild., The Action of Sunlight on Beer. Wallerstein Laboratories Communications, vol.4: pp.29-40. 1941. 4. G. Ungar and M. Bolgert., Attempts to Prevent Fatal Pulmonary Lesions from the Inhalation of Irritating Vapors with Ascorbic Acid and with Histaminase. Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de Ses Filiales (Paris), vol. 129: pp.1107-1109.1938. S. Mittler., Protection against Death due to Ozone Poisoning. Nature, vol. 18 1: pp. 1063-1064. 1958. 5. L. H. Strauss and P. Scheer., Effect of nicotine on Vitamin C Metabolism. International Zeitschrift fur vitaminforschung,

vol.9: pp.39-48. 1939. W. J. McCormick., Ascorbic Acid as a Chemotherapeutic Agent. Archives Pediatries, vol.69: pp.151-155. 1952. A. Bourquin and E. Musmanno., Effect of Smoking on the

82

Ascorbic Acid Content of Whole Blood. American Journal Digestive Diseases, vol.20: pp.75-77. 1953. S. A. Andrzejewski., Studies on the Toxicity of Tobacco and Tobacco Smoke. Acta Medica Polona, vol.5: pp.407-408.1966. C. Goyanna., Tobacco and Vitamin C. Brasil Medico, vol. 69:

pp.173-177.1955. G. Dietrich and M. Buchner., Contribution to the Vitamin C Metabolism of Smokers. Deutsche Gesundeheitwesen,

vol.15: pp.2494-2495. 1960. Cl. H. Durand et al., Latent Hypovitaminosis and Tobacco. Concourse Medicale, vol.84: pp.4801-4806. 1962. J. H. Calder, R. C. Curtis and H. Fore., Comparison of the

Vitamin C in Plasma and Leukocytes of Smokers and Nonsmokers. Lancet, vol.l: p.556. 1963. A. M. Rupniewska., Duration of Smoking and Content of Ascorbic Acid in the Body. Polski Tygodnik Lekarski (Warszawa), vol.20: pp. 1069-1071. 1965. M. Brook and J. J. Grimshaw., Vitamin C Concentration

of Plasma and Leukocytes as Related to Smoking Habit, Age, and Sex of Humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,

vol.2 1: pp. 1254-1258. 1968. Pelletier., Smoking and Vitamin C Levels in Humans. American Journal of Chemical Nutrition, vol.21: pp. 1259-1267. 6. J. U. Schlegel et al., Studies on the Etiology and Prevention of Bladder Carcinoma. Journal of Urology, vol.101: pp.317324. 1969. Ascorbic Acid: An Anticancer Vitamin? Medical World News, p.24. June 21, 1968.

WOUNDS, BONE FRACTURES, AND SHOCK 1. Scientific Conference on Vitamin C. Annals New York Academy of Sciences, vol.92, Article 1. 1961. A. F. Abt and S. von Schuching., Catabolism of L-Ascorbic I-C14 Acid as a Measure of its Utilization in the Intact and Wounded Guinea Pig on Scorbutic Maintenance and Saturation Diets. Annals New York Academy of Sciences, vol.92:

pp.148-158.1961. W. van B. Robertson., The Biochemical Role of Ascorbic

Acid in Connective Tissue. Annals New York Academy of Sciences, vol.92: pp. 159-167. 1961.

83

B. S. Gould., Ascorbic Acid-Independent and Ascorbic AcidDependent Collagen-Forming Mechanisms. Annals New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 92: pp. 168-174. 196 1. J. H. Crandon et al., Ascorbic Acid Economy in Surgical Patients. Annals New York Academy of Sciences, vol.92: pp.246-267. 1961. H. M. Fullmer et al., Role of Ascorbic Acid in the Formation

and Maintenance of Dental Structures. Annals New York Academy of Sciences, vol.92: pp.286-294. 1961. R. E. Lee., Ascorbic Acid and the Peripheral Vascular System. Annals New York Academy of Sciences, vol.92: pp.295-301. 1961. Dr. Maryin D. Steinberg, Personal communication from Director, Department of Podiatry, Jewish Memorial Hospital, New York, New York.

2. B. Chakrabarti and S. Banerjec., Dehydroascorbic Acid Level in Blood of Patients Suffering from Various Infectious Diseases. Proceedings Society Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol.88: pp.581-583. 1955. A. Hoffer and H. Osmond., Scurvy and Schizophrenia. Diseases of the Nervous System, vol.24: pp. 1-12. May 1963. 3. J. N. Bhaduri and S. Banerjee., Ascorbic Acid, Dehy-

droascorbic Acid and Glutathione Levels in Blood of Patients Suffering from Infectious Diseases. Indian Journal of Medical Research, vol.48: pp.208-211. 1960. 4. G. Ungar., Effect of Ascorbic Acid on the Survival of Traumatized Animals. Nature, vol. 149: pp.637-638. 1942. G. Ungar., Experimental Traumatic "Shock." Lancet, vol. |:

pp.421-424. 1943. C. P. Stewart et al., Intravenous Ascorbic Acid in Experimental Acute Haemorrhage. Lancet, vol. 1: pp.818-820.1941. E. MeDevitt et al., Vitamin C in Peripheral Vascular Failure. Southern Medical Journal, vol.37: pp.208-211. 1944. C. D. de Pasqualini., The Effect of Ascorbic Acid on

Hemorrhagic Shock in the Guinea Pig. American Journal of Physiology, vol. 147: pp.598-601. 1946.

5. H. N. Holmes., The Use of Vitamin C in Traumatic Shock. The Ohio State Medical Journal, vol.42: pp. 1261-1264. 1946. 6. S. M. Levenson et al., Ascorbic Acid, Riboflavin, Thiamin

and Nicotinic Acid in Relation to Severe Injury, Hemorrhage

84

and Infection in the Human. Annals of Surgery, vol.124: pp.840-856. 1946. F. A. Simeone., Hemorrhagic Shock: Metabolic Effects. Science, vol. 141: pp.536-542. 1963. 7. E. deJ. Zerbini., Vitamin C in Gastric Resection for Peptic Ulcer. Archives of Surgery, vol.54: pp.117-120. 1947. Z. Pataky, et al. Vitamin C in the Control and Prevention of Surgical Shock. Zentralblatt fur Chirurgie, vol.82: pp.883887. 1957. L. A. Kaschevskaia., Dynamics of Blood Ascorbic Acid in State of Shock. Biulleten Eksperimental 'noi Biologii i Meditsiny (Moskva), vol. 42: pp.60-66. 1957. 8. J. G. Strawitz et al., The Effect of Methylene Blue and Ascorbic Acid in Hemorrhagic Shock. Surgical Forum, vol.9: pp.54-58. 1958. 9. J. A. Santome and 0. A. Gomez., Ascorbic Acid and

Hemorrhagic Shock. I. Changes in Plasma and Whole Blood. Acta Physiologica Latino-Americans, vol. 13: pp. 150-154.1963. II. Changes in the Whole Adrenal Gland and in the Adrenal Cortex. Acta Physiologica Latino-Americana, vol. 13: pp. 155158.1963. G. Koesard-Varo., The Physiologic Role of Adrenalin, Nor-

Adrenalin and Vitamin C in Homeostasis. Journal OtoLaryngological Society of Australia (Melbourne), vol. 2: pp. 68-74.1967. 10. I. Gore et al., Capillary Hemorrhage in Ascorbic AcidDeficient Guinea Pigs. Ultrastructural Basis. Archives of Pathology, vol.85: pp.493-502. 1968. 11. M. H. Wel and H. Shubin., The 'VIP' Approach to the Bedside Management of Shock. Journal American Medical Association, vol.207: pp.337-340. 1969.

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CHAPTER 3: THE METHOD OF DETERMINING PROPER DOSES OF VITAMIN C FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASE BY TITRATING TO BOWEL TOLERANCE. Dr Cathcart has been a co-worker with us for some two decades. he was first of all responsible for the development of the prosthetic hip joint, then turning from surgery into research into vitamin C. He has made many invaluable contributions towards the understanding of Vitamin C’s PROPER USE. This article describes his clinical experiences. No physician, we are sure, would attempt to treat a streptococcal infection with only a thousand units of penicillin. It would be like trying to sweep a house with a single straw instead of a straw broom. yet, many physicians will inform you that they have “tried” Vitamin C and in doesn’t work! Upon questioning them you find that they had prescribed a “daring” 100 to 500mg of Vitamin C a day for their patient. This paper explains why and how much is necessary to treat a whole range of diseases. We thank Dr Cathcart for permission to produce this paper and for his continuing friendship. Further Background

As an extension to Chapter 3, we have included an article we published in 1983.

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LINUS PAULING, VITAMIN C AND THE REMARKABLE ROBERT CATHCART. (Toorak Times 29th August 1983).

REPRINTED FROM THE AUSTRALASIAN NURSES JOURNAL 9 (K) 9.13, MARCH

1980

THE METHOD OF DETERMINING PROPER DOSES OF VITAMIN C FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASE BY TITRATING TO BOWEL TOLERANCE Robert F. Cathcart, II, M.D My experience (Cathcart 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979) in utilizing vitamin C in large doses has extended over a nine year period and has involved over 9,000 patients. Much of the original work with large amounts of vitamin C was done by Fred R. Klenner, M.D. (1948, 1949, 1971, 1974) of Reidsville, North Carolina. Klenner

found that viral diseases could be detoxified and subsequently cured by intravenous sodium Ascorbate in amounts up to 200 grams per 24 hours. Irwin Stone (1965,1966,1972) pointed out the potential of vitamin C in the treatment of many diseases, the inability of humans to synthesize Ascorbate and the resultant condition hypoascorbemia. Linus Pauling (1970, 1976) reviewed the literature on vitamin C and

has led the crusade to make known its medical uses to the public and the medical profession. Ewan Cameron in association with Pauling (1976, 1978) has shown the usefulness of ascorbic acid in the treatment of cancer. The purpose of this paper is to describe a method which maxi-

87

mizes the effectiveness of ascorbic acid taken orally for various

diseases and stress processes. Much of the controversy about ascorbic acid has been due to studies utilizing totally inadequate doses of vitamin C. It seems incredible to the growing number of physicians familiar with the proper doses of ascorbic acid that recent papers would describe studies utilizing only up to four grams per 24 hours. Also the hypothesis that not only do humans suffer from chronic hypoascorbemia but that stress and disease can induce localized and systemic anascorbemia (a type of scurvy) will be presented.

Bowel Tolerance Method In 1970, I discovered the sicker a patient was, the more ascorbic

acid he would tolerate by mouth before diarrhoea was produced. At least 80 percent of adult patients will tolerate 10 - 15 grams of ascorbic acid fine crystals in one half cup water in four divided doses per 24 hours without having diarrhoea. The astonishing finding was that almost all patients will absorb far greater amounts without having diarrhoea when ill. This increased tolerance is somewhat proportional to the toxicity of the disease being treated. Tolerance is increased some by stress (e.g. anxiety, exercise, heat, cold, etc.). Admittedly increasing the frequency of doses increases tolerance perhaps to half again as much, but the tolerance exceeding sometimes 200 grams per 24 hours was totally unexpected. Representative doses taken by patients titrating their ascorbic acid intake between the relief of most symptoms and the production of diarrhoea were as follows:

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TABLE 1

USUAL BOWL TOLERANCE DOSES

|

CONDITION

GRAMS | NUMBER OF DOSES PER 24 HOURS PER 24 HOURS

normal, weil

mild cold

Severe cold influenza

ECHO. coxsackle virus mononucleosis

—_

viral pneumonia

as

Mee yan OH Oe &

hay fever, asthma

burns, injury, surgery

anxiely, exercise and other mild stresses

cancer

ankylosing spondylitis rheumatoid arthritis bacterial infections

It was found that maximum relief of symptoms, the most shortening of the course of the disease, and the greatest reduction in complications could be obtained by the oral doses just below the point causing diarrhoea. This titration to bowel tolerance is usually easily sensed by the patient. In many conditions symptoms are markedly suppressed but will return rapidly if the dose levels are not maintained long enough. In the case of very toxic diseases, doses may have to be taken every half hour. Even short delays in taking these doses may prolong the disease. The necessary duration of treatment is usually also easily sensed by patients.

ANASCORBEMIA The term "anascorbemia" is coined to mean complete absence of Ascorbate from the blood. It accompanies the "acutely and chroni-

89

cally induced scurvy" discussed. The object of this titration to bowel tolerance is to eliminate the "toxicity" of the disease and to maintain a high level of Ascorbate in all tissues of the body especially the tissues directly involved by the disease process. Bearing in mind that almost continual sipping of ascorbic acid would be optimum especially with the more toxic diseases, for practical purposes compromise to the number of doses listed often suffices. Apparently there is an almost unbelievable and unappreciated potential drawn by diseased tissues on ascorbic acid. Only by fully satisfying this "need' of stressed tissues can the condition of anascorbemia and localized scurvy be absolutely prevented. Fully satisfying this need probably accounts for the striking amelioration of symptoms just before bowel tolerance is reached. This need for Ascorbate is probably the reason many toxic diseases or stressful situations produce complications or even secondary diseases later on. The induced anascorbemia may predispose to pneumonia, heart attacks, phlebitis, Guillian-Barre syndrome and perhaps rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. It is my custom to speak of 20 to 100 gram colds, etc. A 100 gram cold would mean that the patient is capable of ingesting 100 grams of ascorbic acid per 24 hours at the peak of the disease. In the case of systemic viral infections, it is often more important to properly estimate what gram disease it is and persuade the patient to take adequate doses than to know what virus is being treated. A patient who learns to start titrating at the earliest symptoms of a disease will have the best results. Nevertheless, adequate doses will usually reduce symptoms even late in the disease. By this method large amounts of Ascorbate are spilled in the urine, but this is necessary to push adequate amounts of Ascorbate into the tissues of the very seat of the disease and maintain full vitamin C functions. One who argues that Ascorbate can have no effect above renal threshold misses the point entirely and would, I suppose, maintain that one could not become more intoxicated on ethyl alcohol above renal threshold. Also, large amounts of Ascorbate in the urine will prevent many kidney and bladder infections. In the case of the more "toxic" conditions, half-hourly doses may

be necessary. Absorption and presumably destruction of ascorbate occur so rapidly as to require this frequency of doses for adequate amounts of ascorbic acid to keep the diseased tissues saturated

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without requiring too large doses that produce diarrhoea. Even short delays in taking these doses may prolong the disease and reduce the effectiveness of ascorbic acid in blocking symptoms. Infants and children tolerate ascorbic acid remarkably. I encourage the use of water rather than juice because the unsweetened taste aids in helping the patient select the proper dose. Juice is allowed only if the child refuses doses otherwise. Children 10 years old take adult doses; most teenagers take half again as much as adults. Older adults often tolerate ascorbic acid less well and more frequently require intravenous Ascorbate. Young children refusing to take oral ascorbic acid often will subsequently take oral doses after intramuscular injections of Ascorbate. Although this method of persuasion seems cruel it is better than the complications of serious diseases and probably hurts no more than a penicillin shot.

IM AND IV INJECTIONS Per gram intravenous and intramuscular sodium Ascorbate is more effective than oral ascorbic acid. (Klenner, 1971; Kalokerinos,

1974). Solutions of sodium Ascorbate 250 mg per cc with no preservative except for EDTA must be used. The volume of a single IM injection can be as much as one could give as a saline shot. Usually 2cc is used; sometimes a little more, sometimes in two sites.

The object of the intramuscular injection is to avert a crisis, break the fever, etc. Usually very rapid conversion to oral doses is possible. In adults, intravenous injections can be made with the same 250mg per cc solutions in pushes of 10ce or very slowly up to 50ec. Care is necessary here to make sure that the vein does not hurt as the injection is made and that the patient does not dehydrate or have tetany. IV bottles can be prepared by using lactated Ringers', one half normal saline, or normal saline and diluting solutions to 60 grams sodium Ascorbate per litre. At this concentration sterile water can be used but care must be taken to make absolutely sure straight sterile water is never given. These solutions can be run in two to eight hours for a litre. It is my experience that sodium Ascorbate intravenously in an edematous patient will usually act as a diu-

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retic. However, one should think about the sodium and examine

the patient frequently. The most frequent difficulty is dehydration or tetany from running solutions too rapidly. Oral water will prevent dehydration. A 10ce vial of calcium gluconate one gram would be added to one bottle per day if solutions are run more than one day. Remember that most patients will convert to oral doses of ascorbic acid rapidly. In some cases such as severe viral or bacterial pneumonias, one may want to give IV solutions of Ascorbate at the same time that oral doses are being given.

MONONUCLEOSIS Mononucleosis responds dramatically to ascorbic acid although the doses required can be very high. Early in this study a 23 year old, 98 pound female librarian with severe mononucleosis claimed to have taken two heaping tablespoons every two hours consuming a full pound of ascorbic acid in two days. She felt mostly well in three to four days although she had to continue about 20 to 30 grams a day for about two months. Most cases do not require maintenance doses for more than two to three weeks. The duration of need can be sensed by the patient. Professional ski patrol patients can be back on the slopes in a week. I care mostly that they carry their body bags full of ascorbic acid in solution on the hills with them so as to keep the disease detoxified almost completely while the infection persists. Lymph nodes and the spleen return to normal rapidly.

HEPATITIS Viral hepatitis of all types, in my experience, is one of the easiest diseases for ascorbic acid to cure. A difficulty is that hepatitis often causes diarrhoea, so titrating to bowel tolerance is more difficult. However, with experience one judges what gram disease it is and gives this amount regardless of diarrhoea. This amount could be from 40 to 100 grams. It becomes obvious whether it is the disease or the ascorbic acid causing the diarrhoea very soon. There is usually a paradoxical stopping of the diarrhoea within a day or two. If too much difficulty is experienced in judging the dosages, intravenous Ascorbate is extremely effective. Stools and urine return to normal colour within two to three days in acute cases.

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Chronic cases take longer but in my experience respond rapidly. In acute cases the patient will usually feel fairly well in two to four days but it usually takes the jaundice about six days to clear. There would appear to be a staining of the skin that persists even though physical findings and laboratory results return rapidly to normal. SGOT and SGPT values so high as not to be measurable rapidly fall and reflect objectively the subjective feelings of the patient.

GASTROENTERITIS Gastroenteritis of viral origin responds very rapidly but one must titrate boldly and anticipate paradoxical stopping of the diarrhoea. If titration starts in the first hour of the disease,

experienced ascorbic acid takers may never develop the diarrhoea and only suspect what they have avoided because of the disease being epidemic. These diseases may require 60 to 150 grams of ascorbic acid to almost totally block symptoms. If a patient overtitrates and develops diarrhoea from the ascorbic acid, the change in character of the diarrhoea to a relatively painless, less foul, more

like a watery enema diarrhoea, and generalized relief of malaise signals that the doses should be lowered. Other acute self limiting viral diseases respond similarly when the patient titrates properly. Antihistamines and decongestants should be used when appropriate. Belfield and Stone (1975) have observed similar results in veterinary medicine with usually fatal viral diseases when intravenous Ascorbate is utilized.

BACTERIAL INFECTIONS Ascorbic acid should be used in conjunction with the appropriate antibiotic. The effect of ascorbic acid is synergistic with antibiotics and would appear to broaden the spectrum of antibiotics considerably. The incidence of allergic reaction to penicillin in patients 49 saturated" with Ascorbate is almost zero. One must understand that Ascorbate does not always effectively protect against allergic reactions until the patient has titrated up to bowel tolerance. If a patient has an allergic reaction to penicillin before bowel tolerance is reached subsequent "saturation" with Ascorbate in conjunction with usual medications will more rapidly than expected resolve the

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reaction. It is especially interesting that mononucleosis would appear to cause more rapid destruction of Ascorbate than other commonly encountered viral diseases. The high incidence of allergic reaction to penicillin in patients mistakenly given penicillin when they have mononucleosis is usually prevented by saturation with ascorbic acid. It is probable that this high incidence of allergic reaction to penicillin in mononucleosis patients is due to the tremendous draw on Ascorbate by the disease. It has been my experience the indications for ampicillin are markedly reduced by ascorbic acid because of the synergism with penicillin K and G.

CANDIDA ALBICANS Candida infections occur less frequently in patients being treated with antibiotics if bowel tolerance doses of ascorbic acid are simultaneously used. Ascorbic acid seems to have little effect on established candida infections. It should be used, nevertheless, to

help the patient with the stress of the disease.

FUNGUS INFECTIONS Although ascorbic acid should be given in some form in some way to all sick patients to help them meet the stress of the disease, it is my experience that Ascorbate has little effect on the primary fungal infection. It will probably be found certain complications can be reduced in incidence. It may be found that appropriate antifungal agents will penetrate tissues saturated in Ascorbate better.

TRAUMA, SURGERY Swelling and pain from trauma and surgery is markedly reduced by bowel tolerance doses of ascorbic acid. Doses should be given a minimum of six times a day. More major surgeries should require intravenous sodium Ascorbate postoperatively. The effect of Ascorbate on anaesthetics should be studied. Barbiturates and many narcotics are blocked. Refer to the work of Libby and Stone (1977). The need for these substances postoperatively is greatly reduced.

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CANCER I have avoided the treatment of cancer patients for legal reasons; however I have given nutritional consults to a number of cancer patients and have observed an increased bowel tolerance to ascorbic acid. Were I treating cancer patients, I would not limit their ascorbic acid ingestion to a set amount but would titrate them to bowel tolerance. Ewan Cameron's advice against giving cancer patients with widespread metastasis large amounts of Ascorbate too rapidly at first should be heeded. He found that sometimes extensive necrosis or haemorrhage of the cancer could kill the patient if the vitamin was started too rapidly in patients with widespread metastasis. Hopefully, ascorbic acid will become the first treatment given cancer patients and not the last. The nutritional treatment of cancer should not be limited to ascorbic acid.

STRESS AND DISEASE IN GENERAL After considerable experience with patients in stressful situations, (Cathcart, 1979) and with diseases producing stress, it is my opinion that saturation with Ascorbate continuously has markedly reduced the incidence of secondary complications. It is difficult to prove, but it is my definite impression the incidence of disease months following stress is reduced.

ALLERGIES Hay fever and asthma are most frequently benefited. Sometimes, pantothenic acid and/or vitamin B6 is helpful in acting synergistically with ascorbic acid. Frequently, hay fever and asthma are benefited at dose levels lower and more comfortable than bowel tolerance doses. However, treatment should be begun with bowel tolerance doses at least six times a day so that the response of some more difficult cases will not be missed.

BACK PAIN FROM DISC DISEASE Greenwood (1964) observed that one gram a day would reduce the incidence of necessary surgery on discs. At bowel tolerance levels, ascorbic acid more markedly reduces pain about 50 percent

2,

and lessens the difficulties with narcotics and muscle relaxants. It is not the total answer for back pain patients however.

ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS Bowel tolerance is increased by ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical response varies. Sometimes, these diseases are put into remission, sometimes not. I would advise the patients increased needs for Ascorbate be met regardless.

SCARLET FEVER Three cases with typical sandpaper-like rash, peeling skin, and diagnostic laboratory findings of scarlet fever have responded within an hour or overnight. It is thought this immediate response is due to the neutralization of the small amount of residual streptococcus toxin causing the disease.

HERPES: COLD SORES, GENITAL LESIONS, AND SHINGLES Acute herpes infections are usually ameliorated with bowel tolerance doses of ascorbic acid. However, recurrences are common especially if the disease has already become chronic. Zinc in combination with ascorbic acid is more effective for herpes infections.

CRIB DEATHS (SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME) I would agree with Kalokerinos (1974) and Klenner (1971) that

crib deaths are caused by sudden Ascorbate depletions. The induced anascorbemia in some vital regulatory centre kills the child. This induced deficiency is more likely to occur when the diet is poor in Vitamin C. All of the epidemologic factors predisposing to crib deaths are associated with low vitamin C intake or high vitamin C destruction. I have never heard of a crib death in an infant saturated with Ascorbate.

MAINTENANCE DOSES OF ASCORBATE I advise patients to take bowel tolerance doses of ascorbic acid

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for about a week and observe if anything beneficial happens. Some patients clear sinuses, or get a lift from it, etc. In these cases, doses

are reduced to a comfortable effective level. If a patient feels nothing then the amount is lowered to about four grams a day divided in about three to four doses for a good day. During a stressful day, doses are raised to a total of perhaps 10 grams or more. When ascorbic acid crystals are used dissolved in a small amount of plain water, the patient usually develops a taste for the substance that tells him how much to take. At the slightest hint of a threatening viral disease, doses are increased in frequency and to bowel tolerance. In many patients viral infections still occur despite high ascorbic acid intake, although the symptoms of the disease will be mostly ameliorated. Vitamin A 25,000 iu to 50,000 iu per day should be taken if high doses of ascorbic acid are maintained for more than several months. Supplements of all essential minerals should also be taken along with long-run maintenance doses of Ascorbate. Avoidance of sugar and processed foods will prove valuable if a patient's goal is almost complete prevention of viral diseases.

COMPLICATIONS It is my experience that ascorbic acid never causes kidney stones, but in fact, probably prevents them. Acute and chronic urinary tract infections are usually eliminated. One patient in a thousand will experience some dysuria. A small number will have a light rash usually clearing with subsequent doses. Patients with hidden peptic ulcers may have pain but some are benefited. The few patients complaining of canker sores with small doses of vitamin C do not usually have problems with large bowel tolerance doses. Patients with canker sores should be given large doses of vitamin E. Some patients complaining of acid conditions do not tolerate ascorbic acid. These cases are very few. Older patients will have more nuisance problems with ascorbic acid and have more difficulty reaching bowel tolerance. Patients started on maintenance doses of ascorbic acid when

well will have a moderately high incidence of nuisance complaints. Patients treated with bowel tolerance doses for acute diseases have

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very few complaints because of the increased tolerance and the marked relief of symptoms. It is my experience that high maintenance doses of ascorbic acid reduce the incidence of gouty arthritis. I have not had difficulties giving large amounts of ascorbic acid to patients with gout. Almost all of my patients have been Caucasian, so I have no comment on the recent report that ascorbic acid causes certain blood problems in certain non-white groups (Campbell, Steinberg, Bower, 1975). There has been no evidence as Herbert and Jacob (1974) suspected that ascorbic acid destroys vitamin B 12. The major problem, if one wishes to call it a problem, is a certain

dependency on ascorbic acid that a patient acquires over a long period of time when he takes large maintenance doses. Apparently, certain metabolic reactions are encouraged by large amounts of Ascorbate and if the substance is suddenly withdrawn, certain problems result such as a cold, return of allergy, fatigue, etc. Mostly, these problems are a return of problems the patient had before taking the ascorbic acid. Patients have, by this time, become

so adjusted to feeling better that they refuse to go without ascorbic acid. Patients do not seem to acquire this dependency in the short time they take doses to bowel tolerance to treat an acute disease. Maintenance doses of four grams per day do not seem to create a noticeable dependency. The majority of patients who take 10 to 15 grams of ascorbic acid per day probably have a certain metabolic need for Ascorbate which exceeds the universal human species need. The major problem feared by patients benefiting from these large maintenance doses of ascorbic acid is that they may be forced into a position when their body is deprived of Ascorbate during a period of great stress such as emergency hospitalization. Physicians should recognize the consequences of suddenly withdrawing Ascorbate under these circumstances and be prepared to meet these increased metabolic needs for Ascorbate in even an unconscious patient. These consequences which may include shock, heart attack, phlebitis, pneumonia, allergic reactions, etc., can be

averted only by intravenous Ascorbate. All hospitals should have supplies of large amounts of Ascorbate for intravenous use to meet this need. The millions of people taking ascorbic acid makes this an

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urgent priority. Patients should carry warning of these needs in a card prominently displayed in their wallets or should have a Medic Alert type bracelet engraved with this warning. Physicians should, in addition, carefully ask patients! families about the patients’ ascorbic acid maintenance doses. Regardless of a physician's philosophical feelings about the usefulness of vitamin C, the physician should not withhold this essential nutrient from patients who have previously adjusted their body's metabolism to their increased needs. It would be like withholding vitamin B 12 froma patient with pernicious anaemia just because he was hospitalized. In the case of ascorbic acid, the effect would be much more rapid however.

CONCLUSION The method of titrating a patient's dosage of ascorbic acid between the relief of most symptoms and bowel tolerance has been described. This titration method is absolutely necessary to obtain excellent results. Studies of lesser amounts are almost useless. This method cannot by its nature be studied by double blind methods because no placebo will mimic this bowel tolerance phenomenon. The method produces such spectacular effects in all patients capable of tolerating these doses, especially in the cases of acute self-limiting viral diseases as to be undeniable. A placebo could not possibly work so reliably, work in infants and children, and have such a profound effect on critically ill patients. More stable patients will tolerate bowel tolerance doses of ascorbic acid and almost uniformly have excellent results. The more suggestible unstable patient is more likely to have difficulty with the taste.

REFERENCES Belfield, W.O. and Stone, I., Megascorbic Prophylaxis and Megascorbic Therapy. A New Orthomolecular Modality in Veterinary Medicine. Journal of the International Academy of Preventative Medicine, 2:10-26, 1975

Cameron, E. and Pauling, L., Supplemental Ascorbate in the Supportive Treatment of Cancer. Prolongation of Survival Times in Terminal Human Cancer. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 73:3685-3689, 1976.

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Cameron, E., and Pauling, L., The Orthomolecular Treatment of

Cancer. Re-evaluation of Prolongation of Survival Times in Terminal Human Cancer. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 75:4538, 1978. Campbell, G. D. Jr., Steinberg, M.H. and Bower, J.D., Ascor-

bic Acid Induced Hemolysis in G6PD Deficiency, Ann. Int. Med. 82:810, 1975. Cathcart, R.F., Clinical Trial of vitamin C. Medical Tribune, June 25 O7Se: Cathcart, R.F., Clinical Use of Large Doses of Ascorbic Acid.

Presented at the Annual Meeting of the California Orthomolecular Medical Society, San Francisco, February 19, 1976. Cathcart, R.F., Vitamin C as a Detoxifying Agent. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Orthomolecular Medical Society, San Francisco, January 21, 1978. Cathcart, R.F., Vitamin C, The Missing Stress Hormone. Pre-

sented at the Annual Meeting of the Orthmolecular Medical Society, San Francisco, March 3, 1979. Greenwood, J., Optimum Vitamin C Intake as a Factor in the

Preservation of Disc Integrity. Medical Annals of the District of Columbia 33:274-276, 1964. Herbert, V. and Jacob E., Destruction of vitamin B 1, by Ascorbic Acid. JAMA 230:241-242,1974. Kalokerinos, A., Every Second Child. Thomas Nelson, Australia,

1974. Klenner, F.R., Virus Pneumonia and its Treatment with Vitamin

C. J. South. Med. and Surg. 110:60-63, 1948. Klenner, F.R., The Treatment of Poliomyelitis and Other Virus

Diseases with Vitamin C. J. South. Med. and Surg. 11 1:2 10214,1949. Klenner, F.R., Observations on the Dose and Administration of

Ascorbic Acid when Employed Beyond the Range of a Vitamin in Human Pathology. J. App. Nutr. 23:61-88, 197 1. Klenner, F.R., Significance of High Daily Intake of Ascorbic Acid in Preventative Medicine. J Int. Acad. Prev. Med. 1:45-49, 1974.

Libby, A.F. and Stone, I., The hypoascorbemia-K washiorkor Approach to Drug Addiction Therapy. A Pilot Study. J Ortho. Psychiatry, 6:300-308, 1977. Pauling, L., Vitamin C and the Common Cold. W.H. Freeman and

Company, San Francisco, 1970.

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Pauling, L., Vitamin C the Common Cold and the Flu. W.H.Free and Company, San Francisco, 1976. Stone, I., Studies of a Mammalian Enzyme System for producing Evolutionary Evidence on Man. Am. J. Phys. Anthro, 23:83-86, 1965.Stone, I., Hypoascorbemia: The Genetic Disease Causing the Human Requirement for Exogenous Ascorbic Acid Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 10:133-134, 1968.

Stone, I., The Healing Factor-Vitamin C Against Disease. Grosset and Dunlap, New York, 1972.

Excerpt from Toorak Times, Folio No. 535, August 29th, 1983.

LINUS PAULING, VITAMIN C AND THE REMARKABLE ROBERT CATHCART Dr. Robert Cathcart, M.D. is famous as the American orthopedic

surgeon who discovered why the Austin Moore hip joint prosthesis was not totally effective. He accomplished the solution to this problem with some brilliant work which was completed at Stanford University. The change in design seemed to solve the problem and hundreds of Cathcart prostheses are being installed each week in the U.S.A, Canada and Australia.

YET ANOTHER CONTRIBUTION Brilliant as this new hip joint prosthesis is, Dr. Cathcart is famous for introducing yet another medical procedure which is increasingly benefiting patients throughout the world; the Bowel Tolerance concept of vitamin C therapy. We have been privileged to work with Dr. Cathcart over a period of about a decade now. A decade filled with great advances in orthomolecular medicine which we have been fortunate enough to share in.

LINUS PAULING INSTITUTE The following account of Dr. Cathcart's achievements was

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published in the Newsletter, Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine, VI, No. 4, 1978. The author, Dr. Linus Pauling, intro-

duces the article thus. Dr. B. J. Luberaft, editor of the journal Chemtech, which is published by the American Chemical Society, interviewed Dr. Cathcart recently (Chemtech, Feb. 1978) questioning him especially about his use of vitamin C in his medical practice in 1971, while he was still practicing orthopedic surgery in San Mateo, Dr. Cathcart read my book, 'Vitamin C and the Common Cold’, and tried taking a few grams of vitamin C at the onset of a cold in order to check whether or not it would stop the cold. He then wrote me that two grams of vitamin C every hour seemed to do the job, but that he preferred taking eight grams at one time, and that this was usually effective.

HOW DR. CATHCART BECAME INVOLVED In his interview he said, "After reading Pauling and everything else I could on the subject, I started experimenting with vitamin C, first on myself and the family, and then on a few selected patients in San Mateo. I had little opportunity to treat patients with vitamin C. Peer pressure at that time, about seven years ago, was pretty much against the physician using vitamin C. "Besides, as an orthopedic surgeon, I seldom saw patients who had colds, or other viral diseases. So I commuted to Incline Village every week for a year ... where I went into association with a general practitioner who planned to go to another town after about another year. During that year I demonstrated that, properly used, vitamin C could decrease most of the morbidity and all of the mortality from viral diseases. I contacted Pauling about this, and he said that he knew of no other physician who was doing exactly what I was doing.'

THE BOWEL TOLERANCE CONCEPT IS BORN Dr. Cathcart then said that Dr. Fred Klenner of Reidsville,

North Carolina, had during the past thirty years found that he could detoxify most virus diseases with intravenous doses of vitamin C, which he uses even for carbon monoxide poisoning, barbitu-

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rate poisoning and snake bites. What Dr. Cathcart discovered was that, although most people develop a mild diarrhoea when they take 10 or 15 grams of vitamin C in divided doses in one day when they are well, they can tolerate much greater amounts if they are ill. He stated, "The astonishing thing is that the same person - the patient who when well gets diarrhoea on, say, 12 grams when ill with a moderate cold can take 30 to 6Ograms without diarrhoea; with a bad cold or the flu, 100 grams, sometimes even 150 grams, and with viral diseases such as mononucleosis or viral pneumonia I've used in excess of200 grams a day without its producing diarrhoea’. "In some cases the body evidently needs that much, albeit for only a short time. With mononucleosis or viral pneumonia during the first couple of days of the disease we sometimes see a need for that half pound of the vitamin’. "Essentially, the sicker you are, the more you can take, and taking enough and that's important seems to detoxify you. You get well quickly. And as you do, you find that you can tolerate less and less ascorbic acid until you go back to normal when you are well’.

VITAMIN C MULTIFUNCTIONAL Dr. Cathcart pointed out that it is known that vitamin C has many functions in the body, including its involvement in several enzyme catalysed reactions and in the body's ability to make collagen, dentine, adrenalin, and corticosteroids. It maintains

proper functioning of the immune system, the blood coagulation system, and controls the metabolism of several amino acids.

With respect to the treatment of patients, he said 'My practice is to let the body take as much vitamin C as it needs ... to take an amount proportional to the amount of toxin that's around. Remember, everyone else has been talking about a fixed dose, usually at what I consider to be only a homeopathic level. Those studies go from two to maybe four grams a day and they see little clinical effect and no effect statistically. That doesn't surprise me, ifyou have a 100gram cold.. it's my custom to put a number before the name

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of a disease to represent the amount of vitamin C that that patient can consume the first couple of days of the disease without diarrhoea.. so that ifyou have a 100-gram cold and the patient is taking roughly 100 grams a day, you will quickly eliminate perhaps 90% of the symptoms of the disease. But ifyou treat that same cold with 2 grams or even 20 grams a day, you won't see much happen.'

TAMING VIRUSES "In some cases, especially iftreated early, it almost seems as ifmegadoses were killing viruses. With bad colds or influenza we don't seem to shorten the duration of the infection, but we render patients sufficiently asymptomatic so that they weather the infection without complications. Most of the time my patients don't have to miss any work time. Ifyou're using enough ascorbic acid it will promptly take a fever down to normal, and you won't have the normal aches and pains offlu-like diseases.. The typical patient who gets mononucleosis is exactly the one who does the best on vitamin C; older teenagers or young adults are just fantastic vitamin C takers. They can understand the bowel tolerance idea, have iron stomachs and couldn't care less about slight gas and diarrhoea when they have this horrible disease. In fact, the sicker a patient is the better he does because the relief symptoms are so dramatic that they don't need any argu~

ments to convince them to continue treatment. So what usually happens is that in three to five days the symptoms are 90% relieved. The important thing with mono or other responsive diseases is that we can get people back to work in days.'

INFECTIOUS HEPATITIS, THE SIMPLE & SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT "The other disease that is very specific is infectious hepatitis .. it's a cinch for vitamin C. The difference between the course of the disease with and without vitamin C is quite obvious ifonly because hepatitis is a disease that we can put numbers on. There are various enzyme systems that we can

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follow to show the course of the disease. Infectious hepatitis can be mild, where the patient is just a little yellow and maybe a bit tender in the abdomen, but not very sick. But the patients I’m talking about - 20 of them, at least - were profoundly ill with hepatitis, and here again we were able to detoxify them in three to five days. It generally took about six days for the jaundice to clear. In two or three days the urine returned to normal colour.’ "Hepatitis is a serious problem following blood transfusions. As a matter offact the whole system of gathering blood in this country is undergoing revision because people who sell their blood have a high incidence of hepatitis. That's why they're trying to go completely to a voluntary system. I’m not sure that's necessary because it's apparently so simple to control hepatitis; just give patients vitamin C after blood transfusions. One Japanese physician (Dr. Fukumi Morishige, Honorary Non-resident Fellow of the Linus Pauling Institute) has shown that his patients don't get hepatitis ifhe puts them on maintenance doses of ascorbic acid following blood transfusions. Anybody who is stressed enough to need a blood transfusion should be getting large doses of vitamin C anyway.'

KIDNEY STONE NONSENSE Dr. Cathcart talked about side effects of large doses of vitamin C, saying that they seem not to be very important. When asked about kidney stones, he answered,

"I've never seen an oxalate kidney stone among my regular vitamin C takers. There is a theory that says that ascorbic

acid breaks down to oxalate, and could precipitate oxalate stones. But the situation is paradoxical: I'll grant that ifa person did have difficulty handling oxalates, and he took maybe 500 mg of ascorbic acid a day, he might increase his oxalate load, but the paradox is that ifa person takes vitamin C in large doses, as large as I've been talking about, it somehow makes the oxalate more soluble in the urine. Anyway, the pragmatic fact is that in my experience oxalate stones caused by vitamin C are not something to worry

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about.'

Dr. Cathcart, who has now been practising in Incline Village for seven years, stated that he had given megadoses of vitamin C to about 7000 patients. He said that the manufacturers of vitamin C think that Incline Village consumes more vitamin C per capita than any other place in the world. When asked about danger, he said, 'If a patient who's accustomed to high vitamin C intake is hospitalized or otherwise comes under the care of certain physicians, the physician may cut off the C and do it just when the patient needs it most.'

COLDS, ALLERGIES, HAY FEVER AND CANCER When asked about vitamin C and the common cold, he said, "T think that a person who has no really good reason to take vitamin C, no immediate illness, probably should do as

Pauling says and take somewhere around 4 grams a day. People with allergies may find that they are more comfortable with higher amounts. I’m the last person in the world to maintain that you will never get a cold ifyou're taking maintenance doses of vitamin C. I get occasional colds, but I can block the symptoms with vitamin C. I never cease to be amazed at the number of patients who report to me that they used to get colds all the time and never get them since they began taking vitamin C. I take 10 to 15 grams a day, first because I used to have hay fever, vitamin C takes care of hay fever nicely in about two-thirds of all cases, and second because there is evidence that it reduces cholesterol and thus helps prevent arteriosclerosis. Third, I believe that vitamin C contributes to Prevention ofsome cancers.' When asked about the basis for his statement about cancer, Dr. Cathcart referred to the work done in Scotland by Dr. Ewan

Cameron, a Non-resident Fellow of the Linus Pauling Institute, and he concluded saying, 'I think that anyone with cancer should be taking high doses of vitamin C."

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS In a question and answer format, the interview in Chemtech continued. Dr. Cathcart was asked if he had published his observations about vitamin C in the standard medical journals. He answered, "No, but I've tried. My manuscripts were rejected."

Q. What did the referees say? In chemical periodicals the editor refers the paper to referees he chooses, experts in the field, and then forwards their comments, anonymously usually, to

the author. Is that the practice in the medical periodicals? A. In my case the manuscripts were just flatly refused. Q. Just like that, without any explanation? AS Yes. Q. Might it have something to do with an establishment protecting itself or something like that? Do you want to comment on

this? A. Well, really I don't. You know | really believe that the doctors involved in these decisions don't believe this is true. Q . In other words you think they are saying that this qualified physician who has an international reputation for his hip prosthesis has made all this up. Colds, flu, hepatitis, mononueleosis, diseases a second-year medical student could

recognize with high probability.. they don't believe this? Yes, they just don't believe it. They think I'm deceiving myself somehow. In the interview as published in Chemtech, there was the

following caution: "This article is only for a mature audience. The views expressed here are unorthodox and do not necessarily represent those of the American Chemical Society."

ACKNOWLEDGMENT We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Linus Pauling over a period of more than a decade, it is our belief that without his dedication, research into vitamin C would be totally frustrated.

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CHAPTER 4: "ABSTRACTS" OF ABSTRACTS This data, taken from a comprehensive publication of a seminar sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the national Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney diseases, will strengthen the claims of the pioneers of ascorbate. As the publication runs to 103 pages, it is obvious even if we obtained permission to publish all of the data, it would be impossible for us to do so in this limited edition.

However, we have included

the titles of the papers, together with the authors.

To provide the reader with some idea as to the presentation of the abstracts we have included part of one article concerning radiation therapy and misonidazole.

The author is Paul Okunieff, M.D.

Be sure to examine Dr Stone’s statements concerning radiation, something that must concern & disturb us all in this nuclear age. Readers requiring copy of the complete program and abstracts should write to the National Cancer Institute in the U.S.A. The seminar was held as Lister Hall Auditorium, National Institutes of Health,

Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A. on September 10" to the 12", 1990.

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“ABSTRACTS” OF ABSTRACTS ASCORBIC ACID:

Biological Functions and Relation to Cancer

PROGRAM & ABSTRACTS Sponsored by:

THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES LISTER HILL AUDITORIUM NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH BETHESDA, MARYLAND SEPTEMBER 10 - 12, 1990

|

TABLE OF CONTENTS Program

Speakers Poster Presenters Planning Committee Symposium Presenter Abstracts

Ascorbic Acid Protects Plasma Lipids Against Oxidative Damage Balz Frei, Ph.D. Action of Ascorbic Acid as a Scavenger of Active and Stable Oxygen Radicals Etsuo Niki, Ph.D. Ascorbic Acid and Oxidative Inactivation of Proteins Earl R. Stadtman, Ph.D. ee Sore = meee epee EPA

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rmaniveehenti iri

Serum Urate asanAntioxidant for Ascorbic Acid Alex Sevanian, Ph.D.

Ascorbate Requirement for Hydroxylation and Secretion of Procollagen: Relationship to Inhibition of Collagen Syntheses in Scurvy

Beverly Peterkofsky, Ph.D.

Ascorbic Acid Stimulation of Collagen Biosynthesis, -

Independent of Hydroxylation Mario Chojkier, M.D.

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Multicompartmental Secretion of Ascorbic Acid and its Dual Role in Dopamine-alpha-Hydroxylation Emanuel J. Diliberto, Jr., Ph.D. Cytochrome b,,., Ascorbie Acid, and Transmembrane Electron Transfer Patrick J. Fleming, Ph.D.

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Ascorbic Acid and Carnitine Biosynthesis Charles J. Rebouche, Ph.D.

Peptidylglycine Alpha-Amidating Monooxygenase, an Ascorbate-Dependent Enzyme Essential for the

Alpha-Amidation of Neuroendocrine Peptides Betty A. Eipper, Ph.D. Ascorbic Acid and Acetylcholine Receptor Expression Miriam Salpeter, Ph.D.

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Ascorbic Acid and Iran Metabolism Kenneth R. Bridges, M.D.

The Role of Ascorbie Acid in Regulating Cartilage Maturation in the Epiphyseal Growth Plate Irving M. Shapiro, Ph.D.

Transport and Accumulation of Ascorbic Acid into Human Neutrophils Philip W. Washko, Ph.D., D.M_D.

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Reduced Bacterial Activity in Neutrophils from Scorbutic Animals and the Effect of Ascorbate on these Target Bacteria In Vivo and In Vitro Millicent C. Goldschmidt, Ph.D. Complement Component Clq Activity and Ascorbic

Acid Nutrition in Guinea Pigs Betty E. Haskell, Ph.D.

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Mechanisms of Ascorbic Acid Induced Inhibition of Chemical Transformation in CSH/10T1L Cells

Luminita L. V. Ibric, MD., Ph.D.

Growth Modulation of Human Lenkemie and Preleukemic Progenitor Cells by L-Ascorbic Acid Chan H. Park, M.D., Ph.D.

Ascorbate Stabilizes the Differentiated State and Reduces the Ability of Rous Sarcoma Virus to Replicate and to Uniformly Transform Cell Cultures Richard I. Schwarz, Ph.D.

Effects of Ascorbate on HTV Replication in T-Lymphocytic Cell Lines Raxit J. Jariwalla, Ph.D.

Reduced Incidence and Tumour Burden in Spontaneous Mouse Mammary Tumours and UV-induced Tumours with Increasing Ascorbic Acid Linus Pauling, Ph.D.

Inhibition by Vitamin C of Incidence of

Severity of Renal Tumours Induced by Estradiol or Diethylstilbestrol Joachim G, Liehr, Ph.D. Effect of Combined Ascorbic Acid and B., on

Survival of Mice with Implanted Ehriich Carcinoma and L1210 Leukaemia

Sister M. Eymard Poydock, Ph.D.

Fld

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Effect of Ascorbic Acid and Its Synthetic Lipophilic Derivative Ascorbyl Palmitate on _ Phorbol Ester-Induced Skin Tumour Promotion in Mice Robert E. Smart, Ph.D.

- Inhibiting Effect of Ascorbic Acid on Growth . of Human Mammary Tumour Xenografts in Mice Constance Tsao, Ph.D.

Interactions Between Ascorbic Acid, Radiation Therapy, and Misonidazole Paul] Okunieff, M_D.

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Ascorbic Acid and Treatment of Experimental Transplanted Melanoma Gary G. Meadows, Ph.D.

- Hypovitaminosis C in Patients Treated with High-Dose Interleukin-2 and Lymphokine-Activated Killer Cells Stuart L. Marcus, M.D., Ph.D.

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Ascorbic Acid and Adriamycin Toxicity Hiroshi Kan Shimpo, M.D.

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Molecular Basis for the Deficiency in Humans of Gulonolactone Oxidase, a Key Enzyme for Ascorbic Acid Biosynthesis Morimitsu Nishikimi, M.D., Ph.D.

Effects of Experimental Vitamin C Depletion in Healthy Men on Parameters of Immunocompetence and Oxidant Defence Robert A. Jacob, Ph.D, Ascorbic Acid and In Situ Kinetics: A New ents Approach to Vitamin requirem

Mark Levine, MLD.

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$1

Epidemiologic Data on the Role of Ascorbic Acid in Cancer Prevention Gladys Block, Ph.D,

Poster Presenter Abstracts

Ascorbie Acid: Biological Functions and Relationship to Cancer Jean DeBrohun Butler, Ph.D. Ascorbic Acid in the Lens of the Eye Donita Garland, Ph.D.

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A Role for Ascorbic Acid in Copper Transport

Edward D. Harris, Ph.D.

Effects of Ascorbate on HIV Replication in T-Lymphocytic Cell Lines Raxit J. Jariwalla, Ph.D.

Accuracy and Precision of Ascorbic and Dehydroascorbie Acid Measurement in Human Blood and Plasma Sam A. Margolis, Ph.D. Concerted Proton/Electron Transfer between

Ascorbic Acid and Cytochrome b,,, David L. Njus, Ph.D.

Influence of Dietary Intakes of Erythorbic Acid on Plasma Vitamin C Analyses Howerde E. Sauberlich, Ph.D.

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Ascorbic Acid, Dehydroascorbic Acid and Total Vitamin C in Foods: Implications for Diet Studies and Plasma Level Determinations Joseph T. Vanderslice, Ph.D.

ELS

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INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ASCORBIC ACID, RADIATION THERAPY, AND MISONIDAZOLE Paul Okunieff, M.D. Department of Radiation Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

Previous studies have shown that ascorbic acid reduces the toxic effects of radiation, and in in-vitro studies enhanced the effects of

certain nitroimidazole drugs. In-Vivo studies evaluating the direct effects of ascorbic acid alone or in combination with other drugs have been few and contradictory. In this study we evaluated the effects of ascorbic acid given to animals with established tumours, and given (in various doses on an every-other-day basis) to animals commencing with the day of tumour cell inoculation. Early generation isotransplants of a C3I-I/fSed murine fibrosarcoma were used (designated FSAII). Very high drug doses were possible since the ascorbic acid was buffered to pH=7.35; the maximum dose was 4.5 g/kg bw. Even at the highest ascorbic acid dose, there was minimal modification in tumour growth rate and no animals were prevented from developing tumours. When ascorbic acid was given immediately preceding irradiation, there was a significant reduction in the radiation reaction incurred by the skin. Specifically the radiation dose required to obtain a skin desquamation increased from 46.4 Gy to 55.7 Gy. A similar relative radioprotection of bone marrow was induced by ascorbic acid (the LDSO increased from 7.2 Gy to 8.5 Gy) suggesting that the radiation tolerance of normal tissues increases by approximately 25%. The mechanism of this improved radiation tolerance is unclear since similar changes in the LDSO can be caused by high dose hydralazine, and some effect was observed with high dose mannitol and pentobarbital. It may be that a toxic acidosis induced by high dose ascorbic acid simply caused a generalized hypoxia. There was, however, some selectivity to the ascorbic acid effect since the radiation dose required to cure half the tumours treated was not increased, and the growth delay induced by subcurative doses of radiation was not modified.

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When combined with misonidazole, ascorbic acid partially protected the tumour from the radiosensitizing effect of misonidazole. This effect was greater for the normal tissues than tumour and contradicts the in-vitro observations made by others. Presumably ascorbic acid enhances the metabolism and detoxification of misonidazole in-vivo, and the expected interaction of dehydroascorbate with misonidazole is minimal. In summary, ascorbic acid, either directly or indirectly (due to toxicity induced hypoxia) radioprotected both skin and bone marrow. It was not toxic to tumour and did not radioprotect tumour. In contrast to in-vitro studies, it reduced the potency of misonidazole as a radiation sensitizer of tumour.

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CHAPTER 5: SIGNIFICANCE OF HIGH DAILY INTAKE OF ASCORBIC ACID IN PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND POLIOMYELITIS VACCINE The first article published in the Journal of the International Academy of preventive Medicine is referred to near the conclusion of a personal letter forwarded to Glen Dettman, which we use as an introduction. Dr Klenner has written many papers concerning the treatment of what we refer to as “killer diseases”, but few people are aware that has successfully dealt with them all. His “magic bullet’, or “missile”, Vitamin C! Of course he used a range of other accepted medical procedures, but by using the Ascorbate as the front line troops he has succeeded where others have failed. Eventually somebody will publish his papers in toto but we are proud to include but one of the many papers he wrote (in medical journals) about the understanding of poliomyelitis. Upon reading this paper you will understand that Fred Klenner was not only a brilliant compassionate physician but also a great philosopher.

The mind boggles when we realise how much more effective “modern medicine” could be an equally important how less expensive and safer it could be without the overuse of drugs and vaccines.

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FREDERICK R. KLENNER, M.D., F.C.C.P. 27 Gilmer Street Reidsville, North Carolina, 27320 Virus pneumonia, if associated with "brain inflammation",

we found that intramuscular Streptomycin was of tremendous benefit in controlling or "liquidating" secondary invaders. We also employ, at times, Achromycin V, 500 mg, along with several of the I.V. bottles for the same purpose. I would suggest that Dr. Kalokerinos and yourself will handle the virus in your parts, administer massive amounts of ascorbic acid to some of these cases - in the field - away from "the good doctor's control". I am certain that doses calculated at from 500mg to 700mg per Kg of body weight, if made up with 5D water solution so that the concentration of ascorbic acid is not under one gram to 18ce fluid. Give this intravenously at a drop rate compatible with the patient’s circulation but not in excess of 85 drops per minute. Repeat at intervals of 4-6-8-12-24 hours depending on clinical improvement. The first two bottles can follow each other. It will be necessary to add one gram calcium gluconate one to two times each day to replace calcium ions which very large doses of ascorbic acid will remove from the prothrombin complex. Coma, just so long as it does not exceed 36 hours and a viremia if still in evidence, poses no problem to reversal of the encephalitis - although, as with every disease, the earlier the treatment the better the results and faster. 1 have been engaged in serious research with ascorbic acid since 1942 and published the first of 30 papers in 1948. Another important paper on ascorbic acid will soon be available in the first edition of the new journal of Preventive Medicine. I will send a reprint when available. In the meantime should you have any questions regarding this therapy please feel free to write. I have a

wealth of knowledge that has not been published but will, so be, in a book we are preparing covering 32 years of experience. I am indeed grateful and in your debt for your correspondence. Fraternally,

(Signed)

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Fred Klenner, M.D.

From: The Journal of International Academy of Preventive Medicine Vol. 1 No.1 Spring 1974.

SIGNIFICANCE OF HIGH DAILY INTAKE OF ASCORBIC ACID IN PREVENTIVE MEDICINE Frederick Robert Klenner, M.D., F.C.C.P., A.A.F.P., Private Practice, Reidsville, N.C.

Frederick Robert Klenner, B.S., M.S., M.D., F.C.C.P., A.A.F.P.,

after graduating Duke University School of Medicine, March 1936, took three years of hospital training and then entered the private practice of medicine at Reidsville, N.C. Although specializing in diseases of the chest, Dr. Klenner is engaged in a limited general practice which has enabled him to make observations on the use of massive doses of ascorbic acid in virus diseases as well as on other pathological syndromes. He has published 28 scientific papers on these observations and has given numerous lectures to civic and other groups. Dr. Klenner is a Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science; Fellow and Diplomate of The International College of applied Nutrition; Fellow of The Royal Society of Health, London, England; Honorary Fellow of The International Academy of Preventive Medicine and a member and fellow of many other medical and scientific organizations.

INTRODUCTION The American Medical Association its introduction to Nostrums, Quackery and Pseudo-Medicine states: 'In from 80 to 85 per cent of all cases of human ailment, it is probably that the individual

will get well whether he does something for his disposition or does nothing for it. The healing power of nature, fortunately for biologic perpetuity, works that way." These percentages are relative. Increased population and greater concentration in terms of living

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patterns, as well as other types of insult to body, will frequently change this index. As physicians we have a duty to get the patient well, irrespective of his chance for self-healing with diet or herbs. Hippocrates once declared, 'Of several remedies physicians should choose the least sensational." Vitamin C would seem to meet this requirement.

THE VIRUS STORY The common cold has received renewed interest since publication of Pauling's book [1] Brody, [2] in 1953, after studying vitamin C and its effects on colds in college students, advised that ascorbic

acid be given early and often and in sufficient amounts. This confirmed what we had been experiencing and reporting over a period of several years. The response that we observed with massive and frequent doses of ascorbic acid in treating the common cold alerted us to the real significance of this treatment in preventive medicine. In February 1948, [3] I published my first paper on the use of massive doses of vitamin C in treating virus pathology. By February 1960,[4] some 25 scientific papers later, I realized that every head cold must be considered as a probable source of brain pathology. Many have died, especially children, following the

sudden development of cerebral manifestations secondary to even a slight head and/or chest cold. These insidious cerebral happenings are responsible for the so-called crib deaths attributed to suffocation. They die by suffocation, but by way of a syndrome similar to that found in cephalic tetanus toxaemia culminating in diaphragmatic spasm, with dyspnoea and finally asphyxia. These infants and children who have been put to bed apparently well, except for an insignificant nasal congestion, will demonstrate bilateral pneumonitis at autopsy. Adequate vitamin C, taken daily, will eliminate this syndrome, is less acute but unless recognized and treated heroically, the infant will soon die. This condition is probably due to severe brain trauma received at time of delivery.

Laryngismus stridulous will be present in this condition and the child will sound as if it has a cold. Calcium gluconate and massive, frequent injections of vitamin C will also reverse this pathology. The recognized treatment is daily oral dihydrotachysterol. Adequate ascorbic acid taken during the period of gestation will also

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prevent the occurrence of this syndrome. The information relative to crib syndrome is backed by case histories at Annie Penn Memorial Hospital, Reidsville, N.C. I have seen children dead in less than two hours after hospital admission, having received no treatment,

simply because the attending physicians were not impressed with their illness. A few grams of ascorbic acid, given by needle, while they waited for laboratory procedures or examination to fit their schedule, could have saved their lives. I know this to be a fact

because I have been in similar situations and by routinely employing ascorbic acid have seen death take a holiday. In a paper titled 'An Insidious Virus,' [5] I reasoned that it should be a maxim of medicine for large doses of vitamin C to be given in all pathological conditions while the physician ponders his diagnosis. The wisdom of this dictum is backed by many hundred cases under our supervision. I have seen critically ill chest patients well enough to go home after intravenous injection of | or 2 litres of 5% dextrose in water, each carrying 50 gram ascorbic acid. This procedure resulted in a dramatic transition from sickness to health. Virus encephalitis can also be associated with the common cold as a result of the presence of herpes simplex in cold sores, Lerner [6] and associates believe that thousands of cases exist yearly from this route. Of this number, they estimate that one third die; and of

the survivors, eight of nine have residual brain damage. Their work suggests that passive hemaggluting antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid are a better indicator of the presence of infectious virus than are circulating antibody titers in the serum. The simple herpes virus from the insignificant fever blister, but possessing the capability of producing encephalitis, can remain hidden for years in the neuron according to Drs., Stephens and Cook. [7]. This confirms the thinking of Goodpasture [8] given to us many years ago. Thus, a herpes simplex virus once present in a cold sore, although healed and leaving no evidence of lip pathology, could ignite later by simple exposure to ultraviolet light. How many mothers are endangering the lives of their children by sun-bathing, labouring under the belief that they are improving their health"? Roizman [9] believes that all children are infected by age 5, but that only 1% experience true clinical illness. For many years investigators thought that each recurrence of fever blisters represented a new infection. Evidence is accumulating that shows the herpes

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simplex virus is harboured in dormant form until a physiologic or emotional event provokes the virus to produce the typical herpetic lesion. In one case with five repeats of herpes virus erupting at yearly intervals and at the same site, 7-10 gram ascorbic acid by mouth, daily, was found to eliminate this pathology. Effecting a cure when a virus is the offending agent, and many times bringing about this change in the short space of 24 hours, is a rewarding moment in medicine. Vitamin C treatment must be intensive to be successful. Use veins when practical, otherwise give vitamin C intramuscularly. Never give less than 350 mg/kg body weight. This must be repeated every hour for 6 to 12 times, depending upon clinical improvement, then every two to four hours until the patient has recovered. Ice cubes held to the gluteal muscle before and after injection will reduce or eliminate pain and induration. When treatment continues for several days, the child can be placed on an ice cap between injections. When employing vitamin C intravenously, it is best to use sodium Ascorbate and the solution free of all additives except sodium bisulfite. The dose of vitamin C using a syringe should range between 350 mg and 400 mg/kg body weight. In older patients or when very high doses are required the vitamin can be added to 5% dextrose in water, in saline solution or

in Ringer's solution. The concentration should approximately be 1 gram to 18 cc fluid. Bottle injections will need 1 gram calcium gluconate on to two times each day to replace calcium ions removed by the high intravenous schedule. One quart of milk daily will suffice when using the vitamin intramuscularly. In place of milk one can substitute calcium gluconate tablets. Supplemental vitamin C is always given by mouth. As a guide in determining the amount and frequency of injections we recommend our Silver Nitrate-Urine test. [10] This is done by placing ten drops of 5% silver nitrate in a Wasserman tube and adding ten drops urine. A colour pattern will develop showing white, beige, smoke grey or one that looks like fine grain charcoal. Charcoal is the colour needed and the test is performed at least every four hours. The test itself is read in one minute.

These large doses of ascorbic acid will also bring all body tissue back to saturation which means that the white blood cells will now be capable of destroying other pathogens that might be clouding the picture. Unless the white blood cells are saturated with ascorbic

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acid they are like soldiers without bullets. Research on this is now under way at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine by McCall and Cooper. [11] White cells ingest bacteria and in the process produce hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide will combine with ascorbic acid to produce a substance which is lethal to bacteria. I have seen diphtheria, hemolytic streptococcus and staphylococcus infections clear within hours following injections of ascorbic acid in a dose range from 500 mg to 700 mg/kg body weight given intravenously and run in through a 20G needle as fast as the patient's cardiovascular system would allow. Part of the white cells are lymphocytes. They, too, play an important role in survival from infection. We found in several cases of trichinosis [12] that the behaviour of the lymphocytes was the real story of the changing blood picture and actually determined the course of the disease. Wintrobe [13] observed that the function of the lymphocytes was stimulation of antibody formation and that the lymphocytic response runs parallel with the recovery of the patient. This build-up of antibodies appears directly proportional to the concentration of ascorbic acid in all body tissue, and yet we give vaccines but pay no attention to the degree of tissue saturation of ascorbic acid. Dr. Nossal [14] of the Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia, wonders about the mechanism by which lymphocytes, on meeting antigens, decide to be turned on or off. He asks that physiological mechanism underlies the discrimination between immunization and the induction of immunological tolerance and would suggest that it is controlled by vitamin C which in turn affects the negative charge which then influences the response of the lymphocyte. Ginter [15] of the Research Institute of Human Nutrition, Bratislava, offers some evidence to this effect

in his statement: "that all reactions which are connected with vitamin C have oxidation-reduction features. It is therefore probable that the biological function of vitamin C can be located in the metabolic reactions which are connected with electron transfer.' The killing power of ascorbic acid is not limited to just herpes

simplex and the adenovirus. When proper amounts are used it will destroy all virus organisms. We found measles to be a medical curiosity. Specifically we observe that vitamin C given prophylactically, by mouth, was not protective unless 1 gram was given every two hours around the clock. One gram every four hours would

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modify the attack. One gram given every four hours intramuscularly was also protective. With our own children we kept the measle syndrome going off and on for 30 days by giving 1 gram every two hours for two days, then off for two days. The disease was then stopped by continuing 1 gram every two hours, by mouth, for four days. By 1950 we learned that we could kill the measles virus in 24 hours by giving intramuscular injections in a dose range of 35 mg/ kg body weight every 2 hours. We also found that we could dry up chicken pox in the same time, but more dramatic results were obtained by giving 400 mg/kg body weight intravenously. Two to three injections in 24 hours were all that was required. We published these results in 1951.[16] Recently, we cured a man weighing 85 kg in four days taking 30 gram each day by mouth. In conclusion, the killing power of ascorbic acid on virus bodies has been demonstrated by me in hundreds of cases, many of which were treated in our hospital with nothing but vitamin C. We have published some 28 papers on this matter. In certain individuals some virus conditions have a slower response. Herpes zoster and mumps belong to this group. We found that in these conditions equally rapid destruction of the virus could be effected through the use of adenosine-5-monophosphate. Adenosine was given according to age and weight, 25 mg in children and 50-100 mg intramuscularly in adults. This was given every 12 hours along with ascorbic acid. Adenosine will sometimes precipitate a mild reaction in that the patient will feel a fullness in his head with varying degrees of nausea. Inhalation of aromatic spirits of ammonia will quickly relieve and, if used before injection, will

prevent this condition. Their response, when Adenosine was administered, led us to theorize that when a cell has been invaded by a foreign substance, like virus nucleic acid, enzymic action fostered by ascorbic acid contributes to the breakdown of virus nucleic acid to Adenosine deaminase which converts adenosine to inosine. Some individuals cannot manufacture sufficient adenosine to cope with this phase of purine metabolism under certain stress conditions associated with virus pathology. The net result from

this chemical action is to catabolize purines rendering them unavailable for making additional virus nucleic acid. Ascorbic acid is further unique in that it possesses the capability of entering all cells. After entering a virus infected cell, ascorbic acid proceeds to

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take up the protein coats being manufactured by the virus nucleic acid, thus preventing the assembly of new virus units. These newly made macromolecules within the host cell soon create a situation where the tensile strength of the cell membrane is exceeded with resulting rupture and cell death. Ascorbic acid, when given in the massive amounts that accomplish full tissue saturation, will also enter those cells harbouring the so-called dormant virus. Where the vitamin C removes the protective protein coat of the virus the macromolecule formed will act in the capacity of a repressor factor inhibiting further activity of the virus nucleic acid which is then destroyed by additional vitamin C. We offer as proof of this the instance of a patient having herpetic lesions for five years and being cured with continuous high daily intake of ascorbic acid. In acute virus infection, associated with a virusemia, ascorbic acid given intravenously will remove the protein protective coat from the virus body, leaving the denuded virus unit vulnerable to the leucocytes for destruction. Note that adrenal cortex extract and/or desoxycorticosterone acetate must also be considered for support of the adrenals in a debilitated patient.

THE CHOLESTEROL STORY Next in importance to the virus is the story of cholesterol. One must understand, as noted by Ginger [17], that acute scurvy and chronic Hypovitaminosis C are metabolically different conditions. On this point the Food and Life Yearbook, 1939, U.S. Department of Agriculture, had this to say: 'Even when there is not a single outward symptom of trouble, a person may be in a state of vitamin C deficiency more dangerous than scurvy itself. When such a condition is not detected, and continues uncorrected, the teeth and bones will be damaged, and what may be even more serious, the bloodstream is weakened to the point where it can no longer resist or fight infections not so easily cured as scurvy.' Working with guinea pigs many research groups have proved that acute avitaminosis C produces an increase in cholesterol concentration in the whole body. This increased concentration of whole body cholesterol in scorbutic guinea pigs can be caused either by increased biosynthesis or by slowed down cholesterol metabolism The main pathway of cholesterol catabolism is in conversion

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to bile salts. The stimulating effect of ascorbic acid on the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and decreased oxidation of linolenic acid in the tissues of scorbutic guinea pigs has been well documented. Mjasnikova [18] found that intravenous injections of high doses of ascorbic acid to patients with high level blood cholesterol is followed by a distinct decrease of cholesterolemia. It must be remembered that the referred high doses of vitamin C employed by other scientists does not approach the schedule that we recommend. For example, Tjapina [19] reported on the effect of intravenous doses of 500 mg ascorbic acid on cholesterolemia in patients suffering from atherosclerosis. The hypocholesterolemic effect from vitamin C was apparent within one hour. With continued daily injections of 500 mg there was continued drop in blood cholesterol. Spittle [20] showed that blood cholesterol levels, in humans, vary with the amount of vitamin C employed. In our own experience we lowered the blood cholesterol in one patient 42 points in six weeks by increasing the vitamin C intake by mouth from 10 gram to 20 gram each day. Spittle advanced the theory that atheroselerosis is a long-term deficiency or negative balance of vitamin C, which permits cholesterol levels to build up in the arterial system and results in changes in other fractions of the fats. Ginter [15] also demonstrated that with a high cholesterol diet, guinea pigs used up all their dietary vitamin C while rats and rabbits who manufacture their own vitamin C showed a gain in ascorbic acid tissue levels. Ginter also showed that experimental animals given 50 mg vitamin C each day had cholesterol deposits 40% lower than animals fed the same diet but given only 5 mg of C daily. In a survey of 1000 school children Ginter et al. showed that 97% suffered from vitamin C lack during winter months when Crich fruits and vegetables were less abundant [22]. The children also showed corresponding rise in cholesterol Czechoslovakian workers also reported that when guinea pigs are fed a diet deficient in vitamin C and rich in cholesterol, they frequently develop gallstones [23]. Small reported to the Society of University Surgeons in New Orleans in 1973 that when gallstones are removed from patients they are 60%-70% cholesterol [24]. This suggests a causative factor in human gallstone formation. Reviewing the literature and summarizing his own studies, Ginter concluded that there is no doubt that the daily intake of ascorbic acid in the control

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of cholesterol will have a more pronounced effect in those persons who are already saturated with vitamin C. Tjapina and many others have reported that when amounts of ascorbic acid as low as 500 mg each day, by needle, were continued for 60 days, the clinical picture in the majority of the patients was dramatic, especially concerning the manifestations of coronary artery disease. Willis [25] reported that in scorbutic guinea pigs, fatty deposits on the aorta were formed very quickly, even without adding cholesterol to their diet. In 1957, Willis [25] found that when ascorbic acid was given to these scorbutic guinea pigs, the atherosclerotic lesions were quickly absorbed. Ascorbic acid is directly associated with the mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of human atheroselerosis. Duguid [27] found alterations of ground substance observed in atheroselerosis that produced experimentally to be morphologically similar. Electrocardiographic tracings by Shafer [28] on scorbutic animals showed that with prolonged vitamin C therapy, abnormalities disappeared entirely. Stamler [29], following the mortality rate for middle aged persons, found a significant drop with improved nutrition with supplemental C. We must protect our heart from stress. Adequate vitamin C is one answer. Asahina and Asano [30] of the Toho University School of Medicine in Tokyo found that the larger the dose of ascorbic acid given to experimental rats, the longer they survived in decompression chambers in which the air was made to approximate that found at elevations of 33,000 feet. When ascorbic acid was given in amounts representing 14 gram in a human, only half their animals expired. In humans we have observed that 30 gram in 24 hours is critical in any acute situation. Had the Japanese doubled their vitamin C dose they probably would have had no deaths.

THE HEAVY METAL STORY Heavy metal poisoning is another morbid chapter in medicine. Lead poisoning comes from many sources. Auto exhaust, smelter furnaces and storage battery factories lead the list. Mercury takes second place. It is estimated that at least 1 million children in the U.S. have some degree of lead poisoning. In 1964 Mokranjac and Petrovic [31] studied the effect of mercury chloride in guinea pigs when ascorbic acid was administered in different ways. They first

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gave each animal 200 mg of vitamin C a day for one week (this roughly would represent 14 gram in a human) and then administered a dose of mercury proved beforehand to be 100% fatal. They then continued to give 0.2 gram of vitamin C daily. After 20 days the animals were all alive proving that vitamin C had protected them from certain death. If they gave vitamin C before and none after poisoning, two died. If vitamin C was given daily after poisoning, nine of 25 died; and if a single massive shot was given after poisoning, eight of 25 died. This again confirms that high daily intake of vitamin C will protect one from many of the ills seen today. The same can be said for lead poisoning. One of the more common types of lead poisoning is seen in long-term workers in lead storage battery plants. All have subclinical scurvy. Adequate ascorbic acid intake would eliminate the monthly blood examination for red cell stippling. The report of Dannenberg [32] that high doses of ascorbic acid were without effect in treating lead intoxication in a child must be ignored, since his extremely high dose was 25 mg by mouth four times a day and one single daily injection of 250 mg of C. Had he administered 250 mg/kg body weight every two hours, he would have seen the other side of the coin. Monoxide poisoning is another killer or crippler. Persons living in most American cities are frequently exposed to 100 ppm (that is, 115 mg/cu mm) of carbon monoxide in the ambient air for varying periods of time and may attain carboxyhaemoglobin blood levels up to 10% [33]. Carboxyhaemoglobin blood levels up to 7% have been reported in cigarette smokers. These levels of carbon monoxide are quite capable of causing considerable interference with tissue oxygenation in man by displacing oxygen from the haemoglobin molecule and shifting the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve to the left. Anderson [34] reports a definite link between carbon monoxide, both in the atmosphere and in cigarette smoke, with cardiac

function. Normal coronary arteries can readily dilate and supply an increased demand; while diseased coronary arteries (eg., angina pectoris) may not be able to meet this challenge. The hypoxic

effect of carbon monoxide may act in a synergistic manner with other factors operative in ischemic heart disease, outstripping the limited coronary reserve and augmenting the production of stressinduced myocardial ischemia. Interesting is the report by Pelletier [35] who has shown experimentally that once you stop smoking,

[27

your ascorbic acid level approaches that of the nonsmoker. Victims of house fires, especially children, succumb more often to monoxide poisoning, which is overlooked in the course of treating the burn. Mayers [36] warns physicians that symptoms of smoke poisoning might be delayed from 3 to 48 hours. In cases of this nature ascorbic acid serves a dual purpose. A dose of 500 mg/kg body weight of vitamin C given intravenously will immediately neutralize the carbon monoxide or smoke poisoning while at the same time it will prevent blood sludging which is a major factor in the development of third degree burns.

OTHER APPLICATIONS Other therapeutic effects of vitamin C include the following. Vitamin C will also destroy pseudomonas, locally as a 3% spray and systemically with massive frequent injections. This has been demonstrated in case histories on burns treated at Annie Penn Memorial Hospital, Reidsville, N.C. It is a demonstrated principle that the production of histamine and other end products from deaminized cell proteins, released by injury to cells, is a cause of shock. The clinical value of ascorbic acid in combating shock is explained when we realize that the deaminizing enzymes from the damaged cells are inhibited by vitamin C. Chambers and Pollock [37] have reported that mechanical damage to a cell results in pH changes which reverse the cell enzymes from constructive to destructive activity. The destructive activity releases histamine, a major shock-producing substance. Ascorbic acid, when present in sufficient amounts, inhibits this enzyme transition. Ascorbic acid will reverse shock found in other areas of medicine. In one patient who had taken 2640 mg Lotusate (talbutal), the blood pressure was 60/0 when first seen in the emergency room. Twelve gram sodium Ascorbate was administered with a 50 cc syringe. In ten minutes the blood pressure was recorded at 100/60. Over 100 additional grams were given intravenously over the following three hours, at which time the patient was awake. Shock from toxalbumin, neurotoxin, proteotoxin, muscarine and formic acid responds equally as well to high doses of vitamin C. Keeping the tissues saturated will prevent such experiences or make recovery by additional vitamin C a routine matter.

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Blumberg, writing in Medical World News, noted that the discovery of the Australian antigen raises hopes for an effective hepatitis vaccine. Many controversial studies have been reported in the use of this antigen. Another controversial substance, vitamin C, will cure viral hepatitis in two to four days and allow the patient to immediately resume his usual activities. It should be given in a dose range of 500 to 700 mg/kg body weight every 8 to 12 hours. our latest case was given 5 gm sodium Ascorbate, as crystals dissolved in 200 cc water or fruit juice, every 4 hours - i. e.., 30

grams per 24-hour period. All symptoms and signs were removed in 96 hours. By contrast treating virus hepatitis with an immunizing agent would possibly require several vaccines in a single hepatic epidemic. If you want results, use adequate ascorbic acid.

THE CANCER STORY The question of virus and cancer association is still academic. Herpes simplex causing cervical cancer appears to be positive. We have cured many fever blisters by applying a 3% ointment of vitamin C to the lip 10-15 times a day. This is put in a water soluble base. I think that it is time for those women with a family history of cervical cancer to douche with a 3% solution of ascorbic acid at the first report of cervical erosion. Tamponing with a 3% solution should also be done by the physician. Twenty grams of vitamin C

daily by mouth along with local application of vitamin C could erase this form of malignancy. Virus and breast cancer, which in the mouse has been established, seems likely to be confirmed in women

on the basis of a hereditary factor along with a virus role. Paul Broca (1866) pointed out that ten of24 women among his immediate forebears had died of cancer of the breast. J. A.Murray (1911) demonstrated that mice with familial history of breast cancer developed breast cancer at an incidence three times that of mice with no familial history of tumour. Feller and associates found particles resembling type B and C viruses in eight of 16 human milk specimens from women with breast cancer but in only one of 43 apparently cancer-free women. These are stepping stones which serve to give warning that women from cancer-prone families

should not breast feed their children. What will daily high intake

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of vitamin C do in altering the breast cancer picture? The answer is waiting for experimental work to be done with mice from knowledge gained from Bittner's classic cross-suckling experiment. The role of ascorbic acid in treating virus cancer pathology can be seen with its action in mononucleosis. Large doses of vitamin C, given intravenously, will eliminate this virus in just a few days, the actual time being directly proportional to the amount of the vitamin employed in relation to the severity of the infection. A research team at Yale, after studying hundreds of college students, believe they have evidence that associates the Epstein-Barr virus with Burkett lymphoma [38,39]. This has also been confirmed by researchers at Children's Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa. Many investigators have been working with immunological procedures for the treatment of malignant disease. As we noted earlier, unless the patient's tissues are saturated with vitamin C, the response in this area will be negated. Massive employment of vitamin C will make possible prolonged radiation therapy in late cases. It will also prevent radiation burns. Who can say what 100 gm or 300 gm given intravenously, daily, for several months might accomplish in cancer. The potential is so great and the employment so elementary that only the illiterate will continue to deny its use. Schlegel [40] has demonstrated that the use of ascorbic acid as low as 1.5 gram each day will prevent recurrence of bladder cancer. This is the so-called wasted vitamin C.

OTHER APPLICATIONS Rous [41] has found that just 3 gram daily, by mouth, for four days will completely relieve all symptoms of urethritis. He believes that the urethral irritation is caused by phosphatic crystals formed in the urine because of insufficient acidity. Ascorbic acid, in this case, acidified the urine enough to force the crystals back into solution. The neglected chronic cystitis which is the rule with ammonical decomposition in the bladder, most always associated with marked alkalinity of the freshly voided urine, will cease to be a clinical entity once people take at least 10 gram vitamin C every day. This will also eliminate the backwash type pyelitis so debilitating, especially in women of child-bearing age. In over 300 consecutive obstetrical cases, we found that the

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simple stress of pregnancy increased the ascorbic acid demand up to 15 gram daily. This simple stress of pregnancy becomes meaningful when we review the work of Conney [42] on mammalian synthesis of vitamin C in the rat. Compared to a 70 kg individual the rat would make, under stress, 15.2 gram of C each day.

Compare this to the 100 mg now recommended in pregnancy by the National Academy of Science and National Research council and the disparity is shocking. Fred Stare's 50 mg/day is catastrophic. This must be changed. There are at least 16 categories [42], not including scurvy, that cry out against minimal daily requirements for vitamin C. There can never exist a situation where a set numerical unit of vitamin C will meet the needs of all men. This is true because people are different and these same people experience different situations at various times. Roger Williams, speaking before the National Academy of Science in 1967, reported that among guinea pigs living in his laboratory, some needed 20 times more vitamin C than other to maintain health. We must accept Ginter's conclusion that acute scurvy and chronic hypovitaminosis C are metabolically different conditions. Antonowiez and Kodicek (1969), working with guinea pigs, discovered an extremely complex chemical process existing in animals receiving ascorbic acid which did not occur in the animals with scurvy. They found that glucosamine synthesis with the formation of galactosamine was normal in those animals receiving vitamin C but did not take place in those with scurvy. Under a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, Hepler and associates, according to Medical Tribune, reported that marijuana smoking caused a significant decrease in intraocular pressure. This decrease was found 30 minutes after smoking. In fine print they conceded that the drop was not significant after three hours. Thus, one would need be a chain-link smoker to maintain worthwhile levels [43,44]. No mention was made of the

many deleterious effects smoking marijuana has on the human body. Virno and associates [45], working in G. B. Bietti's eye clinic observed a pronounced reduction in intraocular pressure in the glaucomatous eyes by giving high daily doses of vitamin C. Bietti states that these high doses of vitamin C are a very effective hypotonic agent for intraocular pressure and when an intravenous dose calculated at 1 gm/kg body weight is administered, the action

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is predominantly by osmotic dehydration of the eyeball. Vimo employed 35 gram by mouth in divided doses each day. This gave marked reduction of pressure within four hours and this was maintained even in patients where Diamox and Philocarpone had failed. Linner in several symposiums using 0.5 gram twice daily reported no significant changes in eye pressure. Linner used | gram and Virno 35 gram each day - thus the difference in results. In the 1940s patients died receiving 5,000-10,000 units penicillin every four to six hours. The same type pathology is cured today in 24 to 48 hours using 1-3 million units. The size of the dose does make a difference - a real difference. Dr. Linus Pauling has written that "Biochemical and genetic arguments support the idea that orthomolecular therapy may be the preferred treatment for many ill patients.’ It is difficult to understand why megavitamin therapy remains so controversial when massive doses of vitamin B12 are universally used in pernicious anaemia and niacinamide to correct the pathology of pellagra. I have used 150,000-200,000 units of vitamin A in a case of

ichthyosis. The patient has been taking this dose for ten years. His skin is clear with no signs or symptoms of vitamin A toxicity.

During the same time he has taken 10 gram of vitamin C each day. Is vitamin C the answer? Hoffer [46] and Osmond were probably the first to realize the value of ascorbic acid as an adjuvant with niacin in treating schizophrenics. They employed from 6 to 8 gram daily. One acute case was given | gram every hour for 48 hours at which time the patient was completely recovered and remained so for six months without further treatment. Hawkins [47] found that by adding megavitamin treatment he doubled the recovery rate, half the

rehospitalization rate and virtually eliminated self-destruction in dealing with schizophrenics who have a suicide rate 22 times that of the general population. Dr. Pauling enabled his clinic to treat seriously ill schizophrenics for $200 per patient per year and to reduce the number of patient visits from 150 per year to 15. Hawkins' method gives schizophrenic patients four gram ascorbic acid and four gram niacin or the equivalent in niacinamide, in divided doses, each day. Vanderkamp (1966) demonstrated that schizophrenics burn up ascorbic acid ten times faster than normal

people. On an intake of four gram vitamin C each day, almost 100%

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of normal people will spill some degree of ascorbic acid into the urine. In schizophrenics one can often go as high as 40 grams/day before spilling occurs. I have observed this same picture in severe virus infections where the patient did not spill over the urine until the second or third day, when a clinical response was evident. Milmer in Great Britain and Lucksch in Germany have reported significant improvement in schizophrenics given vitamin C alone. Both investigators used the double blind approach. Ascorbic acid has value as an adjuvant in other medical syndromes. With para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), which is a fraction of the B vitamins, it will cure trichinosis in nine days [48]. Used with intravenous mephenesin or methocarbamol, it will cure tetanus in 96 hours. Arthritis is not only a crippler but also a 'nagger'. Aspirin is the favourite medication of many physicians because it will ease the arthritic pain. This makes aspirin a good guy and a bad guy. The bad side is that those who take high aspirin therapy will also have low platelet and plasma levels for vitamin C. With low plasma levels there will also be depletion in the white blood cells. We know what this will do. As to platelets, their main business is to keep people from bleeding to death. When a blood vessel ruptures, collagen tissue, which makes up the basement membrane of blood vessels,

is exposed. The collagen affects the platelets so that they release a mineral substance called adenosine diphosphate. This substance makes the platelets very sticky so that they cling together. Aspirin

can destroy this substance, but adequate vitamin C will prevent this action. As the platelets act to seal off the wound, a second mechanism for clot formation comes into play. This is a liquid protein called fibrinogen. In a recent case in which the platelet count was abnormally low and bleeding was a serious problem, 25 gram of ascorbic acid daily by mouth raised the platelet count back to normal with cessation of bleeding. Vitamin C is also the number one agent in collagen formation. A person who will take 10-20 gram of ascorbic acid a day along with other nutrients might very well never develop arthritis. Abrams and Sandson [49] have pointed out that synovial fluid becomes thinner, thus allowing easier movement, when serum levels of ascorbic acid are high. Drugs such as ACTH and cortisone are noted for their ability to drain ascorbic acid in prolonged usage. In our experience we found that the patient

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who took vitamin C to tolerance made more rapid progress in reversing arthritic joints. The importance of daily high intake of ascorbic acid in preventive medicine has no limits. Crest and Colgate might limit tooth decay to one cavity every checkup, a relatively high index. Ten or more gram of ascorbic acid from age 10 up and at least | gram for each year of life, each day, through age 9 will record no cavities. Our son who is 20 has never had a tooth cavity. The same schedule could eliminate disc pathology. McCormick believes the problem is avitaminosis C [50]. Greenwood [51] believes that adequate amounts of ascorbic acid seem necessary to disc metabolism and maintenance. In surgery we found that plasma determinations taken before starting anaesthesia, at the conclusion of surgery, and six hours later, were constant. At 12 hours postoperative, there was a significant drop in vitamin C levels and at 24 hours there was a dramatic loss of the vitamin. We have always required the surgeon to give 10 gram before surgery, 10 gram in each postoperative bottle of fluids and 10 gram by mouth after discontinuing fluids. Crandon et al. state that postoperative disruption of abdominal wounds occurs eight times more often in patients with vitamin C deficiency. Not only surgery but any type of wound or fracture will heal slowly or not heal at all without the benefits of adequate vitamin C. Powdered vitamin C mixed with water to form a paste and applied to poison ivy or oak will usually effect a cure in 24 hours when adequate vitamin C is also taken by mouth. Ascorbic acid does have a definite influence on the rheumatic heart, especially in the acute stage [52]. I have seen children with the heart impulse so great that it raised the bed covers with each contraction recover so completely that later in life they were inducted into the armed services. Massive daily doses will also cure tuberculosis by removal of the organisms' polysaccharide coat. It does the same with pneumococci. I am convinced that ten or more grams a day will prevent cancer of the lung in tobacco smokers. It will relieve prickly heat and prevent heat stroke. Vitamin C will immediately reverse heat collapse, cramps or exhaustion if 12 to 40 gram are given intravenously. It will bring recovery to electric shock victims if sufficient amounts are administered soon after the accident. Lightning victims can also be saved. I have done it. Chronic myelocytic leukaemia responds dramatically to 30 or more grams daily by

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mouth. Pancreatitis can be cured in less than three hours with 50 gram intravenously, and ten gram daily by mouth is positive insurance that it will never return. Virus pancarditis as a sequela of an adenovirus infection can be relieved in 36 hours giving 400 mg/kg body weight, intravenously, every four to six hours. I have never seen a patient that vitamin C would not benefit. And, too, never send a boy to do a man's job, meaning the dose level is very important.

In closing, I would like to quote Herbert Spencer, who summed up rather well a caution I would like all of us to take to heart: "There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all argument, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance. That principle is condemnation without investigation."

SUMMARY The drug evaluation book of the American Medical Association (1971) gives information on the value of ascorbic acid which is at least 30 years behind present day knowledge. The 200-500 mg of ascorbic acid which is recommended as the 24-hour dose in burn cases is a typical example. From clinical experience we know that ascorbic acid must be given to burn victims in massive, frequent intravenous injections. Thirty to one hundred grams daily is the proper amount to employ and this is given until healing takes place - 7-30 days depending upon the degree of burn. We have found and reported that this massive vitamin C therapy will eliminate skin grafting by keeping the tissues oxygenated. Ample supply of oxygen to the tissues will prevent blood sludging and in place of the third degree burns that develop on the fourth or fifth day, the eschars will drop off leaving normal tissue. These high doses of ascorbic acid will also remove the smoke poisoning found in many fire victims and save many lives, especially children who expire from the effects of monoxide gas. The statement found in the A.M.A. book mentioned above - that controlled studies have shown no benefit from large doses of ascorbic acid in human subjects - must be ignored. The large doses referred to never exceeded 5 gram and in most cases not more than that found in a quart of orange juice,

for a 24-hour period. It is unfortunate that the editorial staff at the

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A.M.A failed to check out the world literature. An example of their high doses was an article by Dannenberg [32] which was published in the JAMA in which the author found no value in lead poisoning by giving extremely high doses of ascorbic acid to a child. Dannenberg's extremely high dose was 25 mg four times a day, by mouth, and one single intramuscular injection of 250 mg. Had Dannenberg employed 350 mg/kg body weight and given it, intramuscularly, every two to four hours he would have had a recovered patient in less than 72-hours. The amount of ascorbic acid employed in any given case is the all important factor. In 28 years of research we have observed that 30 gram each day is critical in terms of response. This seems to be true regardless of age and weight. In certain pathological conditions like barbiturate intoxication, snake bite or

virus encephalitis, higher doses are required in some individuals. We have observed from experience and from review of the literature that 15%-20% of humans require much more ascorbic acid than do others. Approximately 15% is in evidence when giving vaccines, since they make no antibodies. Roughly 15% of pregnant humans were scheduled, in the past, to become paralysed if hit with the polio virus. Fifteen percent of over 3000 cases in our files required more ascorbic acid to prevent colds or to relive the cold once infected. This percentage difference is the reason why one patient would die with pneumonia while another lived, when all other factors were apparently equal. This dosage factor alone has misled many scientists to disregard the value of ascorbic acid in virus pathology because they would see dogs die with distemper when they knew that the dog could make his own vitamin C. What they did not appreciate was that even the animal could not make

enough vitamin C under certain situations. I have cured many dogs suffering with distemper by giving several grams ascorbic acid, by needle, every two hours. We also found in over 300 obstetrical cases that roughly 15% require as much as 15 gram supplemental vitamin C each day just to remain within normal limits. Ten grams each day was the highest requirement of the other 85%. Herpes simplex virus and the adenovirus can be destroyed with high doses of ascorbic acid. Many infections can be prevented by taking adequate vitamin C, daily, by mouth - 1 gram for each year of life up to age 10 and after 10 years of age at least 10 gram vitamin

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C daily. With these amounts the patient will spill varying amounts into the urine. The kidneys have a threshold for vitamin C much like the spillway of a dam. Spilling is necessary to assure adequate amounts for various body tissues. For example, white blood cells are useless unless they are full of ascorbic acid, since it is the

ascorbic acid which makes their phagocytosis and/or pathogens possible. Although herpes simplex usually as a small lip sore and the adenoviruses as a mild but both can become killers through passage of the virus

destruction of shows itself lingering cold, to the brain.

Either one can cause crib deaths, which is truly the real cause.

Again, we point out that high daily intake of vitamin C can prevent this tragic incident. For this reason, if for no other, the National

Research Council and the National Academy of Science must remove the so-called minimal daily requirement for this substance. Williams has shown and reported to the National Academy that even guinea pigs living in his laboratory differ in their requirements for vitamin C and that they differ each day, sometimes 20 times a given unit. Guinea pigs, like man, cannot manufacture ascorbic acid due to genetic fault. Scurvy which accounts for the thinking on the amount of vitamin C needed is actually of no consequence in terms of avitaminosis C, which can determine one's future existence. Ginter, after ten years of research with vitamin C,

concluded that acute scurvy and chronic hypovitaminosis C are metabolically different conditions. Antonowiez and Kodick confirmed this by finding that glucosamine synthesis in the guinea pig with the formation of galactosamine was normal in those animals receiving vitamin C but did not take place in the presence of acute

SCUIVY. Ascorbic acid when taken in sufficient quantities will relieve the intraocular pressure in the glaucomatous eyes, will relieve such things as prickly heat, and is a positive reversal for pemphigus. Vitamin C when given by needle will destroy all viruses and many can be destroyed by taking 25-30 gram each day by mouth. Lesser amounts will protect against these pathogens. I have cured diphtheria, hemolytic streptococcus and staphylococcus infections by employing vitamin C intravenously in a dose range of 500 to 700 mg/kg body weight. Doses under 400 mg/kg body weight can be given with a syringe using the sodium salt. This will always produce thirst. Fluids taken just before or immediately after will

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eliminate this annoyance. Doses above 400 mg/kg body weight must be diluted to at least 1 gram to 18 cc solution, using 5%

dextrose in water, saline in water or Ringer's solution. One gram calcium gluconate must be added to these bottle injections to replace Ca ions pulled from the calcium-prothrombin complex. There is no limit to the amount that can be administered by vein when honoring these two precautions. The use of vitamin C in cancer will prove to be a very beneficial agent. We recommend bottle doses containing 60 gram vitamin C and such fractions of the B complex as 500 mg thiamin HCl, pyridoxine 300 mg, calcium pantothenate 400 mg, riboflavin 100 mg and niacinamide 300 mg. This is to be given daily or even twice daily. Vitamin C is a positive neutralizing agent in snake bite [53], spider bite [54] and insect stings. Our use of ascorbic acid in snake bite has been limited to the Highland moccasin, a member of the copperhead family. Other poisonous snakes are more deadly but we can easily calculate from our experience what dose to employ. In a 4-year-old receiving a full strike from a mature Highland moccasin, 12 gram was required. Unlike a virus that will continue production until completely destroyed, the venom of the snake is constant in that there will exist no later increase in amount. 1 would suggest 40-60 gram, as a starter, in a large diamondback or cottonmouth. Additional vitamin C can be given if needed since the patient will be well on the road to recovery with the first injection. Adenosine monophosphate given with ascorbic acid will increase the potential of the vitamin. This can be given in doses from 25mg in children to as much as 200 mg in adults. Our use of this agent has been limited to mumps and herpes zoster but we are now of sufficient knowledge to believe that its use should be routine. The aqueous solution is more efficacious than the gel. Some patients experience a fullness in the head, a 'sickish' feeling in the chest and a slowed pulse rate. Aromatic spirits of ammonia as a smelling agent relives or prevents this syndrome. At present we are using 50 mg doses more frequently, until we can establish a reason for this type response. Ascorbic acid can be life-saving in shock. Twelve grams of the sodium salt given with a 50 cc syringe will reverse shock in minutes. In barbiturate poisoning and monoxide poisoning the results are so dramatic that it borders on malpractice to deny this

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therapy. Surgeons must learn to employ ascorbic acid more liberally. Ten to twenty grams in the preoperative solutions and 10 gm in each postoperative bottle will all but eliminate surgical deaths and will reduce hospital stay by 50%. The same can be said for obstetrical cases. We found that obstetrical cases needed 4 gm each day the first trimester, 6 gm the second trimester and 8- 10 gm the third trimester. Fifteen percent of the patients required 15 gm each day just to stay within normal limits.

Ascorbic acid is the safest and the most valuable substance available to the physician. Many headaches and many heartaches will be avoided with its proper use.

REFERENCES 1. Pauling, L., Vitamin C and the Common Cold, San Francisco. W. F. Freeman & Co., 1970. 2. Brody, H.D.J., Amer. Diet. Ass. 29-588, 1953. 3. Klenner, F.R., Virus Pneumonia and its Treatment with Vitamin c, Southern Med. Surg., Feb., 1948.

4. Klenner, F.R., Encephalitis as a Sequelae of the Pneumonias. Tri-State Med. J., Feb., 1960. 5. Klenner, F.R., An Insidious Virus, Tri-State Med. J., June, 1957. 6. Lerner, M., et al.: Detecting Herpes Encephalitis Earlier, Med. World News, May 26., 1972. 7. Stephens, J.C., and Cook, M., Cases of other Hidden Herpes Virus, Med. World News, Feb. 25, 1972. 8. Goodpasture, E.W., Case ofthe Hidden Herpes Virus, Med. World News, Feb. 25, 1972. 9. Roizmen, B., et al.: Tracing Herpes Viruses, Med. World News, Oct 1, 1971. 10. Klenner, F.R., A New Office Procedure for the Determination of Plasma Levels for Ascorbic Acid, Tri-State Med. J. 5, 1956. 11. McCall, C.E., and Cooper, R., Vitamin C Shows Promise as a Bacteriacidal Agent, Bowman Gray School Med. Med. Alumni News 14 1, Feb, 1972. 12. Klenner, F.R., The Treatment of Trichinosis with Massive Doses of Vitamin C and Para-aminobenzoic Acid, Tri-State Med. J., 1952.

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13. Wintrobe, M.M., Clinical Haematology Text Book, Lea and

Febigger, 3rd Edition, 1952. 14. Nossal, D., Most Killed Vaccines in Use Termed Not Fit For

a Mouse. Medical Tribune, April 5, 1972. 15. Ginter, F., The Role of Ascorbic Acid in Cholesterol Metabolism. Research Institute of human Nutrition, Bratislava, 1970. 16. Klenner, F.R., Massive Doses of Vitamin c and the Virus Diseases, Southern Med. Surg., 1951. 17. Ginter, F., Cholesterol and Vitamin C., Amer. J. Clin. Nutr., 24, 1238 - 1245, 1971. 18. nasnikova, I.X,O. Vlianiji vodorastvonmych vitaminos

na nekororyje storony obmema vesesty, Tr. Vojennomorzkoj Medicins akajemitjl Leninjr., 8, 140-148, 1947.

19. ljapina, L.X,Vinzme askorbovoi kislotyna cholesterinemiju bolezni ateroskleroze. Gipertoniceskaja Bolezn. Tr. AMA, SSSR, 1, 198-113,1952. 20. Spittle, A., Atherosclerosis and Vitamin C. Lancet II., 12801281,1971. 21. Ginter, F., Effects of Dietary Cholesterol on Vitamin C

Metabolism in Laboratory Animals, Am. Med. Acad., 1970. 22. Ginter, F., Kajabal, I. and Nizner 0., The Effects of

Ascorbic Acid on Cholesterolemia in Healthy Subjects with Season Deficit of Vitamin C, Nutr. Metabol. 12, 76-86, 1970. 23. Ginter, F., Bilisties, I., and Gerven, J., Cholesterol Metabolism Under Conditions of Acute and Chronic Vitamin C

Deficiency in Guinea Pigs., Phystol Bohemoslov., 14, 46-47 1, 1965. 24. Small, D., Med. World News, March 30,1971. 25. Willis, G.C., An Experimental Study of the Intimal Ground Substance in Atheroselerosis, Canad. Med. Ass. J. 69, 71-22,

1953. 26. Willis, G.C., The Reversibility of Atheroselerosis, Canad. Med. Ass. J., 77, 106-109, 1957. 27. Duguin, J.B., Pathogenesis of Atheroselerosis J, Ancet, 2, O2501957h 28. Shafer, C.F., Ascorbic Acid and Atheroselerosis, Amer. J., Clin., Nutr., 23-27, 1970. 29. Stamler, J., Comprehensive Treatment of Essential Hyper-

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tensive Diseases, Monograph on Hypertension, Merek, Sharp and Dohme. 30. Asahina and Asano, Prevention, July 1972, pp. 81-82. 31. Mokranjac, M., Petrovic, C., Report on Mercury Studies

in Guinea Pigs in Relation to Amounts of Vitamin C Administered, C.R.Acad Sci., Paris. 32. Dannenberg, A.M., et al. Ascorbic Acid in the Treatment of Chronic Lead Poisoning, JAMA, 114, 1439-1440, 1940. 33. Klenner, F.R., The Role of Ascorbic Acid in Therapeutics, Tri State Med. J., Nov. 1955. 34. Anderson, F.W., et al, Carbon Monoxide Linked to Heart Disease, JAMA, 22, 5, July 1972. 35. Pelletier, 0., Experiments with Smokers and Non-smokers, JAMA, April 1969.

36. Mayers, B.W., Where There's Smoke There May be Carbon Monoxide, Med. World News, Jan. 21, 1972. 37. Chambers, R., andpollock, H.,J. GenPhysiol., 10, 739,1927. 38. Helene, G., and Helene, W., PB Virus in the Etiology of Infectious Mononueleosis, Hosp. Practice, July 1970.

39. Niderman, J.C., College Findings Tie Mono to EB Virus. Med. World News, Dec., 1968. 40. Sehlegel, G.E., et al. The Role of Ascorbic Acid in the Prevention of Bladder Tumor Formation. Trans. Amer. Ass. Genifourin, Surg., 61, 1969. 41. Rous, S., Urethritis in Men, N.Y. Soc. Med. J. Dec.15,1971. 42. Klenner, F.R., Observations on the Dose and Administra-

tion of Ascorbic Acid When Employed Beyond the Range of a Vitamin in Human Pathology, J.J. Appl. Nutr., 23,3-4,197 1. 43. Leuchienberger, C., and Leuchenberger, R., New Dan-

gers Seen in Marijuana. Nature, Nov. 1971. 44. Campbell, A.M.G., et al, Significant Brain Damage Caused by Smoking Marijuana, Lancet, Dec. 1971. 45. Virno, M., et al., Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat Monthly, 64, Dec., 1967. 46. Hoffer, A., Use of Ascorbic Acid with Niacin in Schizophrenia, Canad. Med. J. Nov., 6,1971.

47. Hawkins, D., Back to Reality the Megavitamin Way. med. World News, Sept 24, 197 1. 48. Klenner, F.R., Recent Discoveries in the Treatment of

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Lockjaw with Vitamin C and Tolserol, Tri-State Med. J., July 1954. 49. Abrams, E., and Sandson, J., Rheum. Dis., 27,1964.

50. McCormick, W.J., Intervertebral Disc Pathology.

A New

Etiologic Concept, Arch., 71, 29, 1954. 51. Greenwood, J., Optimum Vitamin C Intake as a Factor in

the Preservation of Disc Integrity, Med. Ann. D.C. 33, 6, June,1964. 52. Masell, B.F., Warren, J.F., Patterson, P.R., et al,

Antirheumatic Activity of Ascorbic Acid in Large Doses, New. Eng. J. Med., 1950. 53. Klenner, F.R., Case History, Cure of4 Year Old Child Bitten

by a Mature Highland Mocassin with Vitamin C., Tri-State

—

Med., J., July, 1954. 54. Klenner, F.R., Case History, The Black Widow Spider, TriState Med., J., Dec., 1957.

POLIOMYELITIS VACCINE - BRODIE VS. SALK Fred R. Klenner, M.D. Reidsville, N.C. It has been said that in science the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurred. Factually this is not true. Although the Germans made the first practical application of the submarine in World War I, history records that Cornelius van Drebbel invented the first underwater craft which he rowed beneath the surface of the Thames in 1620,

and that John P. Holland and Simon Lake produced the first engine-propelled underwater boats in 1898. The same might be said for the Wright brothers in lighter-than-air ships, for Robert Fulton and his steamboat or for a hundred and one other scientific discoveries such as Mendel's law of heredity which lay, unmolested, for 50 years in a small scientific journal on a library shelf in England. Few men who make outstanding contributions to society

live to see the fruits of their labours ripen. This 25 to 50 year 142

"vacuum exists simply because "the public buys its opinions as it buys its meat, or takes in its milk, on the principle that it is cheaper to do this than to keep a cow. So it is, but the milk is more likely to

be watered." All this is applicable to the vaccine for poliomyelitis. In 1910 Flexner and Lewis [1] gave a ‘live virus' vaccine, subcutaneously, to monkeys. The dose was 0.05 cc daily, of a suspension, for 4 days and the series repeated twice with 4 days rest between each set of injections. After the last interval animals received on successive days 0. | cc, 0. 5 cc and 1. 0 cc of virus and

after one month 5.0 cc. Vaccine 'worked' in experimental animals; was

not tried on human subjects. In 1911, Levaditi and Landsteine [2] gave a single subcutaneous inoculation of 0.5 cc of virus suspension previously heated to 500 C for 30 minutes. Vaccine 'did not work'. In a second experiment they employed glycerated virus heated to 50 C for 2 hours. Although this vaccine produced the disease when injected intracerebrally it did not infect when given daily in subcutaneous doses of 2 cc over a period of one month. Vaccine ‘did not work’. Kraus, also in 1911(3), rendered the virus ineffective by treating with 1.5 per cent phenol for 4 days. He injected 5 to 10 cc of the vaccine subcutaneously into experimental monkeys. Vaccine 'worked 100%.' The phenol proved too irritating to the tissues. Also in 1911 Zappert, Wiesner and Leiner [4] injected subcutaneously gradually increasing doses of ‘active virus emulsion.’ Vaccine 'did not work.' Thompson [5], 1912, inoculated monkeys subcutaneously with sub-infective doses of live virus suspension for 12 days and subsequently at weekly intervals 0.06 cc 0.2 cc, 0.4 cc, 1.0 cc and 2.0 cc. Vaccine 'worked', but animals demonstrated symptoms of

excitement, tremor and ataxia during immunization. Thomsen, later, repeated this experiment using a dose schedule one hundredth of the estimated intracerebral infecting dose. This vaccine ‘worked 100%'in monkeys without producing symptoms. Abramson and Gerber [6] in 1918 treated an emulsion of brain and cord of a poliomyelitis monkey for 4 hours with 0.5 per cent formaldehyde. Vaccine ‘did not work.' Later they tried to immunize by beattreating the virus, modifying the method of Levaditi and Landsteine. The emulsion was heated to 550 C for 30 minutes for 2 days, heated to 450 C for 30 minutes on third day and heated to 370 C for

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30 minutes on fourth day. Vaccine 'did not work.' Flexner and Amoss [7], 1924, using a so-called immunizing strain of polio virus treated with 0.5 per cent phenol employed the idea of serial passage to reduce virulence. Vaccine ‘promising.’ MclUnley and Larson [8] in 1926 used intra-peritoneally 4 cc of mixture of 5 per cent emulsion of castor oil soap and virus emulsion. Vaccine 'worked 75%.' Aycock and Kagan [9] in 1927 repeated the work of Kraus using phenolized virus treated with 1.0%, 0.75%, 0.50%, and 0.25 per cent phenol. Vaccine ‘did not work.' (Kraus in 1911 stated emphatically that only 1.5 per cent phenol to kill the virus would be effective). In a second experiment they injected, subcutaneously, virus from a polio cord dried over caustic potash from one to twenty-six days. Vaccine 'did not work.' In a third experiment they used virus cord exposed to different glycerol-water dilutions (5% to 50% glycerol) for seven months at ice box temperatures. Vaccine ‘did not work.' In a fourth experiment virus was put into agar and introduced subcutaneously. Vaccine ‘did not work.' In a fifth experiment the live virus was introduced intracutaneously in from 1 cc to 2 cc doses, but distributed to 0.05 cc blebs making 20 to 40 piques each day. Total amount of virus suspension used was from 5 cc to 76 cc given in from 6 to 43 inoculations over a period of 15 days to 5 months. Vaccine 'too variable’ in protecting. Rhodes [ 10] in 1931 showed that alumina gel C mixed with polio virus in certain proportions using 22.5 grams aluminium per litre at an acid pH of 5.5 resulted in the absorption and inactivation of the virus. Sabin [11] in 1932 confirmed Rhodes observations and showed further that adsorption as well as the inactivation are REVERSIBLE; that is, by changing the pH to the alkaline side with 1V15 Na2HP04 it is possible to free the virus in a state in which it is AGAIN capable of producing typical poliomyelitis. Thompson and McKinley [12] suggested (1934) that the virus of polio, chemically treated, be it formalin or a fatty acid salt, is still

living - though apparently killed. They postulated that since viruses are notoriously intracellular parasites it would seem that the chemical treatment of a virus suspension would first destroy extracellular virus and the intracellular virus would then be released in the body tissues very slowly by destructive action upon the virus-containing cells. Kolmer [ 13] (1935) states "that the reduction in virulence of the

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virus by treatment with sodium ricinolate and pheny|-mercurinitrate is not permanent, since the virus recovered from the cords of

monkeys paralysed by intracerebral injections of the vaccine has usually been found apparently as virulent as untreated virus." Brodie [14] (1936) remarked "that formalin treated vaccine gives an antibody response ONLY when the formalin acts for the shortest time required to render it non-infective; this suggests the possible presence of an amount of virus too small to infect." Thompson and McKinley (1934) found that when they mixed 0.5 cc of a 16 per cent emulsion polio (Aycock strain) infected monkey cord with the virus of vaccinia that SOLID immunity was produced in monkeys in six weeks. Andrews [15] (1934) working with vaccine virus could prevent infections in monkeys when 'serum' was given before the virus, but if given, even 5 minutes after the virus, it was ineffective.

The explanation being that in this short interval the virus was already 'fixed' to the tissues. Brodie and Goldbloom [16] found, however, that without symptoms of polio, immunity was secured when serum was given at the time of inoculation or within three days preceding or following inoculation of virus. Kolmer (1934) tried a vaccine in which the virus was chloroform-treated according to the Kelser method of preparing antirabies vaccine, but it proved unsafe for human usage. Kolmer and Rule [ 17] (1934) introduced by stomach tube a living or untreated 2 percent suspension of the virus of poliomyelitic cord in amount of 2 cc for 10 daily consecutive doses, but it failed to "engeder any demonstrable evidence of immunity and similar results were obtained with heated vaccine administered in the same manner." Kolmer [18], then, using the method of McKinley and Larson, demonstrated that a successful vaccine was possible using cords treated with 1 per cent sodium ricinoleate. He incubated the mixture at 370 C for 24 hours, then refrigerated at 40 C to 60 C for 14 days. This 1% solution does not completely kill the virus. Kolmer adopted as inoculation schedule of 0.5 cc first dose, 1.5 cc second dose and 2 cc third dose, given at

5 day intervals. Given to himself, to experimental monkeys and a group of children he found that a vaccine prepared in this fashion "never produced the slightest evidence of infection in monkeys or humans.' Kolmer concluded that three subcutaneous injections at intervals of 5 to 7 days in a dose range from 0. 05 cc to 0. | cc per Kg of body weight to be a safe and effective method for vaccination

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against acute anterior poliomyelitis. Kolmer reported in 1936 on mass field trials in which 10,725 humans received the attenuated

vaccine. He reported no cases of polio from this number who received three injections. (There were 10 cases of polio in this group

who received one or two injections, of which five died. Very reminiscent of the present field trials.) Brodie (1934) demonstrated that 'live' virus 'inactivated' with formalin is antigenic. He also demonstrated that even though phenol produced a safe and effective vaccine it was not as effective as formalized virus and that definite immunity could be developed against the virus of poliomyelitis using virus rendered non-infective by formalin. Brodie [19] cautioned, however, that "polio virus can spread through the central nervous system of an animal in the presence of demonstrable antibody'. This was confirmation of what Andrews [20] reported in 1929 that "virus will grow, in tissue culture, in the presence of its own antibody.’ Teale [21] demonstrated (1935) "the pre-eminence of the state of the tissues in regard to immunity, their capability of dealing effectively with the antigen and the negligible part played by the circulating antibody as such." In November, 1934, Brodie [22] stated that "before giving it to children it was deemed advisable to try the vaccine upon ourself and a group of laboratory volunteers, not that we had any misgivings about the possibilities of infection, but rather to determine whether the vaccine produced any disagreeable local or general reactions." Following this successful trial vaccination in humans, Brodie then gave it to a group of children ranging in ages from | to 6 years. Half of the children received one single dose of 5 cc; the other half were given a second shot 11 to 13 days later. (Brodie later suggested that the second shot be given 10 to 20 days after the initial injection). The second injection was divided, giving | cc to 2-1/2 cc intracutaneously and the remainder subcutaneously. The abdominal wall was selected for the site for the injections following the procedure for rabies. Brodie [22] observed that the first injection did not render the "human subject’ sensitive to the second dose; that the second dose acted more rapidly than the first and that the second injection gave "considerable additional immunity which lasted at least one year.' The intracutaneous route did produce some transient induration, otherwise the vaccination was without reac-

tion. The blood sera of the children receiving a single 5 cc dose

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neutralized between 100 and 200 infective doses of live virus and those receiving two injections neutralized an additional 200 to 500 infective doses. Brodie elected to settle for germicidally (formalin) inactivated virus because of past experiences by Bedson and others in preparing a successful noninfective chemically treated preparation for such diseases as looping-ill, psittacosis, foot and mouth disease and rabies. Kramer and Green [24] (1945) confirmed Brodie's work by showing that suspensions of polio virus (Armstrong Lansing Strain), inactivated by formalin, retained much of their antigenic property. In 1936, Brodie and Park [25] reported on field trials' with over 9,000 human subjects conducted in 1935. In so far as was possible each vaccinated individual was matched with a control in the same district and of the same age. Wherever possible playmates were used. There were three cases of polio and one death among those vaccinated. Brodie felt that field trials of at least 50,000 more children should continue to effect a more positive evaluation. (The Park and Brodie vaccine was withdrawn from use on human beings at the request of the directors of the Warm Springs Foundation in Georgia. This group is now known as The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, sponsor of the present vaccine. Unfortunately, we have no one today, with authority, who has the courage to stop this 'circus'.) Milzer, Oppenheimer and Lavinson [26] (1945) employed ultraviolet irradiation to inactivate the polio virus which was effected in less than one second exposure. Monkeys receiving three shots developed significant resistance in 2to3weeks. Freund [27] (1951) tried paraffin oil and mycobacteria on the virus to evaluate antibody formation. At present the Germans are reporting on the use of a ‘live virus' vaccine which according to the report has indicated excellent results. In our own country, Sabin likewise is working with the ‘live virus' idea. The live virus vaccine would, of course, engender antibody response parallel to the natural infection thus giving enduring immunity.

DISCUSSION Many experiments have been conducted during the past 45 years in an attempt to find a safe, effective vaccine for poliomyelitis. Experience has proved that recovery from most virus diseases results in permanent immunity. From these immunized individu-

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als one can find neutralizing or protective antibodies in their sera. This has led to the FALSE notion that the presence of neutralizing antibodies in the serum of an individual always indicates immunity. This is TRUE only when these antibodies are the result of a natural infection. As Rivers [28] once put it, "the individual is known to be immune not because of the antibodies, but because of

recovery from a natural infection as indicated by the presence of antibodies." Resistance to infection by individuals vaccinated against, say polio, does not necessarily parallel the number of antibodies present, nor does it indicate that these demonstrated antibodies will neutralize live virus from a natural infection. Vaccinated dogs may possess neutralizing antibodies yet still be susceptible to rabies virus. It has been reported by many investigators that monkeys vaccinated against polio will come down with paralytic infection in spite of the presence of neutralizing antibodies in their sera. Loring [29] in 1947 reported that Brodie had proved in 1934 the presence of neutralizing antibodies in the blood of monkeys and children after immunization with his formalized virus vaccine, but Brodie

also further proved that "polio virus can spread through the central nervous system of an animal in the presence of demonstrable antibody." Andrews in 1929 demonstrated "that polio virus will grow, in tissue culture, in the presence of its own antibody." It must be remembered that the virus of poliomyelitis, be it 'live', 'attenuated' or rendered non-infective, acts as though it was a poor antigen. Thus it does not follow that even the 'needle introduction' of live virus into a human will necessarily result in effective immunization against exposure to a nature infection. If a really successful vaccine against polio should be developed, it most assuredly will contain live virus. This, after all, is nature's way of handling the diseases plaguing mankind. Dunkin and Laidlaw have shown that formalized canine distemper virus will produce a fleeting immunity in vaccinated dogs, but in order to get a solid resistance LIVE virus must be employed. This, then, is suggestive of what we might expect for man. The danger in polio, however, rests with the hundreds of strains and in their varying degree in

virulence as to strain and as to time and circumstances. An opinion exists with some that the amount of inactive virus is the all important factor; that is, if a sufficient amount were used, a solid

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immunity would result. McKenzie reported that with small doses of inactivated Rift Valley fever virus he was unable to immunize mice, while with larger doses, 1 cc administered intraperitoneally, he was able to establish a good resistance in the animals to the active agent. Rivers challenged this work. Assuming, he said, that the virus was completely inactivated and that the mice were solidly protected, one must remember that a mouse weighs in the neighbourhood of 20 grams and that | cc or 1 gram of the virus emulsion was administered; that is, approximately 1/20 of the body weight.

On the basis of these figures a man weighing 150 pounds would require 7-1/2 pounds of vaccine - not a very practical procedure. We have three roads open. We can continue to employ the formalized vaccine developed by Brodie; continue work for the development of a live virus vaccine; give up the idea of a polio vaccine. Ina chemically treated virus vaccine we must remember that the possibility always exists that some of the virus units will be completely inactivated while others are only influenced. The evidence points up the fact that when a virus emulsion has been treated with a chemical agent and is still capable of causing disease, even though the incubation period might differ from the natural infection, the virus, if recovered from the unfortunate victim would

be found fully virulent. This would suggest that the so-called chemical treatment is equivalent to a dilution. Brodie (1934) in discussing his results with monkeys and children stated, "whether immunity developed from either a 'killed' or ‘highly attenuated’ antigen can not be definitely stated." As to the use of a live or attenuated virus the end result is just as unpredictable. Investigators in the past have shown that even large amounts of virus in the active state given subcutaneously or intracutaneously frequently fail to produce resistance to infection in monkeys. What is good for the goose is not always good for the gander. A flower from the

greenhouse frequently is disappointing once carried home, for it responds differently in its new environment. It seems then that the safest and best thing to do is GIVE UP the idea ofa vaccine for poliomyelitis. Dr. Thomas M. Rivers gave this advice in 1936 when he said, "It must be remembered that the vast majority of children vaccinated would never have contracted poliomyelitis even though they had not received the vaccine. For unknown reasons, most children are much more resistant to poliomyelitis than are the

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remaining few.” This small 'remaining few' group is no doubt the ones Salk reported would not and could not make antibodies. Thus it sums itself up so simply: The majority do not need it and the minority can't use it if they get it. It is interesting academically to listen to a prophecy made by Rivers in 1936; to wit: 'If Iwere asked for a prophecy, I would say: If Brodie does not make the time of inactivation of the virus too short, and if he continues to administer

the vaccine in the manner now employed, It will be reasonably safe but ineffective, particularly if one expects an appreciable degree of protection to persist for any great length of time." Rivers' prophecy was fulfilled during the 1954 field trials with the 'so-called' Salk vaccine. As revealed in the critical analysis of the Francis report published in the June, 1955 issue of the Tri-State Medical Journal,

the vaccine 'was reasonably safe but ineffective.' This ineffectiveness of the vaccine was known 'by the proper authorities' long before April 12, 1955, and it was this FACT which made imperative the NEW 1955 MODEL. This NEW vaccine is more potent. To accomplish this the time of formalin activity was either shortened or the number of minimal completely paralysing doses of virus was increased. Either procedure would make fora BORDER-LINE vaccine. Your attention is called to the fact that the factual material credited to Dr. Thomas M. Rivers in this paper is the same Dr. Rivers, who on June 23, 1955, before the House

Commerce

subcommittee said "It would be tragic to halt inoculation.’ As of 1955 Dr. Thomas M. Rivers is not only DIRECTOR, Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, but also CHAIRMAN, polio vaccine committee of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. To make an HONEST evaluation of Dr. Rivers' statement before the House Commerce subcommittee, we must fully understand for

whom he works. "The Rockefellers own the largest drug manufacturing combine in the world, and use all of their other interest (which is mammoth) to bring pressure to continue and increase the sale of drugs. In addition there are thousands of others controlled through bank loans by Chase National Bank, one of which is the Hearst newspaper empire."[30] Rivers' connection with the National Foundation is self-explanatory. Out of the 20,000 to 30,000 cases of polio reported each year only 8,000 to 10,000 would actually require treatment, using a DRUG as a curative agent. If through intensive newspaper and radio propaganda the necessity

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of a vaccine could be TATTOOED on the 'minds' of Americans the number of 'users' might conceivably run to 100,000,000 annually. This would get roughly, 30,000,000 dollars profit each year. Since 90 per cent of the doctors graduating today think in terms of ‘dollars' instead of 'SENSE' there were no misgivings about cooperation from the medical profession. The 'egg' was about to be hatched, but no one thought that it would be a 'MULE'. Tragic to halt the inoculations? Yes! Not for the children, however, but for

the Rockefeller Foundation and the National Foundation. Doctors of America, ‘cut the strings' and ACT according to your own natural intellect, for some of these children are your own. In 1936 as in 1955 much effort was expended in an attempt to convince the 'world' that the cases of polio following vaccination were ‘natural infections' without relation to the injections. The United Press [31] reported May 5, 1955, that three public health experts had found in Idaho that (1) The disease struck in areas where there had been no previous polio cases. (2) Only children who had received the vaccine became ill. (3) The first signs of paralysis occurred in the arm where the children were vaccinated. (4) The paralysis developed first in the upper extremities, although the disease is usually first felt in the legs. In spite of this evidence given by men from his own department, Surgeon General Scheele [32] on May 6, 1955, said,

46 although 44 vaccinated children have developed polio, this does not mean the Salk vaccine is not safe. They 'probably' had the disease already." In 1936, following cases of polio and deaths from the Kolmer and (later from Brodie) vaccines, the Senior Surgeon of the U.S. Public Health Service, Dr. James P. Leake [33], had

enough intelligence and 'guts' to state publicly: "In each instance in which the site of the injection and the site of the first paralysis is known, the latter occurred either in the limb injected, or in the

corresponding limb of the opposite side; in other words, the cells of the spinal cord involved were at the same level as the injections. I beg you, Dr. Kolmer, to desist from the human use of your vaccine." In 1955 following polio after vaccination, with cases running towards several hundred and also with deaths, Dr. Van Riper [34] of the National Foundation signs his name to this statement: "It must be emphasized that when poliomyelitis vaccine 1s given to large numbers of individuals during epidemic periods, a small proportion receiving the vaccine will subsequently experience

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paralytic disease. This is because the vaccine is not 100 per cent

effective; individuals receiving it during the early silent period of an infection may not be protected, but may be subject to a localizing effect of paralysis at the site of injection; and a certain number of cases erroneously reported as poliomyelitis will actually be instances of other diseases with clinical similarities." This is quite a contrast. This 'double' talk issued regularly to physicians will be accepted by many, but in some it will ‘provoke’ serious misgivings. Some questions might be: (1) Why, if any risk is present, were the injections started in the Spring of 1955 instead of the Fall of this year? The number of cases reported to-date receiving vaccine is approaching what might have occurred from natural infection, according to known accepted statistics. (2) I am certain that no

silent period existed in those cases reported from Idaho, because at that time of year (APRIL) Idaho is still buried in snow. (3) We wonder how many cases erroneously reported as polio were accepted and counted by the National Foundation prior to the present vaccine story. A drowning man will 'grab' at any straw. (4) We wonder what type of ‘localizing effect' the injections have on bulbar cases? Entirely too much emphasis has been placed on the presence or absence of antibodies in human sera. Salk in 1953 found 80 per cent of the children tested in the Pittsburgh, Pa., area as being without antibody protection. Salk [35] further pointed out that poliomyelitis is not a single disease, since it can be caused by any one of three immunologically different viruses.' Thus "individuals whose blood is devoid of antibody for any one virus type cannot be regarded as immune to the disease because they have not experienced infection with all three types." Brodie in 1936 reported that under 5 years 85 per cent of children showed no antibody and 75 per cent of the 6- 10 year old group, which is 80 per cent. Roughly, then, the antibody factor has remained constant, in spite of the reported yearly increase in the incidence of the disease. As Brodie observed in 1936, "the finding of no antibody makes it difficult to explain why

in an epidemic approximately only | of 170 children in the age group 1-10 years, showing no antibody, develop the disease. Obviously this 0.6% of 1 per cent represents the group whose constitutional make-up fails to respond to antigen stimulation. Teale

L52

answered this in 1935 by demonstrating "the pre-eminence of the state of the tissues in regard to immunity, their capability of dealing effectively with the antigen and the negligible part played by the circulating antibody as such." Salk, in suggesting that no one is immune to polio unless he shows antibody to all three virus types, implies that in travelling from New York to California you can go by train, by plane or by car but that you cannot actually consider yourself being in California unless you travel there by all three routes. The fact that a second attack of polio is recognized as a 'medical curiosity,’ proves Salk's interpretation to be erroneous. The 'vaccine' (antigen) only trips the trigger on the inherent sensitivity possessed by practically all children (99.4%); Kolmer said a 'simple natural exposure’ did the same thing. Why, then, vaccinate?"

CONCLUSION A meticulous review of the literature since 1910, dealing with experimental work pertinent to the development of a vaccine for poliomyelitis, forces one to conclude from a factual consideration, that nothing new had been added to the ‘picture’, so that, in time, we actually still stand as Brodie left it in 1936. Salk in 1953

reported that his efforts 'carried special blessings,' since the vaccines of Brodie and Kolmer in the early 1930's "were discontinued because the preparations employed were found unsafe for human use." The experiences to date with the 'so-called Salk vaccine’ would place this product in the same category and it must, therefore, be discontinued for human use. We are constantly reminded by politicians, not scientists, that millions have been vaccinated and only hundreds have developed polio from the injections; what we are not told is that resistant children are able to stand the vaccine, while the susceptible children, the ones highly in need of protection, cannot resist the 'attenuated active virus' present in all

of the polio vaccine available, and thus promptly come down with the disease. Kolmer [36] in 1935 said, "It is likely that resistance to poliomyelitis may be present without demonstrable amounts of this antibody in the blood, and that tissue resistance may be constituted by body cells sensitized to virus and capable of rapidly producing antibody upon infection or vaccination.' Rivers, head of the polio

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vaccine committee for the National Foundation, reminds us "that

the vast majority of children vaccinated would never have contracted poliomyelitis even though they had not received the vaccine." The medical profession needs to take inventory; have we been gambling with the lives of our children for the political and pecuniary gains of a few? With the 'risk' of acquiring paralytic poliomyelitis running as high as 1 to 100,000 [37] and the 'chance' of dying from it as high as 1 to 1,000,000 the urgency for a protective antigen is not too great. No one can deny that the 'field trials' of 1954 and 1955 were experimental, since parents 'were compelled' to put their name on the ‘dotted line’ before their children could receive these FREE inoculations. Kessel in 1936 [38], reporting on the Brodie vaccine, said "Minors who took the vaccine were re- quired to have their parents sign the record" and "volunteers signed a statement recognizing the fact that the vaccine was in the experimental stage." Salk in 1953 attempted to discredit the work of Brodie on the premise that his 'studies were conducted before precise knowledge regarding pathogenesis and immunologic complexity were available." This reasoning might be valid were it not for the fact that history records the use of sailing boats long before Archimedes gave to the world the principle of buoyancy. History also records that it was Brodie and not Morgan, as reported by Salk, who first 'clearly demonstrated that a formaldehyde-treated suspension of central nervous system tissue from monkeys induced the formation of appreciable quantities of antibody.' Brodie in 1934 [39] reported that "germicidally inactivated virus for the production of active immunity has been found successful in many diseases. This work indicates that definite immunity can be developed against the virus of poliomyelitis using virus rendered non-infective by formalin." Brodie later conceded that "whether this immunity developed from either a 'killed' or ‘highly attenuated' antigen can not be definitely stated." Salk in 1953 intimated that the original work for selecting the proper strength for the inactivation of the polio virus was carried out in his laboratory. Brodie [40], May 5, 1934, (21 years to the day when the U.S. Public Health investigators released the information that the cases of polio in Idaho were definitely due to the so-called Salk vaccine) sent to the Journal of Immunology a paper dealing with the various concentrations of formalin on

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mixtures of polio virus. A table of these experiments by Brodie will be found on the following table. Formalin

|

M.C.P. Doses Intracere-

| brally 10 15

Mild attack

35

Paralysed 19 days No

Paralysis 7

No

10

Paralysis No

1,600

Paralysis 11 Paralysis 10

1,600 pius

10

No

No Paralysis No

Paralysis”

| 2,800 intraperitioneailly and in 10 days 1,600 plus 6,400 intraperiton-

eally. 1,600 plus

1.0-4.0

Paralysis” 2800 intraperitoneally and in 10. days 1,600

plus6,400

|

intrapentoneally

2.5-5.5 2.5-3.5 2.5-3,0 2.0-4,0

Paralysis days

(incomplete)

(*) and (**) Experiment repeated so as to check spinal fluid which was negative. (M.C.P.) Minimal Completing Paralysing Dose.

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Salk reports, 1953, that as "the result of numerous experiments the decision was made to use 0.4% formalin. Actually 1:4000 formalin is the accepted requirement for bactericidal effects and one might not be too wrong in believing that this point was the deciding factor. All investigators are agreed that if the formalin is allowed to act longer than the time required to destroy infectivity, then antigenicity will also decline correspondingly until a point is reached where the virus no longer functions as an antigen. It would appear, from Brodie's observations, that it would be desirable to increase, reasonably, the strength of the formalin so as to 'cut down' on the time required for inactivation. From the table of Brodie's experiments we see that 0.4% paralysed the monkeys in 7 days with 36-hour exposure for formalin and virus suspension, where- as with 0.5% the monkeys were not paralysed allowing for the same duration of germicidal activity. Concentration of virulent virus is a third factor. Brodie found that with 1.0% formalin a large dose of virus after 36 hours exposure was merely attenuated and would produce paralysis. Many other factors were reported by Brodie, but in the reports concerning the 1955 vaccine one is led to believe that these were new observations made by the 1955 author. Kessel, reporting on Brodie's vaccine field trials in 1935 showed that in one group of 331 vaccinated all remained free of the disease while 6 per cent of the unvaccinated subsequently developed poliomyelitis. Salk, 1955[41], writes, 'even though the actual determination as to whether or not a non-infectious vaccine could prevent paralysis in children was yet to be made." Brodie, 1935, "two animals inoculated with 10 cc amounts of formalized virus failed to show a demonstrable tissue immunity," but Salk, 1955, continues, ‘an interesting observation

has been made in other groups of monkeys inoculated on a single occasion with 10 ml. of vaccine - blood drawn four weeks later revealed a rather poor response or none at all except Type II. Brodie, 1935, stated, "two doses when properly spaced gave decidedly better immunity, and small doses of formalized vaccine was definitely better than large doses." Salk, again 1955, "this reaf-

firms, once again, the importance of divided doses for providing greater effects with less vaccine." If a vaccine for polio is a 'must', we make these recommenda-

tions: (1) Increase the strength of the formalin so as to reduce the

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‘killing’ time. (2) The vaccine be made up with each type strain in a separate vial. (3) that type Ill be injected subcutaneously first, then Type II and finally Type I at 10 day intervals. (4) That phenylmercuric-nitrate 1:80,000 (Kolmer) be used as a preservative. I think, though, that Kramer, Schaeffer and Park [42] had the

right idea. They concluded one of their papers with this suggestion. "One is tempted to question the importance of a method of immunization in a disease of such low incidence as poliomyelitis. The practical application of any such method must undoubtedly involve the immunization of large numbers of children who would not get the disease. It might, therefore, be more logical to TREAT the

relatively few who do become ill." This can be done. The employment of ascorbic acid in amounts of 250 mg per Kg. of body weight, preferably given by needle, every 6 to 8 hours during the acute systemic phase of the disease will result in a positive cure in from 48 to 96 hours. D.C.A. in amounts of 1.5 mg to 5 mg given intramuscularly once each day is a good adjuvant in giving the adrenals' support. These observations, it is hoped, will serve to manoeuvre the

intelligence of the reader to a sound realization of what is happening to the medical profession in this country. Vaccines can be DILUTED to make them appear safe. AsNEWSWEEK [43] relates, April 25, 1955, "The amount of vaccine one monkey can be made to

produce varies with the manufacturer's own method and efficiency. One drugmaker gets 1,700 cc's of vaccine out of every monkey, or enough for a two-shot vaccination for 850 children. Another manufacturer says he gets 2,500 cc's per monkey." The newspapers, however, tell us they have only one formula and one procedure. The results as quoted by just two vaccine makers can be properly interpreted from Brodie's chart (Conclusion-3). Brodie found that 1.0% formalin would inactivate virus emulsion equivalent to 320 (2,500 cc's per monkey) minimal paralysing doses in 36 hours, but if the virus emulsion was increased to 1,600 (1,700 cc's vaccine per

monkey) minimal completely paralysing doses it would not completely inactivate the mixture. No one really knows what is happening to the immunological complex in those children receiving inoculations and who remain apparently well. Brodie [44] appreciated the inherent danger of ‘vaccine therapy' by reminding us

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that "just as doses on the borderline of infectivity of foot and mouth and looping-ill (a disease in sheep comparable to polio in man) virus produced infection after prolonged incubation periods and larger quantities after a shorter incubation period, so inoculation of polio virus which were infective, but less than the minimal completely paralysing dose, gave the disease after a prolonged incubation period while very large doses shortened the incubation period.' Actually, thousands of children have developed polio from the present vaccine since many cases are not reported, either because the disease is confused with or resembles some other childhood manifestation or the attending physician would not believe polio from the vaccine was possible. Draper [45] observed that 'MOST patients with polio never develop muscular weakness and that paralysis when it does occur is an accidental accident precipitated in the latter part or second phase of the course of an acute systemic infection.' In the systemic stage, or first hump, of a well marked case of polio the clinical picture is that of almost all of the acute infections of childhood - a flushed, uncomfortable, feverish child; in

the meningeal stage, or second hump, there are added the special signs and symptoms of meningeal irritability. Of one thing we are certain. The unnecessary addition of penicillin to the vaccine has

unwittingly sensitized hundreds of thousands of children so that a subsequent injection for some unrelated disease will result in serious allergic reactions; for others it will bring death. All this

results from haste. Fleming was publishing lengthy reports on penicillin as early as 1927, yet it was 1939 (plus) before the world learned of its potentialities. Haste makes waste! During the field trials of 1954 blood samples were taken from ONLY 9,000 [46] children out of 1,829,916 subjects; many of these blood samples came from the ‘observed group.' Where is the scientific approach? The 'sampling' of just ONE apple out of a barrel will never tell you how many ‘rotten ones' there are in the lot. Brodie [47] found a definite relationship between formalized virus vaccine immunity and the sedimentation rate - that the increase rate of erythrocytic fall always showed 'during the development of immunity.’ If this simple test can be confirmed it will be of tremendous value, since Brodie advised giving the second injection "during the rise or height of antibody response to the first inoculation - not during the lag phase." Let us all remember as we

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approach this problem in the future that "any method of immunization employed in a disease of such low incidence as poliomyelitis MUST possess the VIRTUE of complete SAFETY, for it is perfectly obvious that an occasional accident might approach, or indeed exceed, the incidence of the disease."

REFERENCES 1. Flexner, S. Lewis, P.A. J. A.M.A. Vol. 54 page 1780,1910. 2. Levaditi, C. Landsteiner, K. Ann. Inst. Pasteur, Vol. 25,

827 1911. 3. Kraus, R. Review of paper, J. Exp. Med. Vol. 49 960 1919. 4. Zappert, J., Wiesner, R., Leiner, K, Review of paper, J.

Exp. Med. Vol. 49. 5. Thomsen, 0., Review of paper, J. Exp. Med. Vol. 49. 6. Abramson, H. L., Gerber, H., J. Immunology, Vol. 3 435 1918. 7. Flexner, S., Amoss, H.L., J. Exp. Med. Vol. 34 625 1924. 8. McKinley, J.C., Larson, W.P., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. & Med. Vol. 24 297 1926-27. 9. Aycock, W.L., Kagan, J.R., J. Immunology, Vol. 14 85 1927. 10. Rhodes, C.P., J. Exp. Med. Vol. 53 399 1931. 11. Sabin, A., J. Exp. Med. Vol. 56 1932 307. 12. Thomson, R. I., McKinley, E. B., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. & Med. Vol. 32 1934-35. 13. Kolmer, J.A., Am. J.P. Health, Vol. 26 126 1936. 14. Brodie, M., Am. J.P. Health, Vol. 26 147 1936. 15. Andrews, C., J. Dis. of Child, Vol. 47 1216 1934. 16. Brodie, M., Goldbloom, J. Exp. Med. Vol. 53 883 1931. 17. Kolmer, J.A., Rule, N.M., Journal Immunology, Vol. 26 513 1934. 18. Kolmer, J.A., Am. J. Med. Se. Vol. 188 510 1934. 19. Brodie, M., Am. J. Dis. Child, Vol. 48 57 1934.

20. Andrews, C.H., B. J. Exp. Pathology, Vol. 10 1929. 21. Teale, F.H., J. Immunology, Vol. 28 1935. 22. Brodie, M., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. & Med. Bol. 32 300 1934.

23. Brodic, M., J. Immunology, Vol. 27 1934. 24. Kramer, S.D., Green, H.A., J. Immunology, Vol. 50 275 1945.

ee

25. Brodie, M., Park, W.H., Am. J.P. Health Vol. 26 119 1936. 26. Milzer, A., Oppenheimer, F., Levinson, S.O., J. Imm., Vol. 50 1945. 27. Freund, J., Review Am. 28. Rivers, T.M., Am. J. P. 29. Loring, H.S., Schwerdt, J.C., Science, Vol. 106 104

J. Clin. Path. Vol. 21 645 1951. Health, Vol. 26 136 1936. C.E., Lawrence, N., Anderson, 1947.

30. Bealle, M.A., The Drug Story, Health Research, Mokelumne Hill, Calif. 31. Reidsville Review, may 5, 1955. 32. Reidsville Review, May 6,1955. 33. Leake, J.P., Discussion of Polio Papers, Am. J.P. H. Vol. 26, 148 1936. 34. Van Riper, H.E., Report to Physicians-Polio Vaccine, June DDO SD: 35. Salk, J.E., J. A.M.A., Vol. 151, 1081 No. 13, 1953. 36. Kolmer, J.A., Rule, Anna., J. Immunology, Vol. 29,175, 1935. 37. Sabin, A.B., Immunity & Vaccine, Mod. Med. May 15,1955. 38. Kessel, J.F., Dis. of Polio Papers Am. J.P.H., Vol. 26, 145, 1936. 39. Brodic, M., Science New Series, Vol. 79, Jan.-June, 1934. 40. Brodie, M., J. Immunology, Vol. 28, 1, 1935. 41. Salk, J.A., Am. J.P., I, Vol. 45, No. 2, Feb., 1955. 42. Kramer, S.D., Schaeffer, M., Park, W. II., J. Imm. Vol. 27, 199,1934.

43. Newsweek, April 25,1955 (Magazine). 44. Brodie, M., J. Immunology, Vol. 25, 71, 1933. 45. Draper, G., J. A.M.A., Vol. 68, April 21,1917.'

46. Time Magazine, April 25, 1955. 47. Brodie, M., J. Immunology, Vol. 32, 1934.

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(Reprinted from The Tri-State Medical Journal, July 1955).

APPENDIX (Information available after this paper was sent for publication) (1) Melnick (1955), studying 70 strains of polio virus representing one single type as shown by neutralization tests, found that when tested against standardized sera of each immunologic type by complement fixation roughly half of the strains demonstrated dual antigenicity while others showed triple antigenicity. Predominant antigenic activity indicated welldefined overlapping between Type I and Type II and between Type II and Type III. This could explain the epidemiologic finding that with Type 11 antibody present in the sera, immunity to Type I and/or Type III exists. (Melnick, J.L., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. and Med. 89, 131 (May) 1955). (2) British health authorities cancelled the use of the so-called Salk polio vaccine as too dangerous. Said Dr. Graham Selby Wilson, director, Public Health Laboratory Service, "I do not

see how any vaccine prepared by Salk's method can be guaranteed to be safe." (Time magazine, July 25, 1955).

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CHAPTER 6: THE ROLE OF VITAMIN C IN EXERCISE. Three published papers: » Joggers beware” (Archie Kalokerinos and Glen Dettman) ”To run or not to run” (Arthur Mowle) A report on Australian League footballers supplemented with vitamin C (Glen Dettman and Izrael Zimmerman, M.B.B.S.,

F.R.A.C.G.P.) These papers indicate the necessity for sufficient vitamin C to be available for those engaged in athletics and vigorous exercising, (e.g. marching troops). It is known that sailors pushing the capstan around during the days of Captain Cook would often drop dead on the spot! Their vitamin C supplies would become depleted, cellular function would cease and life could no longer be sustained. We refer to these as SUDDEN ADULT DEATHS (SADS). A similar pathway occurs in SIDS. Ant cause of stress, a minor illness such as a cold, antibiotics, cough

mixtures containing sedatives and antihistamines, an immunisation, indeed anything that may cause an increased utilisation of vitamin C, can put that subject at risk. During the “double blind trial” of the Australian League Football Team, Dr. Zimmerman decided to stop the trial midway through, as he could see the difference between the supplemented and the nonsupplemented (i.e. those on the placebo), stating that it was unconscionable to continue the trial. His clinical perceptions were “spot on”.

Note the report of Dr Mowle in “To Run or Not to Run” which supports these previously reported clinical facts.

JOGGERS BEWARE by Drs. Archie Kalokerinos and Glen Dettman (Excerpt from The Australasian Nurses Journal, July, 1980) We shrug with horror as each morning, each afternoon, each evening, indeed at any time of the day or night we see the joggers ‘running for their lives.' Surely this is not bad, you say, for such advice has emanated from authoritative sources, for example the Heart Foundation. We hastily add that this is just one body of opinion and that not all physicians and health practitioners would agree in entirely with

its message. For years we were warned about the 'demon' cholesterol, but now that sufficient time has elapsed enabling us to evaluate 'cholesterol free diets' the whole theory turns out to be of little importance. An American epidemiologist, Dr. George V. Mann of the Vanderbilt University Medical School has studied the role of blood fat cholesterol in heart disease and concludes that the high levels found in coronary patients are not due to diet. Diet accounts for only about 10-20 per cent of the bodies supply of cholesterol, the rest is manufactured in the body. Dr. Mann and his colleagues recommend butter rather than polyunsaturated margarines. An English Professor of Medicine, Dr. Tony Mitchell told doctors at the Royal Melbourne Hospital that there was no evidence that reducing cholesterol would prevent heart disease, calling such statements as 'foolish pronouncements' (Age 22 March, 1980). More recently a further article summarises the work of other scientists who published their findings for the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A. naturally the American Heart Association opposed this view point (Age 18 June 1980). So at least it is now clear that there are two distinctly different schools of thought. To this we would add that a sensible attitude must be adopted. If you are overweight and have a family history of coronary disease, then you

most certainly would be unwise to neglect both exercise and attention to your diet including fat intake. But is jogging bad for me you ask? The answer is Yes and No. Yes, if other aspects of health such as nutrition are ignored, and no,

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If your nutrition and general life style are taken into consideration. It is generally recognised that we have apart from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), SADS, (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome). Readers will recall press items that appear from time to time about athletes dropping dead while engaged in the pursuit of their choice and whether it be football, cricket, or any other form of athletics the disturbing factor is that nothing can be found at post mortem. These are SADS, they occur much the same way as SIDS ... the subject depletes his Ascorbate reserves (Vitamin C) cellular function increases, and the victim becomes yet another statistic ... of our ignorance. In Captain Cook's day, apparently fit men would be labouring (and they did in those days) and would just drop dead ... these men could be presumed to be suffering from what Dr. Irwin Stone calls the CSS syndrome (Chronic Sub Clinical Scurvy) and the extra work load would deplete their already meagre reserves and death would result. In 1972 we did a very extensive survey lasting the whole season at the Essendon Football Club and we found that players who gave their all were demonstrating an absence of Vitamin C after the game, even although up to 3000 mg (three grams) had been given to them at the commencement. The club doctor (The late Dr. 1. Zimmerman) was quick to read

the message and immediately became concerned for those players we had on a placebo tablet. It was considered to discontinue this as we were placing the players at risk... in the same way that you, our jogging friend are at risk if you do not supplement with the correct amount of Vitamin C. How much is that you ask? ... hardly a day goes by that we are asked this and similar questions. We give this as a guideline only, there are situations that require modifications but to the majority of people we recommend the following supplements: (1) Vitamin C for Adults ... up to 10 g a day, this can be taken in the form of sodium Ascorbate powder, three times a day after

meals. A level teaspoon is equivalent to about 3 grams. You should slowly work up to this level and increase your dose to bowel tolerance in illness. Interferon is produced endogenously IF you are taking sufficient Ascorbate (Vitamin C).

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If your 'C' levels are up, then this results in all the other levels of vitamins being elevated. If the 'C' is down, then it is likely that all the other levels will share this unhappy pattern. Collagen quality and renal function are also improved. There are innumerable other benefits, we suggest you read Lady Cilento's book "You Can't Live Without Vitamin C' (note the truth embodied in the title) and Dr. Irwin Stone's, 'The Healing Factor." Biochemists who challenge these statements should read Dr. Sherry Lewin's book, 'Vitamin C, It's Molecular Biology and Medical Potential." But why 10 grams and not 50 mg 10 grams of vitamin C is about the amount you can obtain in good fresh food and by coincidence the amount that the average mammal is able to make in its own body each day whereas we humans must rely on an erogenous source (outside the body). (2) Next we recommend that you take from one to three 'Formula Three' or ‘Compound Zinc' capsules (the preparations contain the same ingredients, magnesium, vitamin B6 and zinc). It is now known that apart from the many other benefits available from this supplement that they provide essential requirements for production of PGE1, (prostaglandin E.1). (3) Finally the last part of our trial is Vitamin E, an antioxidant that works so well with the other components and helps in prolonging the life and integrity of the cell. So go to it joggers. Please heed the advice we give, otherwise you may finish up yet another SADS statistic.

"TO RUN OR NOT TO RUN - THAT IS THE QUESTION AND REPLY’ ARTHUR F. MOWLE PhD (TCU), BA (Imml GA), ACSR (Surrey), ACP (Lond.), TCert (Ed. Dept. WA), RN (WA, FCN (NSW), FACBS, MACE. Nurse Practitioner and Teacher of Science and Health

Education, Christian Brothers' Agricultural College, Tardun, Western Australia.

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(Excerpt from Australasian Nurses Journal, Jan. - Feb., 1981)

Just prior to a recently held monthly sportsmasters' meeting attended by over two dozen physical educators and sports coaches associated with Catholic education in Western Australia, I did my

utmost to stress to the secretary of the organisation the importance of having competent and well-read Registered Nurse Practitioners in attendance at all of their proposed 1981 major carnivals, especially if taxing events such as long-distance running or games involving continuous running were planned. The reason for my concern has already been published in the Journal (1), but for the benefit of readers who may have missed the short note, I will once again relate the experience and include further documentations that reinforce my concern. It involves a 14-year-old schoolboy competitor in an InterSchool Cross-Country Carnival held in mid-1980. The lad was viewed by his school's physical educator as physically fit and therefore quite capable, especially in the light of recently held fitness trials, to compete in the 3,000 metre cross-country event racing against the clock. The student, though finishing the race at the tail-end, on

reaching the finish-line collapsed in an exhausted heap showing the usual signs of stress brought about by severe physical exertion: tachycardia, rapid respiratory movements, some slight mental confusion, unsteadiness of gait, profuse sweating and so on. After a quick initial examination I was inclined to recommend the usual remedy: time and even more timely rest; having seen over the years many similar cases; cases that many of us attribute to bad preparation. It wasn't too long after, that once more my attention was drawn to this gasping participant. The lad was still experiencing racing tachycardia - approximately 180 beats per minute, he was having difficulty in getting a good breath, what with his coughing and such like; all in all I was faced with a young man who was quite severely physically distressed. On speaking with his sportsmaster, I found that though reputed to be a reasonable athlete, he had only just returned to school after a week's absence suffering from 'flu. He in fact had only just recommenced training for this carnival ... Actually I had guessed that he was in the process of overcoming

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some mild lung congestion, and since there was in my opinion good grounds for concern, I decided to administer as an emergency measure 100mg of Ascorbate (Vit.C) I.M.I. The results were quite dramatic: in less than five minutes his pulse was between 115-120 per minute, there was a welcome relief respiration-wise and soon he was more or less regaining a little composure. Soon after he casually walked off to rest in the school bus. I would stress that the latter state was arrived at a considerable time after his event and my original review, but within five minutes of the administration of Ascorbate I.M.I. Being very much aware that in all professional encounters and situations (particularly those classified as emergencies) where "Nurses are at all times responsible for their own acts" [2,3], I decided to do a little revision on the subject of Ascorbate usage and utilisation in health and disease conditions, as well as having another look at my own research notes on the utilisation of Ascorbate under stress conditions. Archie Kalokerinos and Glen Dettman, quite correctly, I be-

lieve, suggest that some cases of severe physical stress and even some cases of anaphylactic shock are in fact caused by the exhaustion of Ascorbate body reserve, thus laying the foundations for the somewhat similar "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome." [4,5,6]

Experiments carried out over five years with a number of school athletes and sports groups have verified several of the conclusions suggested by Kalokerinos and Dettman. On numerous occasions I have found that after prolonged physical exertion usually associated with long-distance running and a full game of Australian Rules Football that certain team members utilise biochemically quite significant amounts of Ascorbate. I found, for example, that one of our runners after a distance of 6.5 kilometres racing against the clock registered a negative balance of ascorbate on testing of his urine, despite the fact that just fifteen minutes before his test run 4,000 mg of Sodium Ascorbate was administered orally. I later found out that if this particular athlete was maintained on a daily intake of between 6,000-8,000 mg of Ascorbate there was

evidence of increased endurance, speed maintenance and recovery times. These findings were found despite the fact that his training program had not altered significantly over the months or even when compared with his previous year, except for the regular

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administration of Sodium Ascorbate on a daily basis. Since sports coaching is such a conservative art, controls were never difficult to find. The performance of the Ascorbate users was easy to compare when common factors were eliminated. Of course Dettman and Zimmerman had similar experiences back in 1972 when working with members of the Essendon Football Club; they too noted that certain players demonstrated an absence of Ascorbate after a taxing game - despite an original 3,000 mg loading at the game's commencement [7]. It doesn't take too much imagination to realise the probability that from time to time such a severe negative balance of circulating Ascorbate could in fact be the very ‘triggering’ device inducing severe physiological distress leading right up to a case of anaphylactic shock. Lady Phyllis Cilento suggests the real possibility of such a connection [8] and I'm very much of the same opinion as Thomas Pickering [9] that arrhythmias - abnormal heart beat rhythms occur more commonly during prolonged exercise and could be the cause of some unexplained deaths among runners; though I hasten to add my contention that the arrhythmias may in fact be caused by deficient amounts of circulating Ascorbate; so deficient, that there is little or no reserve for the adrenals to maintain their role of producing cortisone and as a consequence the individual readily succumbs to irreversible physiological shock. [10] Bio-chemist Irwin Stone strongly supports the reality of such a biochemical phenomenon [11] and physician Archie Kalokerinos throughout his book 'Every Second Child' [12] implicates low Ascorbate levels in the blood with some cases of ‘unexplainable' anaphylaxis. I personally view my recent experience with my somewhat sickly' cross-country competitor as very much a 'near-miss’, premature death. Naturally, I can't prove it, but I certainly had the 'gut feeling’ that things could only have got worse. I suppose it boils down to one simply acting out a 'professional' judgement; but as I leaf through 'clippings', refreshing my memory of the not uncommon reported incidents of sportsmen just dropping dead whilst in the process of pursuing their physical activity, something tells me that my action was the correct one. Several examples readily come to mind, such as the 25 year-old soldier who died during a SAS selection test involving a 15 kilometre training run on Rottnest Island [13] and the incident in

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Liverpool, England, where it was reported that an 18 year-old athlete collapsed and died after running the fastest race of his life [14], not forgetting of course the thought-provoking article by A. Parachini 'Mystery Deaths Continue to Baffle Experts' appearing in the Sunday Mercury-News, San Jose, California, where it is

mentioned that about 6,000 deaths occur in the U.S.A. mainly in the 15-30 year-old age group (a large percentage being athletes) literally keel over on the court or playing field [15]. Something tells me that members of the medical, and we, the paramedical professions, could well be overlooking something simply because it doesn't fit into our concept of 'knowing' or functional reality. Irwin Stone suggests that medical and paramedical professionals just aren't taught or trained to think about the usage and bodily utilisation of Ascorbate [16]. I strongly contend that we just don't think enough about that which we take for granted! One can readily see from the above, that I'm not particularly sympathetic with the notion suggested by some medical research workers that some premature deaths among athletes whilst in training are in fact 'allergic' reactions to miscellaneous substances, inhaled or eaten whilst they run; [17] though, at the same time I do not deny the possibility that the inhaling or eating of foreign substances could be the last tolerable biochemical insult that the body can cope with, hence pushing the individual into Ascorbate negative balance. Tobacco smoke, for example, is so full of poisons that it has a measurable lowering effect of the body's Ascorbate reserves [18]; too much consumption of alcohol has alike effect [19], whilst artificial immunisation can put an individual practically at a biochemical crisis point! [20,21] The same too, has been found with some antibiotics, chronic or

acute infections, parasitic infestation, achlorhydria, metropolitanarea water supplies, and the contraceptive pill which both contain copper and acts as a catalysing oxidiser; any or a combination of all the afore mentioned must result in Ascorbate depletion which in turn emphasises the necessity for individual assessment and monitoring. [22] It's no wonder, that in the bigger Australian cities, regular runners and joggers have an unwritten rule; 'No running on air-pollution days". I think they can actually feel their perform-

ance is not measuring up to both training and expectations that such training brings with it.

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You might ask "Yes, but what was the outcome to your original suggestion to the secretary of the sports association especially after relating your 'on the spot' experience?" Well, quite simple: It wasn't brought up, as one of the school Principals thought the subject of Vitamin C was at this stage too controversial to be mentioned! So much for scientific enquiry and the so-called educated. May 1 at this point draw this rather brief paper to a close by saying that there is good evidence supporting the notion that Ascorbate (Vit.C) could well be the 'Conductor of the Vitamin Orchestra’, and that when foreign substances, whatever their

nature find their way into the body's chemistry, they can quickly reduce the individual's Ascorbate reserves, tipping the scales to a negative balance and so precipitating various illnesses and on occasions (more common that we like to realise) producing physiological crises of the most frightening proportions. I cannot stress more the importance of being in a positive Ascorbate balance because of the aforementioned incident and the mounting evidence suggesting that only good can come from Ascorbate supplementation on a daily basis.

REFERENCES 1. Mowle, Arthur F., 'Letter To The Editor', Australasian Nurses Journal, October, 1980, p. 18.

2. Nurses Board of Western Australia, 'Policy on the Role of the Nurse in the Administration of Drugs', 1978, pt.3. 3. Nurses Board of Western Australia, 'Policy on the Role of Nurse in I) Intravenous Therapy, II) Epidural Injections, Ill) Application of the Defibrillator’, 1979 - General Preamble. 4. Kalokerinos, Archie and Dettman Glen., 'Joggers Be-

ware’, Australasian Nurses Journal, July, 1980. p.22. 5. Cook, Devan, 'Cot Deaths', Scientific Australian, June,

1978. pp. 10-14, 49. 6. Dettman, Glen, 'Discovering the C Connection', Nature and Health Australia, No. 1 1, 1979, pp.41-43. 7. Dettman, Glen and Zimmerman Izrael, 'A Report on Australian League Footballers Supplemented with Vitamin C’. Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists Journal,

Sept., 1973, pp.50-53.

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8. Cilento Lady Phyllis, You Can't Live Without Vitamin C', Sydney, Whitcombe and Tombs, 1979, p.93. 9. Time Magazine, 'Does Running Avert Coronaries?' Oct. 6, 1980, p.100.

10. Cilento Lady Phyllis, op. cit. p.47. 11. Stone Irwin, The Healing Factor, Vitamin C Against Disease, New York, Grosset & Dunlop, 1972, pp.179-182. 12. Kalokerinos Archie, Every Second Child, Sydney, Thomas Nelson (Australia) Ltd., 1974. 13. The West Australian, 'Run Ends in Death’, Sept. 6, 1980. 14. Melbourne Sun, 'Record Run - Then Death’, July 1, 1980.

15. Parachini A., 'Mystery Deaths Continue to Baffle Experts’, Sunday Mercury-News, San Jose, California, Jan. 1, 1978. 16. Stone Irwin, 'Sudden Death - A Look back From Ascorbate's

50th Anniversary', Paper presented at the World Congress on Vitamin C, Palm Springs, California on March 18, 1978. 17. Clark Matt, 'Allergic to Exercise’, Newsweek, August 25, 1980, p.50. 18. Stone Irwin, ‘Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1976.

19. Pauling Linus, 'For the Best of Health - How much Vitamin C?" Executive Health, Vol. 2, Sept. 1976.

20. Kalokerinos Archie, Letters -'Cot Death Survey: Anaphylaxis and the House Dust Mite', Medical Journal of australia,

Aug.21,1971. 21. Kalokerinos Archie, 'Vitamin C Deficiency and Aboriginal Infant Mortality’, Australasian College of biomedical Scientists Journal, Sept., 1973. pp. 40-43. 22. Dettman Glen C., "Vitamin C - Latest Developments’, Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists Journal, Sept., 1973, p.60.

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A REPORT ON AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS SUPPLEMENTED WITH VITAMIN C GLEN C. DETTMAN B.A., PhD., F.A.C.B.S., F.R.MLS., F.LS.T., F.M.T.A.(HK), D.R.S.H.(Lond.) Oakleigh Pathology Service, and

IZRAEL ZIMMERMAN M.B.B.S., F.R.A.C.G.P., (Physician, Essendon Football Club) (Published in the Journal of the Australasian

College of Biomedical Scientists, September, 1973).

INTRODUCTION: This investigation was undertaken during the 1972 Victorian League Football season. Part of the information was presented in a paper read at the International Nutritional Congress in Mexico 1972. This season, 1973, it was interesting to note that Lady Phyllis Cilento journeyed from Brisbane to Melbourne at the invitation of the North Melbourne Football Club in order to address players about the importance of nutrition. Lady Cilento stated that one of the reasons she did this was because of the apparent success obtained by us after supplementing the Essendon players with vitamin C. As the North Melbourne Club was of similar status to the Essendon Football Club at the commencement of the 1972 football season, the efforts and achievements of these players should be worthy of observation. It is possible that some psychological advantages may have been experienced as a result of the supplement in the form of tablets, but this is difficult to assess. However over a period of time it should not be difficult to observe the effect of supplement upon the incidence of injury, bruising and general health. Particularly

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when used in conjunction with a placebo. Clinical notes that we compiled from week to week indicated that there were advantages but more experimentation is desirable. There is increasing evidence that nutrition is much more important than the humble role it serves at the moment and the severe training programmes that coaches submit their charges to may well result in a deficiency of one or more vitamins resulting in impaired performance and possible long term effects. This may account for the so called phenomena of "staleness" that occurs from time to time. One cannot but help wonder how many blood tests sent back to the physician over the past 30 years as "normal" might have shown evidence of nutritional deficiency, presence or absence of toxic or non toxic trace elements had we looked for them. As requests for such tests are infrequent in the laboratory it would seem an appropriate time to quote Sir Robert McCarrison who in 1920

stated "if the doctors of today do not become the nutritionists of tomorrow, then the nutritionists of today will become the doctors of tomorrow". The purpose of this investigation was twofold, one to include in our cross section of the community samples of the highest possible physical fitness and two, to observe the performance of these athletes throughout the football season when dosed with varying amounts of vitamin C including a placebo. Urinary ascorbic acid excretion was monitored at weekly intervals always the morning after their afternoon game, and at the same time any significant history was recorded.

Initially, 40 senior players' histories were taken and a urine specimen was examined for vitamin C. One non-excreter was detected and it was established that he had a poor nutrition directly related to eating in a boarding house. Not only his game, but also his physical and mental outlook improved after we dosed him with

vitamin C. The reason we chose footballers for this experiment was because Of the great physical and mental stress, they are constantly exposed to. Greenwood recommended large doses of vitamin C to preserve the integrity of the intervertebral discs, prevent back trouble and reduce muscular soreness after exercise. [1] Lund et al., state that ‘Physical stress, such as occurs during operations or following

ly3

severe burns or shock of any type, induces a precipitous fall in the plasma ascorbic acid level and in the amount excreted in the urine. Massive doses of ascorbic acid given orally or parenterally can restore the plasma level temporarily to normal, but normal levels can only be obtained by high dosage until stress is terminated."

[2,3]

There is no question about the physical and mental stress these man are exposed to, verging on shock at times, after a hard game. Therefore controlled dosing and monitoring were considered worthwhile. As collagen formation is contingent upon adequate supplies of vitamin C [4] and the value of the vitamin is not disputed in repair of injured tissue, [5] muscular soreness is reported to be greatly reduced, viral diseases are reported to be both inhibited and eliminated by intelligent use of the vitamin [6] cartilage is definitely affected in ascorbic acid deficiency [7,8], and because of the relationship of ascorbic acid and calcification suggested by Reid [9] bone injuries may be influenced. In addition lipids are influenced, and in trials made with monkeys, scorbutic animals were proven to have a lowered cholesterol and a raised triglyceride. Administration of ascorbic acid corrected the triglycerides, [10] and raised the cholesterol. [11] Ascorbic acid has also been reported to be involved in the oxidation of fatty acids and phospholipids. [12] As players under stress utilize their ascorbic acid in all of the previously mentioned situations, lipid involvement may stimulate the situation in which Leveson et al. [13] indicated that: "Because of wound healing and the increased ascorbic acid requirements the injured patients behaved physiologically like those suffering from scurvy." Indeed, in view of our findings of increased utilization during their match performances, could not all of the functions mentioned be adversely affected if little or no ascorbic acid were available? As ascorbic acid inhibits the growth of some bacteria, not because of

pH [14] and it assists phagocytosis [15] that "wasted' excess ascorbic acid excreted in the urine should keep urinary tract infections to a minimum. In suggesting this to Dr. Kincaid-Smith she commented: 'It would be of great interest if ascorbic acid proved to be a useful substitute for such things as mandelic and hippuric acid' [16]. Preliminary work completed in the laboratory is encour-

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aging but further work is required. There are of course other well documented "bonus" benefits that have been claimed due to the use of vitamin C, including its use in pre and post operative surgery [17], in dental practice [18], and as a suppressor in cell proliferative disorders including cancer. [19,20] There was good reason to assume that if the scientists we were accepting our cues from were correct there should have been some notable improvement in one or more avenues of investigation.

ABOUT THE FOOTBALLERS The team concerned finished near the bottom of the ladder the previous year, and it was now under the influence of a new coach but the same club doctor and trainers. Any improvement of the players performance, health or injury should therefore have been apparent. It was decided that we should pursue our research programme for a period of eight weeks and if there was no definite pattern of improvement we would abandon our trials. Suffice to say that the trials continued into the finals, but it is difficult to deny that most of this success was due to the methods of training and personal inspiration provided by the coach. But there was a definite feeling, supported by some undeniable evidence that ascorbic acid had assisted to some extent.

DOSAGE The initial screening tests produced results ranging from nil to 21 mg/100 ml, the average excretion being about 5 mg/100 ml. We decided upon daily doses of 1, 2, and 3 g and a placebo which looked and tasted the same as the real tablets. Tablets, with the exception

of the placebo, contained 250 mg and dosage was spread throughout the day. There was of course no possible way we could be sure they took their tablets, but as an incentive, we pointed out that the

literature made mention of aphrodisiac properties [21] and this strangely many of them agreed with. It did cause problems however, as some of the placebo players "borrowed" from the high dosage players who testified thus. Sixteen players were on placebo, 15 on | g per day, 6 on 2 g per day, and 3 on 3 g per day. This pattern continued for the first few weeks but it soon became evident that placebo players whose initial

We)

screening tests showed an average of 5 mg/100 ml before they were involved in conflict had in many instances dropped to 1 or 2mg/100 ml. It was further evident that players on high dosage (2 and 3 g) would utilize most of this dose. As a control one of us took 3 g per day, and had little difficulty in producing regular readings of between 50 and 100 mg/100 ml. Prominent players on this same dose who were really under stress and gave their all, would often excrete only 2 or 3 mg/100 ml. They assured us that they always took their tablets. Some players who had been stood down because of injury or performance would reflect their non-involvement by excreting high doses of vitamin C. It was sometimes possible to deduce who had played a hard game by the amount of ascorbic acid excreted. As the season progressed more and more players were changed from the placebo to the actual tablets, and players on ascorbic acid were either fortunate in avoiding illness and injury or they were receiving some benefit from the ascorbic acid supplement. For example, bones appeared to become less brittle, as small bone fractures were reduced by 95% over the 1972 season. In addition to the urinary ascorbic acid tests, we did blood tests

upon all the players including haemoglobins, blood films, Group and Rh, E.S.R. 'sand lipid tests. In some cases, these were done both before and after training, there was little difference in the results, but they conformed to the pattern that we are already aware of. It was concluded that one player who had a resistant iron deficiency anaemia, had responded because of the enhanced action of iron absorption due to ascorbic acid [22]. There was an apparent increase in resistance to injuries, particularly bruising, which was not evident in the placebo players. The head trainer stated that in all his time with the club, that this had never happened before. This confirms that capillary resistance is increased, and that ascorbic acid has a positive role with the haematopoietic system [23]. We now include urinary vitamin C tests in tests for clotting profile and upon numerous occasions an absence of vitamin C in the urine has been the only unusual finding. Presumptive evidence of a vitamin C deficiency has been indicated and unaccountable bruising has stopped after treatment. This subject will be covered in a separate paper which will be published later. Vilter indicates that a combination of vitamins C and K have been used for correction of bleeding of any type [24]. As it is known that there is an interre-

176

lationship between vitamin C and other vitamins [25] the concept of "miraculous' benefits due to ascorbic acid supplement is easier to accept. Such acceptance is further enhanced if we can believe the Levenson et al. [17], are correct about patients with increased ascorbic acid requirement, behaving physiologically as though they suffered from scurvy. For a considerable time it has been assumed that once a basic minimum nutrition is established then no further benefit can be obtained as the result of extra supplement. Our results plus those included in the following references (that have just been brought to our attention) indicate that we may have established this theory too hastily. In "Nutrition Today', July Sth 1966, Dr. N. N. Yakovlev a

specialist in sports medicine and a member of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R. stated that in the Rome Olympics of 1960 the Russians largely credited their success to the beneficial effects of vitamin C taken by athletes during the training sessions and

season. He said that persons involved in competitive sport required four times the normal amount of vitamin C and suggested requirements in the vicinity of 400 mg.

Dr. Ayub Khan an Indian biochemist from S.V.U. College in Tirupati, India stated in 'Current Science", April 3rd 1967, that a

series of studies had revealed that 'The onset of fatigue was not due to exhaustion of energy yielding substrates, but rather to the inactivation of metabolic enzymes'. Ascorbic acid level was found to greatly alter during muscle fatigue. Dr. I. H. Syed of Springfield Hospital, London published a letter in the British Medical Journal, November 1967 and stated 'I wish

to draw attention to an observation which I made after a number of experiments many years ago, that muscle stiffness which arises from exercises or any unaccustomed work could be treated and prevented by taking large doses of ascorbic acid. The dosage scheme found effective is 500 mg before exercise and 400 mg after exercise, together with plenty of non-alcoholic fluids. Usually this is sufficient to prevent stiffness developing next morning, but if it does appear, it is usually very slight in degree and is easily cleared by taking 400 mg of vitamin C and extra fluids and if required one or two hourly doses of 200 mg."

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HAS THE INVESTIGATION PROVED USEFUL? The answer to this must be yes, for we have shown that there is an increased utilization of ascorbic acid during exercise. The other observations that we have made encourage rather than discourage further research. In addition unlooked for publicity that eventuated as a result of the trials engendered further interest leading to additional research. Some projects were undertaken by the Armed Forces Food Science Establishment, and they were conducted on the basis of the

results obtained by us with the Essendon Footballers. One trial concerned the results of a relay race from Holsworthy to Broken Hill, during which half the participants were given diets very high in ascorbic acid. It appeared that soldiers receiving a high level of ascorbic acid, performed better but further trials are indicated. The other trial, concerned two groups of soldiers, subjected to a three day trial under arduous conditions. Half were fed an adequate diet and the other half a diet high in ascorbic acid. They concluded that a high ascorbic acid intake had some beneficial results. Further trials have been recommended, both authors mentioned our trials and we are grateful to Dr. R. C. Hutchinson for providing us with the information. In addition, numerous hospitals throughout Australia have undertaken investigations stimulated by publicity provided by the news media. Many have provided us with encouraging written reports as have numerous individuals with their personal testimonies of improved health as the result of vitamin C supplement. Alas no acceptable documentation is available for the claims, ranging from relief of hot flushes related to the menopausal syndrome, to the cessation of bruising in the young and old. Many football clubs, an athletic club and a capital city Y.M.C.A. are included in the numerous people anxious to safeguard their health. If the interest of the general public can be used as a yard stick, then certainly the investigations have proved useful. Immediately post war Glen Dettman was privileged to serve with the Animal Health Division of C.S.I.R.O., Parkville, Victoria as a field and Laboratory Assistant, to the late Dr. Dan Murnane,

under the jurisdiction of Dr. A. W. Turner, at that time the Officer in Charge of the Division.

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Reading in the Medical Journal of Australia, correspondence relating to the toxic effects of triple antigen vaccinations in scorbutic children, Dr. Turner in a personal communication, agreed that

analogous effects in animals are unlikely, as most animals synthesize their own vitamin C. He has loaned us his Presidential address made in 1947 to the Australasian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science entitled "The Influence of Nutrition Upon the Immune Response and Upon Resistance to Infection". We should like to conclude this paper with his concluding remarks in an address which shows great foresight and wisdom befitting the author: ‘Gentlemen, I have come nearly to the end of my discourse. If it is disjointed and inconclusive, it is because the expansion of knowledge in this field bloweth where it listeth, and no systematic assault in this rampart of Nature is being attempted. But methodological principles have been affirmed, techniques have been established and some underlying concepts are beginning to emerge. The immunologist or the epidemiologist is being forced to consider the whole ecology of

the host parasite relationship and not to limit his attention as he has often done in the past, mainly to the host. He must, inter alia, think of the diet as a source of building stones and fuel briquettes for synthesis and maintenance of life processes not only of the host, but of the parasite; he must have some understanding of the amazingly integrated chains of synthesizing and energy-yielding enzymatic reactions which are involved in this, both in the host and in the parasite, and of the role of essential food factors or vitamins in these processes; he must consider the functions of those minute hereditable directing units, the genes, in controlling these processes and in thereby influencing the capacity of host and parasite to interact. In short, gentlemen, he must be a biologist in the etymological sense of the word, or he must at least have the biological outlook. He must see life clearly and he must see it whole, ifnot through his own eyes, then through the eyes of his colleagues in a team. The immunologists or the epidemiologist who does not adopt this outlook can be little more than a technologist, however skilled he may be; he cannot hope to advance greatly our understanding of the

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fundamental nature of that remarkable interaction between parasite and host which we call infection, nor of its possible modification through the diet." This text may seem remotely removed from football, but as we indicated in previous papers, parasitic infestation is one of the many things responsible for increased vitamin C requirement. If then, we review the picture as a whole and consider our investigations as part of the team work, if the immunologists, the epidemiologists, the nutritionists, the technologists, and scientists in general cannot combine as a team, then what science needs is a Des Tuddenham or a Ronald Barassi to amalgamate these skills, fusing them together with team work which must result in the best possible result ... and isn't that related to football?

SUMMARY In one season of football, it is impossible to form any definite conclusions about the lowered incidence of injuries, the apparent decrease in U.R.T.I.'s., the absence of extensive bruising, the improved stamina of the men, and the increasing complaints from some of the players on placebo. The team did well, but as we indicated earlier the improvement could all be attributable to the new coach, and medical care.

Discussing our findings in Switzerland last September with leading scientists [26] who had been conducting similar trials with footballers we were encouraged to learn that Korner was not surprised by our enthusiasm or results.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Numerous people have assisted with the investigations outlined in this paper and it is impossible to name them all, but I have special reasons for mentioning the following: Professor G. Kellerman of Monash University, who has assisted us with advice, construction of papers and laboratory trials. Dr. A. W. Turner for permission to use part of his presidential address. Mr. Des Tuddenham, captain and playing coach of Essendon Football Club. Mr. W. Cox, head trainer, Essendon Football Club.

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Lady Phyllis Cilento of Brisbane, Queensland. Dr. Silvia Nobile and Roche Products of Sydney, New South Wales. Mr. A. Collinson, B.Se., B.Hy., F.A.C.B.S., F.M.T.A.(H.K.)

F.R.M.S. Director, Biodiagnosties. My son, Ian Dettman, B.Sc.(Hons.), F.R.I.M.T. (App.Biol.), F.A.C.B.S., and my son in law, Mr. Brian Dale, T.P.T.C., T.T.L.C. The Staff at Oakleigh Pathology, particularly Sister Heather Farrow, Mrs. Val Holmes and R. Singam. Mrs. G. Kellerman, of Mt. Waverley, Victoria. Mrs. Dorothy Knafele, of St.Kilda, Victoria. Finally Mr. John Barcham of Sigma (Pharmaceuticals) Pty. Ltd., who so kindly assisted us with advice, a supply of "Scorbies" and a placebo for use throughout the football

’

season.

REFERENCES 1. Greenwood J., Optimum Vitamin C Intake as a Factor in the preservation of Disc Integrity. Med. Annals of the District of Columbia. 33, 274, 1964. 2. Lund C.C., Levenson S.M., Green R.W., Paige R.W., Robinson P.E., Adams M.A., MeDonald A.H., Taylor P.H.L., and Johnson R.E., Arch. Surg. 55, 557, 1947. 3. Lund C. C. and Crandon J. H., J. Am. Med. Assoc. 116,

663, 1941. 4. Bourne G.H., Biochemistry & Physiology of Nutrition, Vol. LRAGEAUR EY 5. Bourne G.H., Biochemistry & Physiology of Nutrition, Vol. 2, 86, 1953. 6. Wilson C.W.N., and Low H.S., Ascorbic Acid & Upper Respiratory Inflammation, Acta Allergolica 24, 367, 1970.

7. Hojer J.A., Acta Paediat. Suppl. 3, 8, 1924. 8. Wollbach S.B. and Maddock C.L., A.M.A. Arch. Pathol.

53,04, 1952. 9. Reid M.E., Vitamins (N.Y.) 1, 269,1954. 10. Rahandraha T. and Ratsimamanga A.R., Compt. Rend.

Soc. Biol. 149, 1206, 1955.

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11. Stearns M.L., Am. J. Anal. 66, 133, 1940, 67, 55, 1940. 12. Quastel J.H., and Wheatley A.H., Biochem J. 28, 1014, 1934. 13. Levenson S.M., Upjohn H., Preston J., and Steer A., Ann. Surg. 146, 357, 1957. 14. Erismann Z., Hgg. Infektionskrankh. 123, 16, 1942. 15. DeChatelet L.R., McCall C.E., and Cooper R., Drug Topics, San Francisco (1972). 16. Kincaid-Smith P., Renal Unit, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital. (Personal Communication 17 June 1972). 17. Pirani C.L., and Levenson S.M., Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med. 82, 95, 1953. 18. Cheraskin E., El Ashiry, and Ringsdorf J., of Periodontology. May-June, 1964. 19. Mervish S., Walleave L., Eagen M. and Subik P., University Nebraska, U.S.A., 1972. 20. Cameron E. and Rotman D., Lancet, March 4,1972. 21. Waurzyniak M., Ann. Univ. Mariae Curie-Sklodowska, Lublin- Polonia, DD 11, 1, 1956. 22. Moore C.V. and Dubach R., Trans Assoc. Am. Physicians, 64,245,1951. 23. Veeneklaas G.M., Folia Haematol. 65, 303, 1941. 24. Vilter R.W., Sebrell/Harris, V. 1 2nd Ed. 489, 1967.

25. Reid M.E., Vitamins (N.Y.) 1, 269,1954. 26. Korner W.F., Brubacher G., Roche Laboratories, Switzerland.

EDITORS NOTE: This article was submitted for publication prior to the commencement of the 1973 football season.

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CHAPTER 7: ALBERT SZENT-GYORGYI AND VITAMIN C Any serious publication of the merits of Ascorbate (Vitamin C) could hardly be published without the inclusion of the work of Nobel laureates, Linus Pauling and Albert Szent-Gyorgyi.

Note in particular how Linus Pauling includes a quel from Albert Szent-Gyorgy1: “VITAMINS, IF PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD AND APPLIED, WILL HELP US TO REDUCE HUMAN SUFFERING TO AN EXTENT WHICH THE MOST FANTASTIC MIND WOULD FAIL TO IMAGINE.” Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the medical profession to UNDERSTAND and they have certainly not encouraged and proper application.

We thank Dr Pauling for permission to use the information you are about to read. Reprinted from Search and Recovery A Tribute to Albert Szent-Gyorgyi © 1977 Academic Press Inc. New York San Francisco London.

Linus Pauling In the period around 1900 it was recognized that certain diseases, including scurvy and beriberi, are deficiency diseases, caused by the lack of certain substances in the diet. A number of efforts were made to separate pure vitamin C, the substance that was thought to prevent scurvy, from lemon juice and other foods. Pure vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid, was obtained for the first time by

183

Albert Szent-Gyorgyi in 1928. Szent-Gyorgyi was working to isolate a reducing substance that he had observed to be present in various plant and animal tissues. The name hexuronic acid was given to the substance that he obtained, and by 1932 it had been

recognized that his substance was vitamin C, and the name was changed to L-ascorbic acid. Szent-Gyorgyi received the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine for the year 1937 in recognition of his discoveries concerning the biological oxidation processes, with special reference to vitamin C and to the role of fumaric acid in these processes. In 1939 Szent-Gyorgyi wrote that he believed that living organisms were very well adapted to their surroundings, but that recently the surroundings have been changing in such a way as to produce disharmony between man and his environment, causing poor health. The destruction of the natural environment, pollution

of air and water, noise pollution, and poor nutrition are among the factors that cause poor health. He wrote the following statement: "I have a strong faith in the perfection of the human body, and I think that vitamins are an important factor in its coordination with its surroundings. Vitamins, if properly understood and applied, will help us to reduce human suffering to an extent which the most fantastic mind would fail to imagine" (Szent-Gyorgyi, 1939). For a number of years around 1937 much effort was expended in checking the value of vitamin C and other vitamins in preventing and treating disease. Some diseases were found that responded in a striking way to a high intake of certain vitamins.

With other diseases some patients seemed to be benefited by an increased intake of vitamins, whereas others were not. During this period the sulfa drugs, penicillin, and other agents effective against infections were covered, and perhaps as a consequence of these discoveries interest in the vitamins decreased. The Food and Nutrition Board of the United States National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council (1974) in setting the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for vitamin C (45 mg/day for an adult) and other vitamins emphasizes that these amounts suffice to prevent manifestations of deficiency diseases in most persons. The possibility that a large intake would lead to improved health is ignored. The biochemist G.H. Bourne, now Director of the Yerkes Primate Laboratory, pointed out in 1949 that the food ingested by

184

the gorilla consists largely of fresh vegetation in quantity such as to give the gorilla about 4.5 g of ascorbic acid/day. He stated also that before the development of agriculture man existed largely on green plants, supplemented with some meat, and concluded that "It may be possible, therefore, that when we are arguing whether 7 or 30 mg of vitamin C is an adequate intake we may be very wide of the mark. Perhaps we should be arguing whether | g or 2 g a day is the correct amount." Irwin Stone (1965, 1966a,b, 1967) formu-

lated a number of arguments to support the thesis that the optimum intake for man, leading to the best of health, probably lies in the region between about | g and 5 g per day. About 10 years ago (April 1966) he wrote to me, sending copies of his articles, and I became interested in the question of the value of ascorbic acid in improving health and preventing disease. I wrote to Szent-Gyorgyi to ask his opinion. He gave me permission to quote part of his answering letter as follows: "As to ascorbic acid, right from the beginning I felt that the medical profession misled the public. Ifyou don't take ascorbic acid with your food you get scurvy, so the medical profession said that ifyou don't get scurvy you are alright. I think that this is a very grave error. Scurvy is not the first sign of the deficiency but a premortal syndrome, and for full health you need much more, very much more. I am taking, myself, about I ga day. This does not mean that this is really the optimum dose because we do not know what full health really means and how much ascorbic-acid you need for it. What I can tell you is that one can take amount of ascorbic acid without the least danger’. In my book "Vitamin C and the Common Cold" (Pauling, 1970a) and in a later paper (Pauling, 1974) and book (1976), I published discussions of the various arguments indicating that a high intake of vitamin C, as much as 100 times the RDA, leads to improvement in health and to protection against disease, and also may be

valuable in treating disease. Some of the arguments presented below are taken from these sources. These arguments include those advanced by Bourne and Stone, and also another one, based

upon consideration of the evolutionary processes that have led to our dependence on vitamins (Pauling, 1970b, 1976).

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THE OPTIMUM INTAKE OF VITAMIN C The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) has been set at 45 mg/day for adults (35 for infants, 60 for pregnant women, and 80 for lactating mothers) by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council (1974). Ascorbic acid differs from other vitamins in that an erogenous source is required by only a few animal species. This fact indicates that the amount contained in a diet of raw natural plant food is less than the optimum intake (Bourne, 1949; Pauling, 1970b). If the amount of an essential substance contained in the available food is greater than the optimum requirement, a mutant that had lost the machinery for manufacturing the essential substance would have been relieved of the burden of developing and operating the machinery, and would thus have an advantage over the wild type of the species. (This effect has been verified by experiments involving competition between different strains of microorganisms (Zamenhof and Eichhorn, 1967).) For ascorbic acid, the average value for 1 10 raw natural plant foods is 2.3 g/day per amount of food for 70 kg body weight (Pauling, 1970b). Animals of many species must surely have lived for long periods of time on a diet providing 2.3 g/day or more of ascorbic acid (per 70 kg of body weight), yet only a few species have lost the ability to synthesize it. Hence this value represents a lower limit to the optimum intake. This loss of the ability to manufacture ascorbic acid by a few species of animals, including the primates, presumably occurred while the primitive ancestor was living in an environment that provided an especially large amount of the substance. Because of the burden of the machinery, it is likely that

animals would synthesize more ascorbic acid that the amount required for optimum health (Pauling, 1968). The amounts made by mammals when calculated for 70 kg body weight are 3 to 19 gl day and similar amounts may be near the optimum for man. The mammals studied range in weight from the mouse (20 g body weight) with a rage of synthesis of 19 g/day per 70 kg to the goat (50 kg) with a rate of synthesis of 13 g/day per 70 kg. Values for the rate under various conditions of stress range from 4 to 15 g/day per 70 kg. Yew (1973) reported that growth rate and other measures of 186

good health indicate an optimum intake of 3.5 g/day per 70 kg body weight for guinea pigs, which require erogenous ascorbic acid. Taking the optimum intake proportional to body weight is indicated to be reasonable by the observed proportionality in the amounts manufactured by other animals, as mentioned above. Yew's observations and similar observations for monkeys and other animals provide additional support for the conclusion that the optimum rate of intake for man is in the range of a few grams per day.

THE COMMON COLD There is much evidence that an increased intake of vitamin C strengthens the natural protective mechanisms of the body and decreases both the incidence and the severity of the common cold. So far there have been 14 controlled trials carried out in which some of the subjects received vitamin C (100 mg or more per day) and others received a placebo over a period of time during which they were exposed to cold viruses in the ordinary way, by contact with other people. Seven of these studies are in my opinion good studies. In these seven studies the values, shown in the following tabulation, of decrease in the average amount of illness for the vitamin C subjects relative to the controls were observed: Decrease in amount of ilinass (%} serves teepreaeceancanre nee

Cowan, Diehl, Baker: Minnesota, Ritzel: Switzerland,

Anderson, Reid, Beaton: Canada, Coulehan, Reisinger, Rogers, Bradley: Arizona, Charleston, Clegg: Scotland, Sabisten, Radomskh: Canada, Anderson, Beaton, Corey, Spero: Canada, Average reduction in iliness by vitamin C

1961

63

1972

32

1974

30

1972 1974 1975

58 68 25

|

45

|

The seven other studies, which are less reliable, gave an average protection of 26%. A discussion of all 14 studies has been published (Pauling, 1976). 187

There is accordingly strong evidence that the regular ingestion of supplementary vitamin C provides some protection against the common cold, decreasing the amount of illness by nearly half.

VIRUSES AND VIRAL DISEASES Inactivation of viruses by ascorbic acid in vitro was first reported by Jungeblut (1935). He found that concentrations of ascorbic acid comparable to those achievable in the blood stream by a high intake of the vitamin inactivated poliomyelitis virus within 30 minutes, as shown by decreased incidence of paralysis in monkeys injected intracranially with the virus suspension. He also reported (1937) a smaller amount of paralysis in monkeys who had been receiving large doses of ascorbic acid than in those receiving small doses, when the active virus was injected into the brain. Sabin (1939) then reported that he had not found a protective effect against polio virus in monkeys who received a suspension of the virus applied to the tissues of the upper respiratory tract. Jungeblut (1939) repeated this work, both with the dose used by Sabin and with a smaller dose applied to the respiratory tract, and found that when the smaller dose was used the high intake of ascorbic acid was able to protect the monkeys from paralysis (although the control monkeys were paralysed), but that they were not protected against a larger dose of the virus. There is accordingly indication that the protective effect of ascorbic acid against viral infection is limited: ascorbic acid may be effective when the number of virus particles is small, and not when the number is large.

Other early investigators also reported inactivation of viruses by ascorbic acid in vitro, including herpes simplex, vaccinia, foot and mouth, rabies and bacterial viruses. The references to the

early papers are in the monograph by Stone (1972). The most recent work is that of Murata and Kitagawa and their collaborators (1971, 1972, 1973). They found that all kinds of bacterial viruses

tested by them could be inactivated by ascorbic acid in vitro, the rates of inactivation being different for different viruses. They found also that the inactivation does not occur except in the presence of oxygen, that it is prevented by free-radical quenchers, and that strands of the nucleic acid of the virus are split during the process of inactivation. They attribute the inactivation to radicals

188

formed by ascorbic acid and atmospheric oxygen. Early papers in which some control of viral diseases by ascorbic acid was observed, involving viral hepatitis, chicken pox, measles, virus encephalitis, mononucleosis, mumps, shingles, and influenza, are referred to by Stone (1972). The most recent work in this

field is on ascorbic acid and viral hepatitis in surgical patients given transfusions of blood. In 1975 Murata reported on the observations of Dr. Fukumi Morishige in Torikai Hospital, Fukuoka, Saga, Japan. They found that the incidence of serum hepatitis in patients given transfusions of blood in connection with surgical operations was 7% under ordinary conditions. When they studied a series of 1250 thoracic-surgery patients receiving different amounts of ascorbic acid, they found that there were | 1 cases of serum

hepatitis in 150 patients who received little or no ascorbic acid (less than 1.5 g/day). This frequency is similar to that reported elsewhere. For example, in a recent study in the United States of 108 prospectively followed, multiply transfused, open-heart surgery patients, 12 (11%) developed hepatitis (Alteret al., 1975). They had received only volunteer donor blood tested by counter electrophoresis for hepatitis-B surface antigen prior to transfusion. In contrast, in the Murata-Morishige study there were no cases of serum hepatitis among | 100 patients with thoracic surgery who received blood transfusions and also received at least 2 g of ascorbic acid/day.

Dr. Morishige (personal communication) now recommends that surgical patients receive 10 g of ascorbic acid/day for at least | months, beginning, if possible, before the operation, and 6 g of ascorbic acid/day for another 6 months. Murata and Morishige have reported also that a high intake of ascorbic acid has therapeutic effect against other viral diseases, including infectious hepatitis, measles, mumps, viral orchitis, viral pneumonia, pleuritis,

herpes zoster, herpes facialis, stomatitis aphthosa, encephalomyelitis, and certain types of meningitis, but they have not yet carried out a statistical analysis of their observations (Murata, 1975, and

personal communication). Their observations strongly suggest that extensive clinical trials of the value of ascorbic acid in preventing and treating

hepatitis and other viral diseases should be carried out.

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BACTERIA AND BACTERIAL DISEASES The inactivation in vitro of diphtheria toxin by ascorbic acid was reported by Jungeblut and Zwemer (1935). Jungeblut and others later reported inactivation of tetanus toxin, Staphylococcus toxin, and dysentery toxin (references in Stone, 1972). Bacteriostatic and bactericidal action of ascorbic acid against staphylococcus aureus and several other bacteria observed by Gupta and Guha (1941) and others. Some success in controlling various bacterial infections in man by an increased intake of ascorbic acid has been reported (references in Stone, 1972). It has been known for 30 years that ascorbic acid is needed for effective phagocytic activity of leucocytes in concentration about 20 ug/1011 cells. It is known also that wounds, infections, and other

stresses lead to a decrease in the serum and leukocyte concentrations of ascorbic acid. Hume and Weyers (1973) found that the average concentration of ascorbic acid for subjects receiving an ordinary Scottish diet was 20.0 (SD+3.3) ug/10" cells. On the first day of a cold, the concentration dropped to 10.3 (SD+0.3) ug, and remained below the phagocytically effective level for 3 days. A regular intake of | g ascorbic acid/day plus 6 g/day for 3 days when a cold is contracted sufficed to keep the concentration high, above

23.9 ug/1011 cells, but with an intake of 200 mg/day the concentration on the first 3 days of a cold fell into the range 8-14 ug/108 cells. This evidence shows that a large intake of ascorbic acid is needed to provide protection against the secondary bacterial infections that often accompany the common cold. The bactericidal effect of ascorbic acid probably involves free radicals formed during oxidation of ascorbic acid. Hydrogen peroxide is formed during the reaction of ascorbic acid and oxygen (Udenfriend et al., 1952), and macrophages lack peroxidase. It has been shown that ascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide together

have a pronounced bactericidal effect, which is increased by a small concentration of copper ions (Eriesson and Lundbeck, 1955; Miller,

1969). The presence of free radicals has been demonstrated by electron-spin resonance spectroscopy (Yamazaki et al., 1960), and

the bactericidal activity is completely inhibited by free-radical inhibitors (Miller, 1969).

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VITAMIN C AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE Cardiovascular disease now causes about 50% of all deaths. It is accordingly very important to search for its causes and for ways of controlling it. A valuable contribution was made in 1974 by Krumdieck and Butterworth in their paper "Ascorbate-cholesterollecithin interactions: factors of potential importance in the pathogenesis of atheroselerosis.' They state that 'A rather large volume of literature supports the hypothesis that vitamin C decreases susceptibility to vascular injury. There is also evidence that both vitamin C and certain unsaturated lecithins participate in the mobilization and excretion of cholesterol," and they conclude that "Vitamin C seems to occupy a position of unique importance by virtue of its involvement in two systems: the maintenance of vascular integrity and the metabolism of cholesterol to bile acids. It is our believe that the available scientific evidence clearly justifies, and indeed calls for, a carefully controlled evaluation of the effects of vitamin C and the lecithins on atheroselerosis.' They point out that injury and repair of the arterial wall are processes that go on continuously during life, and that disease will occur if more injury is inflicted than can be repaired or if the normal processes of repair are slowed down. McCormick (1957) discussed vitamin C deficiency in relation to coronary thrombosis, and wrote that "Thrombosis is not in itself a

pernicious development but rather a protective response of the organism designed normally to effect repair of damaged blood vessels by cicatrization. High blood pressure, excessive stretching of blood vessels, and deficiency of vitamin C, resulting in rupture and bleeding of the intima at the site of such stress, initiate the development of the thrombosis by means of the clotting ofthe blood, which is also a protective reaction. This multiple protective mechanism should be sustained and controlled by physiologic means (vitamin C therapy) rather than suppressed by anticoagulants with their dangerous side effects." The similarity between the vascular injury in scurvy and that in atheroselerosis was studied by Willis and his collaborators (Willis, 1953, 1957; Willis et al., 1954: Willis and Fishman, 1955). Krebs

(1953) quotes the Scottish physician James Lind, who in 1747

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carried out his famous experiment with twelve patients severely ill with scurvy in which the two who received two oranges and one lemon each day were well in 6 days, as having written in 1757 that "persons that appear to be but slightly scorbutic are apt to be suddenly and unexpectedly seized with some of its worst symptoms. Their dropping down dead upon an exertion of their strength, or change of air is not easily foretold." Krebs (1953) reported that in the experiment at the Sorby Research Institute in Sheffield, England, with ten healthy young men (age 21 to 34 years) who were given a scorbutogenic diet, two became suddenly severely ill with obvious cardiac emergencies requiring hospitalization. These observations indicate that a deficiency in vitamin C may lead to cardiovascular disease, even in young people. The evidence for a negative correlation between intake of ascorbic acid and concentration of cholesterol in the blood for both guinea pigs and humans was reviews by Krumdieck and Butterworth (1974) and by Ginter (1975). The mechanism seems to be that an increase in concentration of ascorbic acid leads to an increase in the rate of conversion of cholesterol to bile acids (Ginter, 1973). The recognized correlation between the serum cholesterol level and the incidence of coronary heart disease thus also indicates that an increased intake of vitamin C should be of value in' providing some protection against heart disease. Some indication of the amount of protection against cardiovascular disease that would result from an increased intake of vitamin C is provided by an epidemiological study of 577 older persons (over 50 years old at the beginning of the study) reported by Chope and Breslow (1956). During the 7 years of the study 88 of the subjects died. The mortality rate for this period was 27.7% for those who ingested less than 50 mg of ascorbic acid per day (36/ 130) and 11.0% for those who ingested 50 mg or more (average about 100 mg) per day (44/399). Ingestion of about twice the RDA of vitamin C is thus correlated with a decrease in death rate by 60%. Heart disease was the cause of 55% of the deaths. A smaller apparent protective effect was reported also for increased intakes of vitamin A (42%) and niacin (28%). It is interesting that these effects are associated with an increase in average intake from about

192

half the RDA to about twice the RDA. No epidemiological studies have been reported for larger intakes.

VITAMIN C AND CANCER Part of the extensive literature on vitamin C and cancer has been discussed by Stone (1972), who pointed out that rats and mice when exposed to carcinogens increase their rate of synthesis of ascorbic acid, whereas in guinea pigs, which cannot synthesize the substance, its concentration in the blood decreases. A decrease in

the concentration of ascorbic acid in the blood has also been observed in human beings with malignancies. Several physicians in the period 1940 to 1956 reported a favourable effect of large doses of vitamin C, sometimes together with vitamin A, on the general condition of cancer patients (references given by Stone, 1972). The Canadian physician W. J. McCormick (1954, 1959, 1963), on the basis of the literature and his own observations, developed the

hypothesis that cancer is a preventable collagen disease that results from a deficiency of ascorbic acid. He wrote that "We maintain that the degree of malignancy is determined inversely by the degree of connective tissue resistance, which in turn is dependent upon the adequacy of vitamin C status." Cameron and Pauling (1973, 1974) emphasized the value of ascorbic acid in maintaining the integrity of the intercellular cement and therefore increasing its resistance to malignant invasive growth, and pointed out that it might operate to strengthen several of the natural protective mechanisms of the body. There is some direct evidence that an increase in intake of vitamin C provides an increased degree of resistance to cancer. Stocks and Karn (1933) in a study of the diet of 462 patients with cancer and 435 control patients in England found a consistent negative correlation between the occurrence of cancer and the increased ingestion of carrots, turnips, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, watercress, and beetroot, and concluded that an increased intake of vitamin C, riboflavin, and vitamin D decreases the

incidence of cancer. Other similar studies have been discussed by Bjelke (1974). Bjelke himself in extensive epidemiological studies in Norway and Minnesota of cancer of the stomach, colon, and rectum in relation to diet, involving about 40,000 persons, has

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reported finding a negative correlation between these types of cancer and the intake of fruits, vegetables, and vitamin C. The most extensive clinical trial of ascorbic acid in human cancer is that of Cameron and Campbell (1974), who reported on 50 patients with advanced human cancer who received no treatment other than ascorbic acid, usually 10 g/day. They concluded that 'this simple and safe form of medication is of definite value in the palliation of terminal cancer." The findings suggest that it should be employed as a standard supportive measure to reinforce established methods of treatment in the general management of earlier and more favourable cases. Five of the patients showed striking improvement. One patient, with reticulum cell sarcoma, showed two complete remissions clearly induced by the high-dose ascorbic acid therapy (Cameron et al., 1975). The disease was widely disseminated at the time of first diagnosis. The patient improved rapidly on 10 g/day of ascorbic acid, and within 2 months was back at work, fit and well in all respects, and with a normal chest x-ray. After another 3 months his supplemental vitamin C was stopped, and in 4 weeks the cancer had returned. He responded with a second ren-fission to 20 g/day of intravenous ascorbic acid for 14 days, followed by 12.5 g/day taken by mouth, and remains fit and well. A report on supplemental Ascorbate (usually 10g/day) in the supportive treatment of cancer has recently been published by Cameron and Pauling, 1976. Their observations are summarized

in the abstract of their paper: ” Ascorbic acid metabolism is associated with a number of mechanisms known to be involved in host resistance to malignant disease. Cancer patients are significantly depleted of ascorbic acid, and in our opinion this demonstrable biochemical characteristic indicates a substantially increased requirement and utilization of this substance to potentiate these various host resistance factors. The results of a clinical trial are presented in which 100 terminal cancer patients were given supplemental Ascorbate as part of their routine management. Their progress is compared to that of 1000 similar patients treated identically, but who received no supplemental Ascorbate. The mean survival time is more than 4.2 times as great for the ascorbate

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subjects (more than 210 days) as for the controls (50 days), analysis of the survival-time curves indicates that deaths occur for about 90% of the Ascorbate-treated patients at onethird the rate for the controls and that the other 10% have a much greater survival time, averaging more than 20 times that for the controls.” The results clearly indicate that this simple and safe form of medication is of definite value in the treatment of patients

with advanced cancer’. It has also been reported that the cancers that often appear in the bladders of cigar smokers and other users of tobacco regress if the patient ingests 1 g/day or more of ascorbic acid (Schlegel et al., 1970), and that 3 g/day is effective in controlling the genesis of cancer of the colon in some patients with active adenomatous polyp formation (DeCosse et al., 1975). Many other studies bearing on

vitamin C in relation reported. There is no therapeutic value for that could determine amount of protection

to cancer in man and other animals have been doubt that vitamin C has prophylactic and cancer, but extensive carefully controlled trials the optimum intakes for these purposes and the that would result have not been carried out.

CONCLUSION A certain amount of vitamin C, usually 5 or 10 mg/day but different for different people, is needed to prevent overt manifestation of scurvy. As was pointed out by Szent-Gyorgyi many years ago, a larger amount leads to improvement of health and greater resistance to disease. It is likely that an increased intake of ascorbic acid increases the effectiveness of the protective mechanisms in the human body, leading to some degree of control of essentially all diseases. The optimum intake of vitamin C, leading to the best of health, is not reliably known, but would be in the range from | to 10 g for most people. The study by Breslow and Chope and other epidemiological studies indicate that with an increased intake of ascorbic acid the age-specific incidence of disease and mortality might well be decreased to less than 50% of the value on the ordinary intake (the RDA), and the decrease might in fact be considerably greater. The evidence now available strongly suggests that thorough,

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carefully controlled trials should be made of the value of ascorbic acid for improving the health and decreasing the incidence of disease, and also for treatment of disease.

REFERENCES Alter, H.J., Holland, P.V., Morrow, A.G., Purcell, R.H., Feinstone, S.M., and Moritsugu, Y., 1975, Lancet 2, 838. A,nderson, T.W., Reid, D.B.W., and Beaton, G.H., 1972, Can. Med. Assoc. J. 107, 503; correction 108, 133, 1973. Anderson, T.W., Beaton, G.H., Corey, P.N., and Spero, L., 1975, Can. Med. Assoc. J., 112, 823.

Bjelke, E., 1974, Scand. J. Castroenterol. 9, Suppl. 31, 1-235. Bourne, G.H., 1949. Br. J. Nutr. 2, 346. Cameron, E., and Campbell, A, 1974, Chem. Biol. Interact, 9,285. Cameron, E., and Pauling, L., 1973, Oncology 27,181. Cameron, E., and Pauling, L., 1974, Chem. Biol. Interact. 9,273. Cameron, E., and Pauling, L., 1976, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci, USA

73, 3685. Cameron, E., and Campbell, A., and Jack, T., 1975, Chem. Biol. Interact. 11, 387.

Charlston, S.S., and Clegg, K.M., 1972, Lancet 1, 1401. Chope, H.D. and Breslow, L., 1956, Am. J. Public Health 46,61 Coulchan, J.L., Reisinger, K.S., Rogers, K.D., and Bradley,

D.W., 1974. N. Engl. J. Med. 290, 6. Cowan, D.W., Diehl, H.D. and Baker, A.B., 1942, J. Am. Med. Assoc. 120, 1268. DeCosse, J.J., Adams, M.B., Kuzma, J.F., LoGerfo, P., and

Condon, R.E., 1975, Surgery 78, 608. Eriesson, Y., and Lundbeek, H., 1955. Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand.37,493.

Food and Nutrition Board of the United States National Academy of Sciences - Research Council. 1974. "Recommended Dietary Allowances." 8th rev. ed. Nat. Acad. Sci., Washington, D.C. Ginter, E., 1973, Science 179, 702.

Ginter, E., 1975, Biol. Pr. 21, 33. Gupta, G.C.D., and Guha, B.C., 1941. Ann. Biochem. Exp. Med. 1,14: Hume, R., and Weyers, E., 1973. Scott. Med. J. 18, 3.

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Jungblut, C.W. Jungblut, C.W. Jungblut, C.W., Med. 52, 1229. Krebs, H 1953. Kramdieck, C.,

1937. J. Exp. Med. 66, 459. 1939. J. Exp. Med. 70, 315. and Zwemer, R.L. 1935. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol.

Proc. Nutr. Soc. 12, 237. and Butterworth, C.E., Jr. 1974. Am. J. Clin.

Nutr. 27, 866. McCormick, W.J. 1954. Arch. Pediatr. 71, 313.

McCormick, W.J. 1957. Clin. Med. 4, 839. McCormick, W.J. 1959. Arch. Pediatr. 76,166. McCormick, W.J. 1963. Clin. Physiol. 5,198.

Miller, T.E. 1969. J. Bacteriol. 98, 949. Murata, A. 1975. Proc. Intersect. Congr. Int. Assoc. Microbiol. Soc., Ist, 1970 Vol. 3, 432. Murata, A., and Kitagawa, K. 1973. Agric. Biol. Chem. 37,1145. Murata, A., Kitagawa, K., and Saruno, R. 1971. Agric. Biol. Chem. 35, 294. Murata, A., Kitagawa, K., Inmark, H., and Saruno, R. 1972. Agric. Biol. Chem. 36, 2597. Pauling, L. 1968. Science 160, 265. Pauling, L. 1970a. "Vitamin C and the Common Cold." Freeman, San Francisco, California. Pauling, L. 1970b. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 67, 1643. Pauling, L. 1974. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71, 4442. Pauling, L. 1976. 'Vitamin C the Common Cold, and the Flu." Freeman, San Francisco, California. Ritzel, G. 1961. Helv. Med. Acta 27, 63. Sabin, A.B. 1939. J. Exp. Med. 69, 507. Sabiston, B.H. and Radomski, M.W. 1974. 'Health Problems

and Vitamin C in Canadian Northern Military Operations." DECIEM Report No. 74-R-1012. Defence Research Board, Department of National Defence, Ontario, Canada. Schlegel, J.U., Pitkin, G.E., Mishimura, R., and Schultz, G.N.

1970. J. Urol. 103, 155. Stocks, P., and Karn, M.K. 1933. Ann. Eugen. (London) 5, 237.

Stone, I. 1965. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 23, 83. Stone, 1. 1966a. Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. 15, 345. Stone, I. 1966b. Perspect. Biol. Med. 10, 133. Stone, I. 1967. Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. 16, 52.

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Stone, I. 1972. "The Healing Factor: Vitamin C Against Disease.’ Grosset, New York. Szent-Gyorgyi, A. 19;39. "On Oxidation, Fermentation, Vitamins, Health and Disease." Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore,

Maryland. Udenfriend, S., Clark, C.T., Axelrod, J., and Brodie, B.B. 1952. J. Biol. Chem. 208, 731. Willis, Willis, Willis, Willis,

G.C. G.C. G.C., G.C.,

1953. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 69, 17. 1957. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 77, 106. and Fishman, S. 1955. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 72,500. Light, A.W., and Gow, W.S. 1954. Can Med. Assoc.

J71,.5602. Hamazaki, I., Mason, H.D., and Piette, L. 1960. J. Biol. Chem. 235,2444. Yew, M.L.S. 1973. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 70,969.

Zamenhof, S., and Eichhorn, M.M. 1967. Nature (London) 216, 456.

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CHAPTER 8: THE CALCIUM AND SODIUM CONTROVERSY By Dr A Kalokerinos.

Dr I Dettman. Dr G. Dettman

We are frequently asked about the properties of calcium and sodium ascorbate. We present in this chapter just a little of the available material. If we could all manage to take ascorbic acid, the Ascorbate that is

nearest to nature, this dialogue would be unnecessary, but as it is very acidic, not everybody can tolerate this. Furthermore, sodium Ascorbate must be for intravenous use.

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THE CALCIUM AND SODIUM CONTROVERSY. We have been cautioning practitioners and the public over excessive calcium doses for the last two decades. If you require extra calcium, then it is advisable not to have this in the form of calcium Ascorbate, particularly if you are trying to achieve bowel tolerance, in which case you will be receiving far too much calcium. We believe that unless your practitioner has a special reason for dosing with calcium Ascorbate, then it is best to avoid this particular preparation. The late Dr. Fred Klenner was first to warn us about the possible harmful effects of the calcium Ascorbate, they actually manufactured it as a family business venture, but Dr. Klenner stopped using it when he failed to get comparable clinical responses when compared with ascorbic acid and sodium Ascorbate. The sodium in the Ascorbate has been grossly misunderstood and we will deal with that later, but first let us have a hard look at the calcium problem. Now don't get us wrong, calcium is very

essential towards the maintenance of health, but too much calcium can harm. The following press report, relating to an article in the Medical Journal of Australia was published in the Sun, 16th April, 1990.

DOCTOR HITS AT CALCIUM DOSAGE CALCIUM supplements do not prevent osteoporosis or bone loss, according to a metabolism expert. Director of the metabolic unit at Sydney's Concord Hospital, Dr. Richard Evans, said there was no evidence to justify the use of calcium supplements at any stage of life. Dr. Evans said the situation had changed since the National Institute of Health issued guidelines in 1984 recommending daily intakes for women. "Presently available information does not indicate any significant benefit from calctum supplements for postmenopausal women, Dr. Evans said.

'It has also been suggested that a high calcium intake might reduce the oestrogen dose necessary to prevent bone loss.'

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Dr. Evans was writing in the latest edition of The Medical Journal of Australia. Osteoporosis, or dowager's hump, affects about 25 percent of post-menopausal women. Calcium supplements are widely prescribed at a cost of about $7 million a year to the Federal Government's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Dr. Evans said a 1962 study led doctors to believe osteoporosis might result from malabsorption of calcium. He said well-controlled studies were now possible because of new techniques to measure bone mass. Ascorbate will chelate excessive minerals and if we consume too much calcium, the vitamin C is going to use a lot of its content trying to eliminate the 'invader'. This could explain why large doses of calcium Ascorbate are not as effective as sodium Ascorbate.

CANCER PATIENTS AND CALCIUM Very obviously, we should not ignore the published observations of two oncologists, Max Gerson and Forbes Ross. Here is what they

said:

A CANCER THERAPY MAX GERSON To these observations also belong cases of young boys and girls suffering from osteosarcomas who at first showed remarkable results, but ten to fourteen days after the administration of calcium compound the cancers started a rapid regrowth and were beyond

cure. I administered calcium and phosphate compositions in a number of cases where the X-rays showed far advanced decalcification and in three cases of haemophilia, complicated by osteosarcoma tumours. The bleedings had been stopped with this medication, but the tumours started to grow immensely. Several of these cases were lost. Summarized briefly, I found that on the basis of my treatment the above-mentioned substances-hormones, some vitamins, cal-

cium phosphate compositions (called Mineralogen) and caridin had a carcinogenic effect.

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CYRIL SCOTT - VICTORY OVER CANCER HEALTH SCIENCE PRESS. 'On another occasion I had reason to administer calcium salts ...

to cases of cancer ... I was appalled at the rate of growth of the cancers...’ Dr. Forbes Ross: Cancer: Its Genesis and Treatment.

HYPOGLYCAEMIA: MICHAEL LESSER SPEAKS ABOUT EXCESSIVE CALCIUM In Nutrition and Mental Health, published 1980,

Michael Lesser had this to say about calcium problem:

HAIR ANALYSIS IN HYPOGLYCEMIA Pfeiffer and others have identified a hair analysis pattern typical of hypoglycemia. The sodium and potassium are low and the calcium and magnesium higher than normal values. Rees has also described this high Calctum, Magnesium, low Sodium Potassium pattern and associates it with allergies. The most striking findings are the high percentage (87.3 percent) of blood-sugar abnormalities amongst the total sample and the large number of hair samples registering a high Calcium. Perhaps we are grappling with a syndrome of great proportions, characterized by high Calcium excretion and blood sugar abnormalities. A convincing case can be made that we are receiving too much Calcium in the American diet. A recent study compared the hair Ca. level of dark haired American midshipmen to young adult Eskimos. The American midshipmen showed more than three times as much calcium in their hair. The American diet, with its strong reliance on dairy products, is very rich in calcium. Further, it is common practice to refine foods and then add calcium to the refined product. In the case of refined flour, bakers add up to three times as much calcium as was originally present. Further, the calcium used is an inorganic form which is more readily absorbed than is biological bound calcium.

Another factor responsible for the high calcium levels reported

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may be the common addition of calciferal hormones (‘vitamin D') to high calcium foods. Raw cow's milk contains about 25 units of vitamin D per quart. The 400 units or irradiated ergosterol added per quart of cow's milk is roughly sixteen times as much as is originally present. Early research, incidentally, indicated that irradiated ergosterol ("D2” ) is many times more toxic to humans than the naturally occurring vitamin D. However, irradiated ergosterol is easier and less expensive to synthesize and thus was the form chosen for general fortification purposes. Since the widespread addition of irradiated ergosterol to foods, evidence of hypercalcium disease states has become more frequent. Hans Selye first called attention to the widespread occurrence of pathological calcification in industrialized nations. His books *‘Calciphylaxis' discusses over one thousand clinical entities associated with abnormal calcium deposits. Within the last 4 years, calcium deposits in the arteries even of young children have become a common finding. Meyer and Lind published autopsy findings in infants and young children in Sweden which revealed pathologic calcific deposits in the carotid siphon and iliac arteries of nearly every infant autopsied. They suggested that 'prophylactic' levels of 'vitamin D" might be responsible. The few facts that we have presented should discourage the excessive use of calcium, and we stress that it is EXCESS we are

speaking about.

THE SODIUM CONTROVERSY We present to you an article published in Health Consciousness, February, 1985.

This should cover most of the problems associated with the ‘high sodium’. Dr. Klenner always monitored his patients for electrolytes and never encountered any problems. Other physicians have been able to confirm his observations. So here are the facts:

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HIGH BLOOD SODIUM LEVELS AND INGESTION OF SODIUM ASCORBATE MYTH b be Archie Kalokerinos Dr. Ian C. Dettman Dr. Glen C. Dettman

THE CONCERNED PUBLIC

PROFESSION AND LAY

Almost every day concerned people phone us concerning the dangers of salt and in particular relate this to the 'sodium' content of sodium Ascorbate. Furthermore doctors, scientists and chemists

misinform the public about this 'danger' relating it to sodium chloride. Add to this the drivel published in women's magazines, newspapers and even some medical journals, throw in the odd misinformed article appearing in 'Choice' and then add to this the encyclical statements of some naturopaths and it is little wonder that we have a few misinformed professionals and public. We will attempt to spell the facts out to all of the well intentioned callers and readers we have and suggest that you keep this article for reference.

THE FACTS: MOLECULAR WEIGHTS Molecular weight of Sodium Ascorbate = 198 Molecular weight of Sodium = 23; 1.e.. % of Sodium in Sodium Ascorbate = 12% (Actually 11.6%) If 1 heaped teaspoonful Sodium Ascorbate = 4 Grams then 12% = Sodium Ion i.e.: 480 mg! 3 heaped teaspoonfuls per day = 1.44 grams of sodium per day. The recommended intake of sodium on a low salt diet is 2.0 grams per day - so 1.44 grams 1s still well short of the recommended sodium intake, i.e.. even by orthodox stand-

ards 3 heaped teaspoonfuls of sodium Ascorbate per day does not represent a lot of sodium. As a matter of interest the molecular weight of NaCl = 57,

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i.e.. 40% of the weight = sodium. 1 teaspoonful of salt would give more sodium ions than 3 heaped teaspoonfuls of sodium Ascorbate. SODIUM OF SODIUM ASCORBATE IS HANDLED DIFFERENTLY IN THE BODY TO SODIUM OF SODIUM CHLORIDE AND SODIUM OF SODIUM BICARBONATE. At the kidney interface the Ascorbate anion is excreted along with a sodium cation as its major co-ion (p89-90, Vitamin C - Its Molecular Biology and Medical Potential, Dr. Sherry Lewin Ph.D.) i.e. Ascorbate drags out sodium ion as its major co-ion when it is excreted via the kidneys. Very small amounts only of K+, NH 4+, Cat+, Mg++, and some heavy metals are co-excreted. The sodium of sodium chloride is excreted along with several coions and does not have the advantage of the chloride anion dragging sodium out through the kidney tubules in the same way as the Ascorbate anion drags out sodium ion.

IGNORANT PROFESSIONALS Many Dieticians and G.P.'s unfortunately have spread a type of paranoia that there is a direct correlation between the ingestion of sodium and increased blood pressure. Clinically, physiologically, biochemically this is not necessarily

true. 1. Many people ingest large amounts of salt as NaCl often 1020 grams per day and do not have elevated blood pressure. 2. In fact the kidneys are very efficient at removing sodium ion.

Every time the heart pumps blood around the body the kidneys remove all the sodium ion and then reabsorb only that amount that they need. Only in some particular types of kidney damage or in some hormonal problems does this mechanism become insufficient. 3. In 30 years of clinical pathology it is our observation that most of the problems of sodium ion reflect HYPONATREMIA rather than HYPERNATREMIA.

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THE CLINICAL FACTS Clinically, people on high oral intake of sodium Ascorbate, 20100 grams per day, or even very high intake directly into the blood in the form of Sodium Ascorbate infusion, commonly 30-100 grams per day for 10 days DO NOT have an increased blood pressure. As a further proof, monitoring of electrolytes from patients on high doses of sodium Ascorbate (up to 200g per day intravenously and as much as 100g orally) has not revealed any elevated sodium levels. We must stress that these are clinical FACTS, not biased medical

opinion!

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CHAPTER 9: VITAMIN C: A POTPOURRI VITAMIN C THE USE OF MEGASCORBATE THERAPY IN GENERAL PRACTICE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

by DR. JOSEF S. GOLDBAUM (Excerpt from The Australasian Nurses Journal, May, 1982) Presented at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Scientific Program. Southern Cross Hotel, Melbourne. October, 1979.

During the seven month period December 1978 to July 1979, approximately 900 patients were treated with relatively high doses of Sodium Ascorbate both prophylactically and therapeutically. The doses used ranged from 1,000 mg daily in infants to 90,000 mg daily in adults. The doses may seem to be excessive when compared to the current recommended daily allowance of 30-60 mg for prevention of scurvy. Pauling and Stone, however, have proposed a minimum daily requirement of up to 10,000 mg to maintain good health and much higher doses for treating disease. Stone (in over 40 years of research) has found that primates including man, guinea pigs and tropical fruit bats lack the necessary enzyme L-gulonolactone oxidase to manufacture their own ascorbic acid from Glucose. Other animals have the ability to synthesize their own ascorbic acid; for example, the goat is able to produce up to 70,000 mg daily when stressed. He concluded that at times of stress a hypoascorbaemic state develops which not only tends to prolong the effects of the stress itself, but also tends to produce more generalised deleterious effects.

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Frederick Klenner and Robert Cathcart in U.S.A., Ewan Cam-

eron in Scotland, and Archie Kalokerinos in Australia are just a few of the large number of physicians who have used megadoses of ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate for many years. All have reported the lack of toxicity and serious side effects, as well as the beneficial effects of megascorbate therapy for a wide range of conditions. These can be classified as follows: 1.STRESS A. INFECTIONS Viral Bacterial B. PHYSICAL Burns Shock Exposure Sport C. POISONING Alcohol Heavy Metal Venoms

Immunization Smoking D. EMOTIONAL TATTS (Tired All The Time Syndrome) Anxiety 2. DEGENERATIVE Cardiovascular Arthritis Aging 3. ALLERGIES 4.CANCER Tumor Growth Regression Extra Survival Time Analgesia 5. MENTAL DISEASE Schizophrenia Depression 6. PROPHYLAXIS Pregnancy Jet Lag Cot Deaths

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It seems quite incredible that a simple chemical such as hexuronic acid (as its discoverer, Nobel prize winner Albert SzentGyorgyi originally named it) or ascorbic acid, alias Vitamin C as we know it today, can be so effective, where other more powerful and expensive drugs have failed. The exact mechanism of action is yet to be elucidated, however,

an enormous number of papers have been published in the last 40 years since its discovery and synthesis, linking ascorbic acid with all organ systems via a large variety of biochemical effects. Reference to some of these can be found in Stone's book, 'The Healing Factor, Vitamin C Against Disease." My clinical involvement with megascorbate therapy began following review of available literature, and consultation with similarly interested practitioners (in particular my associate Dr. Merryl Chamberlin). With some scepticism I began to use high doses of Vitamin C for patients with acute viral illnesses. I closely monitored my patients and was both surprised and delighted with the positive feedback I obtained. I have so far, a series of approximately 900 cases in which my experience is similar to that of the authors mentioned. As with most clinical experience in private practice, it tends to be anecdotal. I am, however, impressed by the often dramatic relief obtained for

conditions that are generally held to be untreatable. I have presented these cases as groups to show the range of conditions treated and follow this by three characteristic case histories.

VIRAL SKIN AND ALLERGY CARDIOVASCULAR INFLAMMATORY CONDITION NERVOUS STRESS UROGENITAL INFECTION SINUSITIS AND OTITIS MEDIA PROPHYLAXIS CANCER OTHERS

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CASE 1: Mrs. I. - 39 year old nursing sister - Herpes Simplex. She has had recurrent severe herpes simplex normally lasting 10-20 days and frequently becoming infected. Exposure to sun and the new year festivities resulted in another severe outbreak, during which time she began to take 25 grams of Sodium Ascorbate orally. However, further crops of vesicles developed, which were then treated by the IV administration of 15 grams Ascorbate daily for three days. This produced a rapid drying and clearing of established lesions without formation of new lesions. Within nine days of the onset of the first crops, the condition had cleared completely. Seven months later another outbreak of similar severity cleared more rapidly with high oral dose and 30 grams IV stat. It appears that the earlier the administration and the higher the initial loading dose used, the more rapid and complete the result. This has been confirmed with many other similar cases. CASE 2: Mr. R. - 65 year old boiler maker. This man had developed severe intermittent excematous exforiative eruptions since contact with asbestos dust 12 years earlier. In September 1977 he required public hospitalization and treatment with 30mg Prednisolone daily, two hourly dressings and topical steroids to settle an outbreak. In March 1979 he was again hospitalized, with a more severe eruption.

At the time of admission, both hands were exfoliating, the right side of the face and neck were erupting, and a diffuse manulopapular eruption was beginning on the chest wall, axillae, back and legs. He was treated with 30 grams Ascorbate IV daily in divided doses (15g bd) as well as Zinc, Vitamin E, Vit A & D and topical steroids. He showed a steady daily improvement whilst under treatment. There was no pain or pruritis, and he was discharged seven days after treatment. CASE 3: Mrs. L. - With Severe Herpes Zoster. This 79 year old woman presented five days after onset in the distribution of the cervical plexus, affecting the left side of the neck, face and shoulder. She complained of pruritis and pain and had not been able to sleep for four nights. 30 grams Ascorbate was given IV providing immediate relief of pain and pruritis.

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She was also commenced on oral ascorbate of 3-1/2 grams (i.e. 1 tsp) two hourly. She slept well that night and within 48 hours all the lesions had dried and formed scabs. Healing progressed steadily without complications and was virtually over 10 days after the initial consultation. Experience with other cases makes me feel certain that had she presented earlier the zoster would not have been as severe. So far seven cases of zoster have responded dramatically to megascorbate therapy, without the development of super-added infection or post herpatic neuralgia. As described in the case histories the treatment may be given orally or parentrally or both. Oral Doses ranged from 2-50 grams per day in divided doses depending on the individual and the severity of the illness. (Generally speaking, the more severe the illness, the greater the dose). Requirement for dosage was based on the development of diarrhoea, or bowel tolerance; a rather crude way of measuring need,

but safe and fairly reliable. There appeared to be two broad groups of patients: (a) Those who did not reach the stage of bowel tolerance before feeling improvement. (b) Those with a low bowel tolerance independent of the severity of the illness. This could be interpreted as good absorbers and poor absorbers, with the former by far in the majority. Strangely enough patients with severe cancer were mostly the poor absorbers, whereas people with severe viral illness were mostly good absorbers In general, the more acute the illness, the greater the dose

tolerated. Both groups responded favourably to the further [V administration of doses in excess of that required for bowel tolerance. Aside from bowel tolerance other side effects noted were: 1. Flatulence - this was fairly common and often responded to change in diluent and presence of food. And rarely 2. Colicy abdominal pains, nausea and rebound effect. In general, side effects were mild and easily reversible by changing regime or reducing the dose.

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Compliance was excellent except in some children in whom the salty taste was unpalatable. However, these children could easily be given high doses in the form of Vitamin C tablets (preferably sugar and coloring free). Naturally not every patient gained benefit from this form of treatment, but these were by far in the minority. Most patients in all groups treated gained some form of benefit, often dramatically. Results were repeatable and consistent. The most dramatic results occurred with IV doses of 15-45 grams stat. These were used for: 1. Severe viral illness - flu, infectious mononucleosis, herpes. 2. Toxic/allergic eruptions. 3. Analgesia - musculoskeletal disorders, carcinoma.

Improvement of symptoms often occurred while the IV was being administered. Side effects noted were: (a) Local Thrombophlebitis - if not in vein properly Pain or tingling along the course of vein if given too quickly.

This settled within seconds on cessation of the infusion, which was then continued at a slower rate. (b) Generalised (1) Temporary - metallic taste, dry mouth and thirst, dizziness, rigors, diuresis.

(2) Hyperthermia - in terminal cancer patients, (3) Potassium depletion and mild oedema with prolonged use. No toxic or anaphylactic reactions were noted at doses up to 60 grams IV Stat. I have made a short film on my technique of IV administration. In Summary - Megadoses of Sodium Ascorbate were found to be a safe, easily tolerated and effective treatment for a large number of common complaints presenting in general practice. Side effects were uncommon and usually mild even at high doses. The results to date are highly encouraging but, in order to gain the wider acceptance I feel this form of treatment deserves need to be verified by properly devised double blind controlled trials. These would have to take into account the individuality of patient's

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tolerance and response. Megascorbic therapy has become an integral part of my general practice and will continue to be so on the basis of my results which I hope will help abate some of the antagonism and apathy to its use, by some of my colleagues. I recommend that every GP acquaint themselves in the use of megascorbate therapy so as not to be embarrassed by the patients who will enquire about it. I feel certain that in the near future megascorbate therapy will be a widely accepted and frequently used adjunct to our current therapeutic armamentarium. There is much to gain and nothing to lose.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my wife Judy and my staff, Jean Edwards and Patricia Ingram, for their support and encouragement in preparing this manuscript. I would also like to thank the Det-Kal Foundation for supplying the ampoules of Sodium Ascorbate free of charge.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Stone, I., The Healing Factor: Vitamin C Against Disease. Grosset and Dunlap, N.Y. 1972. Hanck and Ritzel, Re-evaluation of vitamin C. Verlag Hans Huber,

Bern, 1977 10enner, F.R., J. Applied Nutr. Vol. 23, No. 3 & 4 Winter 71. Cameron, E., Pauling, L., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 733685, 1976.

Reviewed in Mod. Med. Aust. Sept. 77. Kalokerinos, A., Every Second Child, Thomas Nelson Melbourne, 1974.

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ASCORBATE: TOMORROW'S MEDICINE TODAY...NOTES FROM DR. ALAN LANE (Excerpt from Toorak Times, Folio 497, 16th Nov. 1982)

Some readers may recollect Dr. Alan Lane appearing on a 'This is your life' programme with us in June 1987? Carefully, thoughtfully, and responsibly this amazing alert physician told the public why ascorbate (vitamin C) was so important. Since this time we have had great rapport with Dr. Lane and we publish an abridged version of just a few of his clinical observations which he submitted to us in the form of a letter.

DIAGNOSIS I believe all entrapment neuropathies are the result of vitamin C deficiency. About 20 have been described, carpal tunnel syndrome is the best known, a few have not yet been described in the literature, ie.,

the sub-costal entrapment and the lateral popliteal entrapment etc. These are only the ones I look for routinely. There are others. In acute sub-clinical scurvy the pelvis is always quite tender and there are tender areas above the left breast at the second, third and sometimes fourth intercostal spaces. These findings are accompanied by areas of parathesia usually hyperasthesia in the anterior, posterior and lateral aspects of the thighs and lower trunk. All the entrapment syndromes have specific signs and symptoms and can be recognized. THEY WILL BE RELIEVED BY CONCENTRATED ASCORBATE THERAPY AND WILL RETURN WHEN THE THERAPY IS STOPPED. (A local physician has confirmed these observations of Dr. Lane's to us).

USE OF ORAL ASCORBATE, THE SERENITY VITAMIN. VITAMIN C IS THE SERENITY VITAMIN. The first signs of ascorbate therapy is in the mood. I use oral ascorbate as a basis for all nutritional therapy as the mainstay for the

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treatment of hypoglycemia. I use it for the allergic and hyperactive states in children and adults and for maintenance therapy in all adrenal stress. Oral ascorbate therapy gives a much slower response in the presence of a ZINC deficiency. Patients can continue to improve on oral ascorbate for periods up to two or three years after a first quick initial response.

THE FRIEND OF THE GENERAL PRACTITIONERS WIFE! Oral ascorbate therapy is the friend of the general practitioners wife. I ensures that her husband is seldom if ever called out at night. In a modern stressed society it is the mainstay of learning for children at school. Adequate ascorbate means better grades ALWAYS. Children think more clearly, concentrate better and cope with stress more easily.

JUNK FOOD In all nutritional therapy dealing with people who have appetite patterns which need changing from junk food to good food preference, ascorbate is the key. Patients who have lost compulsive urges to sugars will find they return to their compulsion when they stop taking ascorbate.

INTRAVENOUS ASCORBATE I use intravenous ascorbate in all the following situations. (1) IN all adrenal stress or exhaustion initially as mainstay therapy, subsequently as maintenance to cope quickly with stress which has caused recurrence. Intravenous ascorbate is particularly useful in the patients who are so obviously adrenal stressed that the Orthodox practitioner will diagnose it. (He then of course uses, cortisone which does not help at all!) These are

the patients who look and feel half dead. (‘Tired all the Time’) or TATTS DISEASE as Dr. Lane named this syndrome many years ago.)

(2) IN ALL SEVERE HYPO-GLYCEMIAS, PARTICULARLY THE FLAT CURVES. (3) IN all acute depressive states, initially as a diagnostic measure.

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(4) IN all acute gastrointestinal malabsorption and sub-enzymatic

syndromes, i.e., the ones who do not digest and do not absorb. There is a specific syndrome in which oral ascorbate will not absorb unless the patient is first treated with intravenous ascorbate. Intravenous ascorbate will always help where there is no digestion or absorption of nutrients. (5) IN ALL GASTRO-INTESTINAL ALLERGY. American physicians seem to know a great deal about this condition. I diagnose it mainly by the IGE and the RAST tests and the clinical picture. It is a complex problem and the use of intravenous ascorbate almost completely by-passes the need for detailed investigation and specific treatment of the allergic condition. (Our note; something we have been proclaiming for many years.) (6) IN all acute ascorbate sensitivity problems. (7) IN all acute infective stress. 'The Flu, Glandular Fever, Hepa-

titis and the like! (8) IN cancer, post recovery cancer patients, during cancer radiation therapy, during cyto-toxic therapy. (9) IN the aged. Initially they respond more quickly and satisfactorily than on oral ascorbate. (10)IN all other toxic states, drugs, pesticides, etc., and in Shearers disease, ie., the toxic fumes that come from sheep when wet!

All this presumes an accompanying full ortho-molecular program.

INTRAVENOUS ASCORBATE This varies but I use 5 to 15 grams in 20 ce of normal saline for each injection. Frequently from once weekly to SEVEN TIMES DAILY. I am not yet tooled up for intravenous drip ascorbate therapy, but hope to be soon. (N.B. Dr. Lane wrote these notes in August 1979.)

THE CLINICAL TROUBLESHOOTER! Intravenous ascorbate is a clinical troubleshooter. I admit to using intravenous ascorbate when I am stuck in any problem that involves nutrition or life style medicine. Joyfully I record that more often than not it gets the patient and me out of trouble.

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A FEW NOTES ABOUT DR. ALAN LANE He now practices in Tasmania (Latrobe) specializing in nutritional medicine. He is a G.P. who has come to realize that successful and satisfying medicine can not be achieved without the use of vitamin C.

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DIARY OF AN ORTHO-MOLECULAR PHYSICIAN TATTS DISEASE

by

DR. ALAN LANE

(Excerpt from Australasian Nurses Journal, July, 1978)

I get a lot of fun out of the name Tatts. My professional colleagues take themselves so seriously and they name various diseases and syndromes and things that go 'boomp' in the night after their colleagues or after themselves preferably. So that when I say that someone is suffering from Tatts disease they say, "Oh who is he?" and I reply, "He was an American and his name is Tired all The Time and I think he must have had hypoglycemia. Anyway, one day I shall have to write an imaginary history about Dr. Tatts. His life was totally changed when he said to himself one day, 'God knows why I'm tired," and he suddenly realised that even if God did know why he was tired it was still his job to find out too. His problem was that in 80 per cent of cases when someone complains of being tired they end up by being labeled neurotic and this didn't suit Dr. Tatts at all because he knew he wasn't, he was just tired all the time. Less at sometimes, but nevertheless all the time. I think this story would then go on to say how he met an orthomolecular physician. Maybe I will finish the story one day. The point is that far too many people are tired and far too many people are diagnosed as a valium deficiency and given valium when a little commonsense would tell everybody that if you have a machine that is being pushed beyond its limit then that machine will tend to break down. You can trade-in your old car when it starts getting tired but you can't trade in your body. It has to be maintained until the very last. At this stage most people will say "what do you mean by

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maintenance". My answer is, I mean by maintenance exactly what is meant by a motor engineer or a hydraulics engineer or a farmer looking after the fertility of a field or anyone who is interested in conserving the potential of anything that has life. I can remember back to a time when the dominant idea was that earth was an unlimited resource plant and didn't need maintenance. At that stage there were a lot of religious looking scientists who used to worship a simple short phrase called, "There is no evidence that". Of course what they really meant was that they couldn't see any

reason why they should think about the problem. It didn't really mean that there was no evidence but meant that though the evidence was there they were prepared to ignore it, because it suited them. In all professions, in all activities of life, the significant thing is not what is unknown but what is known and ignored. Eventually, of course, everyone came to realise that the earth is a

limited resource spaceship and then the scientists had to go round and find another peg to hang their 'There is no evidence that' hat on. Nutrition is the latest in thing for pegs. More often than not tiredness is a similar problem to the pollution problem of 20 years ago. Many factors are creeping into modern life which cumulate in the human body. Food is poisoned by pesticides, stored, frozen, added to, refined,

subtracted from, wrongly labeled, wrongly cooked, badly absorbed and often ends up being no use at all. In the case of one pack of cereal the package was found more nutritious than the contents when fed to rats. The sum total can mean that nutrients, one of them or the lot can

be missing in small or large amounts. The concept of an "average Australian diet" is nonsense. The amount of nutrient that finally gets into a persons body varies enormously and the amount they need varies enormously in individuals and it ends up that many people and a growing number of people are simply not getting the amount of nutrient their bodies need. Dr. Alan Lane spoke of 'Tatts Disease" when he was introduced in the television series 'This is your life" which recently honoured Dr.

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Archie Kalokerinos who solved the mystery of cot deaths, as being "The lack of vitamin C". Dr. Lane wrote "Tatts Disease" expressly for the Australasian Nurses' Journal which we hereby publish with pleasure - Edna Davis. In addition modern life brings nutritional stresses like pollution, factory smoke, car exhaust, etc.

There are a hundred things in the environment which can effect the body and increases the need for extra nutrients to cope. Smoking can lose you a significant amount of vitamin C if your intake is low. A packet can put you into a negative vitamin C balance. The pill does the same with about seven other vitamins. A course of antibiotics may upset the body's capacity to absorb some vitamins and to make others. All kinds of stress can add to the load and the sum total of a persons every day life may mean that they have not enough nutrients to keep them going and over a long period of time and given several serious illnesses the inevitable result can easily be someone suffering from Tatts disease. There is a new label being given to a very common cause of Tatts disease and this is hypoglycemia. It means very simply that a persons blood sugar which is needed for the nutrition of every cell and should be kept at a constant level goes up and down like a yo-yo and when it is down it starves cells and makes them tired. And whatever their function is, it upsets it, muscles don't work as well, hearts begin to pound because they are inefficient and vision gets blurred when the blood sugar plunges down, people get giddy, suddenly tired, they yawn, they feel sleepy, they have crunch periods where it is very hard to work and there must be at least one or two tea and toast office girls reading this who feel very tired at 1 1 o'clock or more probably at 3.30 p.m. when they simply must have a cigarette and a cup of coffee and a biscuit. This will prop their blood sugar up and keep them going till it goes crunch just before evening meal. Does this begin to paint a picture of you or a friend of yours or one of your children or your wife or husband. It is a very common condition and it is growing. There are some people whose tiredness is due to nervous trouble or

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emotional trouble but these are very few in comparison to other causes. Unfortunately most professional people would have it the other way around and there are many people in the community who know the experience of going to a doctor and complaining of tiredness and knowing exactly the very moment when he decides they are neurotic and at that very moment the patient gives up and says 'Well maybe he's wrong, maybe I'm wrong, but we're not going to get anywhere" and goes away with a script of something which will spread the tiredness all over but won't send it away. More about this another time, but if you are one of the many who are beginning to think you are getting odd or neurotic or going crazy because no one can find out why you are tired, don't give up, it may just be that you really are tired and you need to change whole areas of your life style to cope with what is causing it.

VITAMIN C and the significance of that "wasted spillover" by Dr Archie Kalokerinos and Dr. Glen Dettman

(Excerpt from Australasian Nurses Journal, October 1977, p. 19) It has been routine practice to report upon the presence or absence of ascorbic acid in the routine specimens of urine we receive at our laboratory. We are frequently asked, what significance an absence of ascorbate implies? In the first instance we can assume that the plasma levels are below | mg/10OmI, the level at which spillover (not tissue saturation) occurs. [1]. Secondly when the intake of ascorbic acid is sufficient to cause this spillover, as a small molecule it is cleared

through the glomerulus filter in the kidneys and as this dilute or glomerular filtrate is concentrated in the tubules, the vitamin molecules are pumped back in to the blood by a special process of tubular re-absorption that requires energy. [2] Many physicians consider that it is unnecessary to have 'spillo-

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ver' of ascorbate as this is an indication that the body's tissues are saturated and any further intake is simply excreted and wasted. Using this logic we could argue that passing urine is an unnecessary function which may be prevented by limiting our intake of fluids to the point where it becomes unnecessary to urinate. It can therefore be reasoned that kidney function may well be impaired whenever levels of ascorbate are low as the glomerular mechanism is required to work harder to maintain body levels. The results of tests in our laboratory over the past three years show that of 5,000 specimens examined for culture and sensitivity,

that 78 per cent showed no ascorbate. Of this number 5 per cent showed evidence of infection, ie.,

increased cellular counts and a bacterial count exceeding 100,000 orgs/ml. Surely a significant finding? Physicians have reported to us that they have been able to control hitherto recurrent urinary tract infections simply by increasing their daily intake of ascorbate to g instead of mg. It is opportune to recall that the effectiveness of some antibiotics are enhanced when used in conjunction with ascorbate. This helps prevent the state of hypoascorbaemia as described by Irwin Stone.

[3] Ascorbate is involved in a variety of metabolic pathways and amongst the documented claims we see that it can reverse staphylococcal resistance [4] that it is interrelated with other vitamins resulting in their sparing usage [5], it is an electron transport [6], an enzyme activator [7], is involved with oxidation and reduction [8] and a chelating agent [9]. We further read that pregnancy, lactation, thyrotoxicosis and achlohydria increases the amount of ascorbate used each day.

That rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, acute and chronic infections and situations involving physical stress side-track the ascorbate from the plasma to the tissues or storage depots. Increased metabolism stimulated by these conditions increases the need for ascorbate. [10] But we stress, these are but a few of the well-documented roles. The sooner that we forget that it is a vitamin, the sole function of which is to prevent clinical scurvy, the sooner the public will benefit from this knowledge. There well may be a significant

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reduction in the variety and quantity of allopathic remedies used and one would hope a corresponding reduction in the number of iatrogenic reactions. Finally, many of our perplexing conditions, including cancer, are considered to be collagen deficiency diseases. The biochemical demonstration that ascorbate is required for collagen synthesis is well established. One third of the protein of the body is collagen, the quality of that collagen is contingent upon a sufficient intake of ascorbate. [11] In their recently published article, Cameron and Pauling [12] show that terminal cancer patients may have their survival times significantly increased by supplementing them with about 10 g of ascorbate per day. An exciting paper, one that all physicians and oncologists should read and heed. When next you the physician read on our report 'Note Absence of Ascorbate' then perhaps you will forgive us our enthusiasm and hopefully you will ensure that the patients hypoascorbaemia (ascorbate deficiency) is compensated for. Vilter rightly states "Many factors increase the requirements of ascorbic acid. [13] The question is whether we have allowed for these many factors in our meagre RDA of 100mg.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Bell, Davidson and Scarborough, 1968, 7th Ed. 249. 2. Vilter, R.W., 1967, Sebrell/Harris, The Vitamins, 2nd Ed. 486. 3. Stone, I., 1974, The Healing Factor, Grosset and Dunlap, N.Y., 256 4, DAgata, A., 1956, Vitaminologia, 14, 82. 5. Reid, M.E., 1954 Vitamins, N.Y., 1269. 6. Mapson, L.W., 1967, Sebrell/Harris, The Vitamins, 2nd Ed. 386. 7. Nagashima, Z., Uchiyama, M., 1959, Bull Agr. Chem.

Soc. Japan. 23 555. 8. Mapson, L.W., 1961, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Se. 92, 21. 9. Mirvish, S., 1974, Science Vol. 177:65. 10. Vilter, R.W., 1967, Sebrell/Harris, The Vitamins, 2nd Ed. 503:

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11. Stone, I., 1974, The Healing Factor, Grosset and Dunlap. N.Y.256 12. Cameron, E., Pauling, L., 1976, Proc. Natl. Aca. Sci. USA. Vol. 73 No. 10. 13. Vilter, R.W., 1967, Sebrell/Harris, The Vitamins, 2nd. Ed. 601.

VITAMIN C TRIUMPH

by

Dr. Glen Dettman (Biomedical Scientist, Det-Kal Ascorbate Research Foundation Balwyn) (Press Report Melbourne Sun 3rd November 1978) It was with regret that I read of the premature findings of Dr. McMichael of CSIRO (Sun. Oct. 18), "Getting stoned on vitamin C." His findings may give unnecessary anxiety to the increasing number of people who have discovered the benefits of making up the deficiencies of vitamin C in our processed food. Surely, Dr. McMichael would have been much better employed in his role as a nutritional scientist to study the benefits of ascorbate and not the theoretical dangers. Sufficient work has been completed by international scientists to show that the vitamin C - oxalate - kidney stone theory is a myth. Fijians obtain up to eight grams a day in their primitive diets and most mammals make an average of 10 grams a day. Thousands of once seriously ill people would willingly risk the remote possibility of a kidney stone rather than return to the precarious state of ill health they suffered prior to their knowledge of 'The Healing Factor' (vitamin C). We have given as much as 180 grams a day to sick patients with nothing but good results. Cancer patients the world over are now enjoying a longer and increased quality of life simply due to vitamin C supplement, How many theoretical kidney stones do these patients trade for six months reality of life expectancy.

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We urge not only scientists, but the media to research the truth surrounding vitamin C, not the fiction, for it is one of the untold

triumphs of ortho-molecular medicine.

ASCORBATE INTAKE BY

FIJIANS

Excerpt from The Medical Journal of Australia February 26, 1977. Sir: During a recent visit to the Fiji Islands we obtained permission from a village chief to examine his subjects and question them concerning their diet. Tests for vitamin C content were made.* Much

to our surprise, we found that their daily intake of ascorbate varied betweenlgto8 gcontingentupontheirageandeatinghabits. Papaya (paw-paw) was the most popular tropical fruit and it flourishes in the tropical climate. It assayed at greater than 2 g/kg. Other frits eaten were bananas, pineapples, mangos, avocados, melons and breadfruit. All contain a high vitamin C content. Does the 10 mg to 100 mg accepted as our regular dose allowance contribute towards minimum daily health?

9 Rogers Street, Archie Kalokerinos Mentone, Vic. 3194 Glen Dettman *Vitamin C content was measured with dip sticks, Ames, which

measure up to 40 mg/100 ml and Merck's Ascorbinsaure-Test which measures up to 200 mg 100 ml.

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VITAMIN C, THE MOST POWERFUL AND LEAST HARMFUL OF MEDICAL SUBSTANCES Dr. John Marks, Tutor & Director of Medical Studies (Cambridge) Speaks (Excerpt from Toorak Times, Folio 583, 29th August, 1984)

RECENTLY, Hoffman-La Roche circularised doctors and scientists

with the vitamin paper to end all vitamin papers. It was written by Dr. John Marks, MA, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, MRC Psych Fellow, of Girton College, Cambridge, United

Kingdom.

WHAT HE DID Dr. Marks undertook a scientific study and appraisal of the safety of vitamins, particular attention was paid to 'excess' vitamin dosing. Professionals who are not aware of Dr. Mark's paper should make an

effort to obtain it from Hoffman-La Roche, Vitamin Information Service, P.O. Box N207, Grosvenor St., Sydney 2000. This is a scholarly pre-opinion, it should put an immediate end to the persistent scare tactics of 'experts' who as readily condemn without being able to demonstrate the actual dangers they discuss. In this presentation we will include only Dr. Mark's discussion upon vitamin C.

VIT C - ASCORBIC ACID Ascorbic acid is one of the vitamins whose desirable level of intake is still disputed in the USA, the RDA is 60 mg. However recent evidence suggests that a more reasonable estimate of he needs for the maintenance of health is in the region of 100 mg daily. This is a vitamin that has been consistently administered in high dosage for very prolonged periods. Quantities in excess of 1 g are being ingested by many people as a prophylactic against the common cold, in various cancers, in the detoxification of drug addicts, in

schizophrenia, for wound healing and for the prevention of he

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formation of nitrsamines in the stomach, substances for which there

is evidence of a cancer producing potential.

"EXPERTS' PLEASE NOTE ALL SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS DISPROVED! Although the scientific evidence for these uses is increasing steadily there are still critics of high-dose administration and they have alleged that the substance causes kidney stones through the increased excretion of oxalate, interference with vitamin B12 metabolism, rebound scurvy upon sudden cessation of therapy, excessive iron absorption, and through a mutagenic effect. An extensive and very thorough analysis of the data during the past years has disproved all the serious allegations through some patients, particularly in the early days of high-dose administration do experience a laxative effect thought to be due to a local irritant action.

However even this mild and harmless adverse effect is not found consistently.

THE VARIOUS MYTHS Oxalate is the main metabolise or ascorbic acid and in consequence it is postulated that this could lead to the formation of oxalate stones in the kidney. Recent studies have demonstrated that the conversion of ascorbic acid to oxalate is limited and does not reach critical levels even after doses of ascorbic acid as high as 10 g daily. Even in those with inborn metabolic errors, no stones are seen

despite high levels of oxalate excretion. It has been shown that the alleged reduction of vitamin B 12 in vitro by ascorbic acid was due to an inappropriate extraction procedure for the vitamin B12. Recent studies using more reliable methods have not demonstrated the effect nor have extensive studies in man shown any evidence of vitamin B12 deficiency even after long-term high-dose administration of ascorbic acid. There have been a few anecdotal and uncontrolled reports of rebound scurvy after sudden cessation of high-dose ascorbic acid. Studies in guinea pigs (the only appropriate animal species) and in man have not confirmed these observations.

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Although ascorbic acid does enhance iron absorption, there are no

reports of excessive iron absorption attributable to large intakes of ascorbic acid in normal people. In the rare case of excessive gastro-intestinal absorption of iron, the use of high doses of ascorbic acid is contradicted. The claim that vitamin C is mutagenic is a serious allegation and depends upon damage to gene material found in microbial and mammalian cells in test tubes. However, it has been shown now that it was not the ascorbic acid

that was producing the effect, but the hydrogen peroxide which was formed through the destruction of vitamin C by pure oxygen or the copper ions used in the test system. A recent in vitro study has confirmed that vitamin C would not be mutagenic for mammalian cells under physiological conditions.

BEWARE OF EXPERTS WHO DON’T UNDERSTAND! Other less important adverse effects that have not been substantiated in recent studies are of disturbed electrolyte balance, increased red-cell analysis and decreased immunological tolerance. It is important to understand that ascorbic acid itself is a reactive substance in the redox system and in consequence can give rise to false reactions, particularly in certain analytical tests involving a colour response. This was reported for the analysis of glucose, uric acid, creatinine and occult blood. Some adverse reports can be shown to be based on lack of understanding of this phenomenon and care should be exercised over selecting an analytical method for those ingesting ascorbic acid in excess of lg daily.

QUITE OK TO TAKE TEN GRAMS PER DAY Overall the exhaustive recent review of the scientific data con-

cluded that vitamin C is a safe substance even with an intake up to 10 g daily.

CONCLUSION Silently, we wonder how many people have suffered the indignities

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of orthodox 'remedies' which indeed are to3de? Simply because their doctor had not taken the time to research the literature himself. Indeed, how many continue to lose their lives because all too few

practitioners are willing to try harmless vitamin C in large doses? We urge you to ensure that your medical practitioner sees this article and if he continues to ignore the facts, then find yourself a more enlightened doctor. Remember, the first casualty of science is the TRUTH. Archie Kalokerinos Glen Dettman

DON’T SUPPORT CLOTS! TAKE SUFFICIENT VITAMIN C (Every bleeding, clotting and bruising problem should have a urinary vitamin C test)

by Dr. A. Kalokerinos and Dr. Glen Dettman (Excerpt from Toorak Times, Folio No. 534, August 22nd, 1983)

Over a period of more than a decade we have collected case histories of patients with blood clotting problems and histories of spontaneous or easy bruising. In each case we have been able to demonstrate an absence or low level of vitamin C in the urine and where the physician has recommended adequate vitamin C supplements, the problems have ceased. This despite protests from 'experts' who quote tables listing a series of 'Factors' which although enlightening, fail to take into consideration the correction of the patients 'ascorbaemia'. (Subclinical scurvy, as described by Dr. Irwin Stone.) In addition to our own success, other cases have been described

and we present some of the material to our readers today.

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THE LANCET, JULY 22ND, 1973. This account of the value of vitamin C for clotting disorders come from Dr. Constance Spittle, Pindefields General Hospital, Wakefield, Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. The article is in the form of a long letter entitled, 'VITAMIN C AND DEEP-VEIN THROMBOSIS. Because of the length of the material we can only offer pertinent abstracts but for those professionals interested in the graphs and scientific break up, we suggest they approach their medical library for copy of the Lancet as described.

DOUBLE BLIND TRIALS Commencing her presentation Dr. Spittle says: "I am not deterred by the findings of Dr. Andrews and Dr. Wilson (July 7, p.39), because I have been able to demonstrate that vitamin C has a powerful protective action against thrombosis. It has been known for many years that this substance was responsible for the health

of the capillaries. I am now entirely convinced that it is responsible for the health of the arteries. It would therefore be logical for it to be responsible for the veins also. A double-blind trial, using vitamin C and a placebo, has been done on patients who were vulnerable to deep-vein thrombosis. The incidence of deep-vein thrombosis in the placebo group was 60% compared with 33% in the vitamin C group. There was a striking reduction in the presence of physical signs in the vitamin C group. Virchow described three factors as necessary for the production of a deep-vein thrombosis: 1) venous stasis (generally speaking, early mobilisation has minimised this): 2) alterations in the blood-

vessel walls (vitamin C provides the ground substance for the blood-vessel walls); and 3) alterations in the coagulability of the blood.

ANIMALS THAT MAKE THEIR OWN VITAMIN C NOT TROUBLED BY THESE PROBLEMS. According to Hawkey, animals are hypercoagulable compared with humans. Carnivorous animals are not troubled with atherosclerosis (they synthesise their own vitamin C). She therefore

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concluded that the coagulation changes in atherosclerosis were not primary, but were secondary to the blood-vessel changes and the fatty changes. Vitamin C is responsible for the proper metabolism of fat. Thus, if the blood-vessel changes and the fatty changes can be reversed by vitamin C, the coagulation changes will also be reversed in other words, the two factors in Virchow's triad which at present cannot be treated are both controlled by vitamin C. Sokoloff et al., in their studies with vitamin C in elderly atherosclerotic patients, found that it was about 3 months before the lipoprotein lipase activity, and therefore the triglycerides, started to return to normal levels. This would suggest that in order to secure absolute protection from a deep-vein thrombosis, at least 3 months treatment would be needed.

SOME SURGEONS HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT! It is now just over 6 months since this trial was completed. Since that time, some of our general and orthopaedic surgeons have been giving vitamin C, 500 mg daily, routinely in their wards. During this period, in six wards, we have had a total of 3 cases of clinical

deep-vein thrombosis and 3 of pulmonary embolism (2 slight). I am now recommending that the dose be increased to 1 g daily, in the hopes of eliminating even this small number. In the Regional Burns Unit at this hospital, vitamin C (1 g daily) has been given routinely to all patients, in the interests of promotion of healing, since the unit was opened more than seven years ago. Only | death from pulmonary embolism has been recorded, and no cases of clinical deep-vein thrombosis have occurred for at least 5-1/2 years (159 patients over the age of 40 years). This suggests that Dr. Andrews and Dr. Wilson were not giving a sufficiently large dose of vitamin C to protect their geriatric patients from thrombotic episodes.

PROFESSOR EMANUEL CHERASKIN, M.D., D.M.D., UNIIVERSITY ALABAMA, U.S.A A recent visitor to Australia who lectured in most states, was

Professor Cheraskin. His curriculum vitae occupies about 50 close typed pages of achievement, his latest book has just been released

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and is entitled 'The Vitamin C Connection’. Dr. Cheraskin and his co-author, Dr. W. M. Ringsdorf have had a wealth of clinical experience in medicine and dental medicine and their many papers and books support all we have ever claimed about vitamin C and more! In their book, 'Predictive Medicine’, page 27, they have this to say of vitamin C. 'Conversely, when one deprives the organism of vitamin C, one encourages capillary fragility, permeability and bleeding. Thus vitamin C becomes by definition, a resistance factor. A workable predictive medical program must recognise this concept, must ferret out the susceptibility and resistance variables, and must develop corrective measures." Surgeons, including dentists, please note!

TESTING FOR VITAMIN C IN CLOTTING DISORDERS. (URINE RECONMNDED.) Dr. Cheraskin also says this 'Most tests for clotting disorders are intravascular. Testing of ascorbate in urine 1s the most important vascular test. Something we have been proclaiming for at least a decade now, but incredibly this all important measure is not given a place in the screening of clotting disorders. Just when will medicine learn? We routinely report upon urinary vitamin C status and as we have previously stated, most cases of inexplicable bruising and bleeding will respond to the correct amount (grams) of ascorbate supplement. It is our opinion that a 'spillover’ of anything less than 40mg/100mg of vitamin C is an indication of deficiency. Papers we have written concerning this explain why.

A ROXDALE PUBLICATION The English edition of Roxdale and Co., published the following information in September 1968, a time when we were first seriously investigating the properties of vitamin C. We are indebted to Mr. & Mrs. J. Knafelc for the following information which was supplied in the article.

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VITAMIN C HELPS CONTROL BLEEDING It is a newly discovered fact that the platelets of the blood need ascorbic acid to function properly. The article then explains how the authors came across a summary from the third edition of "PRESENT KNOWLEDGE IN NUTRITION", written by Dr. C. G. King of St. Luke's Hospital in New York, which said that in

connection with vitamin C deficiency 'An impairment in the clotting mechanism had been reported.' The authors continue: Such a spontaneous appearance of bruises indicates to a doctor the haemorrhaging of the capillaries, which is related to a failure of the clotting mechanism. A blood analysis was ordered and it was found that "Platelet adhesiveness was abnormally low.' The platelets are microscopic circular or oval discs which are found in the blood in large quantity. They are an integral factor in the ability of blood to coagulate, a function which they influence by possessing a stickiness which causes them to clump together wherever the blood flows out of a vessel. ‘The patient was maintained on a hospital diet for two days without ascorbic acid supplement. A second blood sample was then obtained which showed adhesiveness essentially unchanged. Ascorbic acid was then administered in a dosage of 700 milligrams per day. No new scorbutic lesions developed there-after and the existing manifestations disappeared rapidly ... After the administration of ascorbic acid platelet adhesiveness rapidly increased to a high level, at which it was maintained. ' It took us by surprise. We had long known that haemorrhages in the mouth and nose were common symptoms of scurvy but had no idea that vitamin C is involved in the normal clotting process of the blood. We checked. And in an article In The Lancet (May 6, 1967) we found information indicating that the connection is far from tenuous; indeed, that if you lack sufficient vitamin C in

your system you are threatened with protracted bleeding from any chance cut.

PLATELETS ARE AFFECTED The article by Drs. G.P. McNichol and A.S. Douglas of the University of Glasgow Department of medicine, was based on these

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doctors' experience of two cases. The first case concerned a 55-year old man who, after a minor injury to his right leg, developed extensive bruising. 'A few days after the injury and bruising of the right leg, spontaneous bruising of the left leg developed. His diet consisted of white bread, tea,

sardines, an occasional slice of meat, and an occasional egg. He disliked fruit and vegetables and had not eaten any of these for at least two years." The second patient, a woman of 61, showed a similar lack of

adhesiveness in her platelets with the blood consequently being unable to clot properly. And she also responded quickly to the administration of vitamin C. It now becomes apparent that many cases of clotting slowness or complete inability to clot may have a definite though hitherto unguessed connection to the vitamin C levels of the blood. And it seems likely that soon we will be reading new reports of how previously untreatable types of haemorrhage have been treated by administration of vitamin C. To the hundred reasons why we all need plenty of vitamin C every single day, there has thus been added one more.

STOP THIS CRIMINAL ACT Some scientists speculate that in the future, it will be considered an act of criminal negligence if doctors withhold vitamin C from a patient. We say it is already an act of criminal negligence. We urge

the public to take the appropriate remedial action: NOW!

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VITAMIN C, USE OR ABUSE? by GLEN DETTMAN (Excerpt from The Australasian Nurses Journal, November, 1982)

This paper was published before the work of Dr. Irwin Stone was known to us. Writing to us later, he was able to explain many of the inexplicables in his prize work, 'The Healing Factor, Vitamin C Against Disease’. The book contains forewords by Nobel Laureates Linus Pauling and Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, the scientist who discovered 'Hexuronic Acid', now perhaps erroneously called Mitamit Gare... 3 I must say that I find it difficult to know where to begin this address for over the past four years we have published numerous papers and carried out extensive investigations at home and abroad. I personally have not contributed greatly to the mass of formidable evidence that is available to all who seek the truth but we have, as a result of our efforts, been responsible for the production of a laboratory tool which for the first time will enable you to estimate scorbutic status and make some independent research of your own. In the past, it has not been easy to assess scorbutic status, as classical opinion led us to believe blood tests were the only means of assessing this. We think differently, and in fact Professor Pauling agrees with us that blood tests might be a serious sort of joke as we should all be having sufficient intake of ascorbic acid, that spill over occurs in the urine. Usually this indicates a plasma level of around about 0.8 to 1.2 mg/100ml. The exact amount in most cases is of academic importance only.

NO SUCH THING AS TISSUE SATURATION It is necessary here for me to make a provocative statement and inform you that tissue saturation according to Professor Pauling, is a misnomer. The more vitamin C you take, the higher become the levels throughout the body pool including, thank goodness, higher excretions in the urine. However there is, as I indicated earlier, a

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threshold and this brings the screening of the scorbutic and subscorbutic into your surgery, home or wherever you may be. I am aware that I will not complete this lecture without sounding offensive. I must do this for your sake, your children's sake and more particularly for the sake of the underprivileged. It is my hope that we will provoke you to the point where you

search the literature and like us find out for yourself how irresponsible are the remarks of those who continually tell us, goodness only knows why, that "there is insufficient or no conclusive evidence." It seems that we must bring back somebody from the grave and resuscitate them with vitamin C before most will accept the fact that what we learned 45 years ago might not just be correct. We have so many amongst us who are unwilling to even look for the conclusive evidence. They are afraid of what their learned colleagues might think, afraid they might be wrong, therefore it is much easier to remain a negative thinker and 'sit on the fence.' Now I can understand that logic, if the drug we are asked to try is in any way harmful. But not with ascorbate which has been used in massive doses up to 140 grams intravenously to cure an antibiotic resistant infection.

THREE GRAMS OF VITAMIN C INSUFFICIENT To test Professor Pauling's personal recommendation, given to me after asking him why I was still getting colds, despite my 3g per day, he told me to take more. In the past, if there was a cold going 1 got it and this aspect of vitamin C prophylaxis disappointed me, that is why I challenged Pauling about this. When I enquired if too much of a good thing might not be a bad thing, he simply replied that "They had no untoward experience of this." About two weeks ago I was asked to give a lecture at the University of Sydney about you know what. When we arrived we were informed that most of the city was down with the current URTI. So 1 decided to step up my doses and see if Pauling's suggestion would work. Instead of 3g, | have been taking for the past fortnight, 15g per day. My wife who accompanied me continued upon her daily supplement of lg per day and went down with a very nasty URTI a few days after our return from Sydney. Needless to say this experiment has to be repeated but to me this

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was very powerful evidence that vitamin C had prevented my infection. Now it may have done so with only a small increase but I wanted to test the truth and the most direct way to do this was by using a massive dose. I am still well, as I type this manuscript, as I know I will be next Friday when I read you this message. Now of course some of our colleagues would have us believe that this is auto-suggestion, but 1 ask you how do you account for the variety of successful experiments made in animals, by auto suggestion? Therefore why not try massive doses yourself. I like to remind scientists of the words of Oppenheimer who stated, and I think for the benefit of the medical and para medical profession, "We explain to each other things we do not understand, for to learn is one thing, to understand is another’.

EXPLAINING THE INEXPLICABLE Now that just might 'explain' the glycolytic pathway. At a seminar I attended recently in Woollongong, Dr. W. Hensley discussed the involved metabolic pathways and biochemical processes then eventually, in dismay, turned to the board and simply announced ‘It's enough to make a man turn Christian". So let's assume the only person who knows the chemistry is God and not waste time debating the exact mechanism. Why deprive the public of better health simply because it defies the explanation of present day man?

ACUPUNCTURE SCORNED About 18 months ago Dr. Kalokerinos and I were invited to present papers to the International Nutritional Congress in Mexico. In order that 1 might show how bias, scepticism and ignorance had hindered research, I chose amongst other things, to mention acupuncture as something that may well have saved our POW's a lot of unnecessary suffering during the last world war had we chosen to investigate it. Ihad been subscribing to mainland Chinese journals which provided me with sufficient stimulus to believe that their claims were authentic. After reading my paper and showing it to other colleagues. I was gravely warned to go easy on that sort of "mumbo jumbo', some in fact openly scoffed. Now a

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little more than 12 months later acupuncture is a respectable word. Why? ... simply because a team of doctors entered the house of knowledge with humility and without arrogance. They came back from China enriched and amazed, and as truth cannot be stifled indefinitely there seems little doubt that Western Medicine will now benefit from their honest enquiry. 1 wish I could be so prophetic about the current vitamin controversy. A great physician and nutritionist Alexis Carrell said in 1920 'If the doctors of today do not become the nutritionists of tomorrow then the nutritionists of today will become the doctors of tomorrow." I would like to think that the doctors of tonight will become nutritionists tonight. Up until now I have been discussing in a general manner the current situation, but let's retreat into history a little and see if it has a message for us. Well, we all know about Captain Cook and James Lind but do you know about Jaques Cartier, another ‘C’ faring man who knew how to cure scurvy some 200 years before Cook? Had these gentlemen known as we do now that there is an ample supply of vitamin C in the plankton of the sea, no sailor should have died from scurvy. And talking of sea faring men, how about Christopher Columbus who defied the scholars of the day and sailed over the edge of the flat earth? In the hope that I am softening up your receptivity processes, I must remind you of Galileo. He was forced by his scholarly and learned colleagues to go to church and pronounce with a loud voice the abjuration dictated to him 'I, Galileo, in the 70th year of my age, on my knees before your Eminences, having before my eyes the holy Gospels, which I touch with my own hands, I abjure, I curse, I detest the error and the

movement of the earth". Maybe we are a little more enlightened now, but couldn't we be just as sceptical. So while you are sparing a thought for Galileo who knew that he was right, but was forced to make this abjuration, spare a thought for Professor Linus Pauling et al. who would dare try and change the face of medicine. As one great scientist said: 'For fashions in medicine like fashions in clothes change from generation to generation and it is most difficult for a medical man to break away from the one, as it is for a society belle to free herself from the trammels of the other".

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Invited this evening was one of our leading nutritionists who has made some most unfortunate statements to the press which we believe are incorrect. In the Melbourne Herald 9.6.73 he stated that there are cases of scurvy amongst Aboriginal children because the mother weans her baby too early, the mothers are unaware of the need for an alternate source of vitamin C. I wonder if this learned colleague (and I use the term with great respect) knows that most Aboriginal mothers have no vitamin C in their breast milk ... they also have no vitamin C in their urine. To negate his learned opinion once and for all, we have recently proved, again by testing, that one mother at our local maternity hospital out of 25 tested had similar findings. I wonder as he considers the urine of those that excrete ascorbic acid is expensive, whether he considers that of the Aboriginal women inexpensive? The learned gentleman again hit hard at Pauling in Melbourne Observer July 1, 1973, and it grieves me to report that a man of science should advocate liquor in lieu of vitamin C for the common cold. I wonder what our police surgeon, Dr. Birrell, would think

about that? It is well known that alcohol will destroy vitamin C. I intend reading a reference to you that supports the use of vitamin C for car drivers. How about testing the urinary vitamin C of some accident victims as well as their alcohol levels? Not too many of those over the .05 would have expensive urine.

VITAMIN C &'NORMAL DIET‘ We also have demonstrated that you may not get sufficient vitamin C in what is commonly referred to as your "normal diet". In addition, this article states "So far no scientific proof exists which

shows that vitamin C and vitamin E will do what it is popularly claimed for them'. Professor Pauling would refer to this as ignorance, and I think you may agree with him after hearing the presentation of our data. Dr. Davis may say something about vitamin C, but let's proceed slowly and with open mind and eyes, but be slow to scoff unless you too have a Nobel Prize and a massive list of contributions to medicine and science in general, like Linus Pauling. The executive

secretary of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Mr. W.

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Burnell, recently sent me a copy of Pauling's Grimwade lecture given at Monash University. I wish to select a few short paragraphs from the address that might enlighten you about orthomolecular medicine. I understand from Mr. Burnell that this paper was available either as a separate booklet for general distribution, and/

or published in their journal 'Proceedings". 1) "Ortho-molecular means the right molecules in the right concentration" 2) "In a sense ortho-molecular medicine is almost equivalent to improved nutrition but perhaps it is somewhat broader" 3) "I think that it is likely that hundreds of diseases can be controlled in this way when once we learn enough about them to be able to see what substances normally present in the human body need to be supplied in larger amounts than usual or in smaller amounts than usual” 4) "I know a man, Rene Du Bose, Professor in Rockerfeller

University, who in 1957 wrote a book in which he said "Viruses and bacteria are not the sole causes of infectious diseases. There is something else. Why in the slum do some people contract tuberculosis and others not, when the infective agent is around in about the same way"?' 5) "I am sorry to say that so far as I have found there has been practically no work done by the scientists interested in nutrition in an effort to find the optimum intake of any vitamin" 6) 'If you take 150 or 200 mg of vitamin C per day some of it starts to appear in the urine - a signification fraction. It turns out that as a small molecule it is cleared from the blood by filtration through the glomerulus scomalus filter in the kidneys and, as this dilute or glomeral filtrate is concentrated in the tubules, the vitamin C molecules are pumped

back into the blood by a special process which requires

energy. This process is saturated at about 1.5 mg per decilitre concentration in the blood. Now you have to take a couple of hundred milligrams per day to reach that, several times the "recommended" allowance. It is usually said that when you begin to lose ascorbic acid in your urine it shows that you have too much.

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I don't think this is right. I would say that if you aren't losing a good bit in your urine it shows you don't have enough because surely we would not have developed this process of tubular re-absorption to an unnecessary extent when it clutters up the body with extra machinery and requires work to operate it. Everybody then should be taking several hundred milligrams, enough to cause a significant amount to appear in the urine. This is why I think that Dr. A. Kalokerinos up at Collarenebri is correct, he contends that the reduction in the infant mortality rate of aborigines in his area from about 300 per thousand down to about 20 per thousand is a result of his giving infants injections of vitamin C, and that you can tell whether a person needs vitamin C or not just by a simple test stick. By putting a stick that has some chemical on it phospho duodeco molybdophosphoric acid, which turns blue if there is vitamin C in the urine and remains yellow if there is not, you can tell whether a person is deficient in vitamin C or not. I think that this is a good test, and I think that there are many people in the world, almost everybody in the world, suffering from a sub-clinical deficiency in vitamin C.' 7) "I had the good luck to be pushed by a physician into reading the literature. I didn't know what the facts were four years ago, but a man who heard me speak and mention vitamin C wrote me a very strong letter, a critical letter, saying can you point out a single blind study that shows vitamin C has any more value than a placebo? I said I can't, but I'll look in the literature. When I looked I found four double blind studies,

every one of which shows that vitamin C has protective effect’. 8) "So, cutting down on sucrose, taking vitamin E, a proper

amount of vitamin C, and perhaps some of the other vitamins is about as far as I have got. I hope that as time goes by, investigators will be able to determine by some observational method, the needs of an individual human being with respect to the molecular composition that will put him in the best of health and enable him to lead the best life." 9) "I think it is worthwhile to consider the well being of indi-

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vidual human beings as well as the community as a whole, but it is better to have a smaller number of people who lead longer more productive and more satisfying lives, than a large number of people who lead short less productive and less satisfying lives."

TRIALS UNDERTAKEN Shortly you will see what Dr. Kalokerinos has achieved: our testing of urinary vitamin C has been progressing steadily over the past 3-1/2 years and I must refer you to our papers which will be published next month, as time does not permit me to discuss our results. Strangely our research commenced about the same time as Pauling's publication 'Vitamin C and the Common Cold’. When I began to look for the reasons for the success of Dr. Kalokerinos, and I eventually read Pauling's work, it certainly seeded my mind with a number of ideas. This included testing the urine of various sections of the community including patients in a midwifery hospital, a mental institution, a TB sanatorium, children in a kindergarten, a whole seasons trials with a league football team, the recently visiting Pakistan cricketers (the greater number were non excreters despite their breakfast which contained orange, juice), my own staff, family and friends and finally the patients who attended our laboratory. The results were all exciting... and again you must await the full story, but one thing in particular was obvious to us, most diabetics

were non excreters. One diabetic phoned me after a TDT show just before we left for Mexico and told how his doctor had put him on massive doses of vitamin C to prevent his recurring illnesses and persistent retinal haemorrhages. The first 'massive' trial was 100 mg, this was continued for three months without improvement and the doctor authorised an increase to 200 mg. "And do you know’, said this blind diabetic, "that was three years ago, and I have not had my usual illnesses or a reoccurrence of retinal haemorrhage since this time." He gave me his name and his doctor's name and hung up. This stimulated me to have a good look at the scorbutic status of the diabetic, and I would like you to read the following letter which, if a little behind the times, demonstrates what is happening

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elsewhere. The writer, Professor Butterfield, Vice Chancellor of

the University of Nottingham, the recipient, a friend of mine in the United States who has assisted us with our research.

"Dear Jackson, I am writing to thank you very much indeed for your letter of the 4th May and for sending me your complimentary samples of Saltex and C-Stix. In fact, the latter may turn out to be much more important in diabetes management than I would have realised, because as a result of some recent research we are becoming particularly interested in the possibility that many diabetics can be short of vitamin C and we are beginning to wonder whether this is an important factor in the development of haemorrhages in diabetic retinopathy. I will be reading a paper on this subject at the forthcoming International Diabetes Federation meeting in Brussels in July and should be pleased to talk informally with anyone from the Ames Co. who may be there, about the developments which seem to be going on in this field. Best wishes, sincerely, J. Butterfield.”

The date of the letter 14th May, 1973. There must be many physicians here this evening to whom I have included in their reports: "Note absence of vitamin C." Pauling assured us that some diabetics are controlled with vitamin C and diet alone in lieu of insulin. We need more information about this, in fact we did

attempt to control a patient but he relapsed clinically after a week despite reduced blood sugar readings. The importance of this message is that every endocrinologist and every physician should know something about the patients scorbutic status and whether he is supplementing with vitamin C prior to his random blood sugar estimation, or his equivocal GTT'S. Otherwise how can a correct interpretation of the situation be made. By the way, if you have a diabetic patient or if you are a diabetic, would you consider supplement just wasted expensive urine?

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COAGULTION: IMPORTANCE OF TESTING FOR URINARY VITAMIN C I must hastily make mention of the inclusion of a urinary vitamin C in the coagulation profile. Frequently the only unusual finding in those were sent for investigation is an absence of urinary vitamin C. I have been informed by three doctors that unexplained bruising stopped when vitamin C supplement was given. Is there excreted ascorbic acid also wasted? But please keep sending your patients for coagulation profile as we need not only the statistics, but the work.

URINARY LEVELS OF VITAMIN C 1 should mention that until we had the opportunity to discuss our work with Pauling, that I felt a urinary ascorbic-acid of 5 mg/ 100 ml was acceptable. Pauling explained that there would not be adequate reserves in the event of an emergency and felt that a more realistic figure was 10mg/100 ml. At the same time he put me right about tissue saturation. I have to agree that utilisation of ascorbic acid can occur very rapidly, we proved it with the Essendon Footballers and also a keen vitamin C nutritionist from South Africa. Dr. John Du Plessis told us when we were in Mexico, that

simply by walking into the animal room and frightening his monkeys their ascorbic acid levels dropped alarmingly. How about you motor car drivers? I'm not suggesting you are monkeys but there is a metabolic similarly. In fact our road manners suggest other similarities! So I have briefly touched upon the exciting avenues of our own research, but what about others? In my office at the laboratory and those of you who have seen it can verify this, there is just simply no more room to put the insufficient scientific data. Nor can my memory or my card index system correlate the masses of well documented articles available to all.

SOME EXAMPLES OF VITAMIN C THERAPY It's about a few of these avenues of investigation of other professional scientists and | mean by that, those who work full time in this fascinating field of magnetism, that I wish to quote. I can only stimulate your appetite with the hors d'oeuvres, if you want

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the main course then you, like Pauling, et al. must pursue it. Let's start with the Lancet May 6th, 1967, this article shows that

if one lacks sufficient vitamin C one is threatened with protracted bleeding from any chance cut. The authors Drs. McNicol and Douglas of the University of Glasgow. I read this after I had "discovered" the missing link in our coagulation profile. How about glaucoma? In 1972, at a meeting of the Roman Ophthalmologist Society, Italy, four Italian Physicians gave evidence of an exciting breakthrough in Glaucoma treatment. Dr.

Michele Vimo and co-workers cited that human evidence showed that intraocular pressure in glaucomaticus eyes could be dramatically reduced by an oral dose of vitamin C. The report was immediately published in EYE, EAR, NOSE and THROAT monthly. The initial approach by these investigators was to evaluate the effect of a single dose of 0.5g of ascorbic acid per kilogram upon the intraocular pressure in patients with different types of glaucoma. For example, a person weighing 10 stone, 10 Ibs, would receive

35g of vitamin C. This megadose is over 500-fold the amount generally held to be an optimal daily intake. It was noted that the intraocular pressure reached its lowest point about 4 to 5 hours after taking the single dose of vitamin C.

This low point was maintained for more than 8 hours ... but I am getting tangled up with the main course, so let's move into another area.

HEART DISEASE One of my esteemed chiefs is involved with Cardiology: The author, J. Shafar M.D., the article: see the Lancet, July 22nd, 1967.

He states that what is often taken for heart disease on the reading of an abnormal electrocardiogram tracing may actually be a deficiency of vitamin C. He reports on two patients suffering from scurvy whose ECG's gave every indication of heart trouble. After a week on supplementary vitamin C, the patients readings returned to normal. According to Dr. Shafar the situation is more common than most clinicians realise, especially where older persons are concerned. Sub clinical deficiencies of vitamin C occur frequently in the elderly because of a general prevalence of malnutrition in this age group.

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Not good enough? Then how about Dr. Richard Bing of Wayne State University, Detroit, U.S.A. A major new therapeutic role for ascorbic acid came to light about 1968-9 as a result of research studies on animals carried out by him. He found it to be of great value in promoting healing after myorcardial infarction. Because heart failure causes not only vascular incapacity and restriction of capillary blood flow, but also changes in enzyme patterns. Dr. Bing did enzyme studies which showed that the process of repair in the damaged heart muscle can be accelerated by three different treatments. Time does not permit me to discuss the three treatments but the article concludes by stating "Of the three therapies found effective in promoting the regeneration of heart muscle the only one without any deleterious effects is vitamin C.

LIPIDS A quick mention about lipids, two years ago I mentioned to a GP friend of mine about the possible involvement of ascorbic acid and lipids and he was completely surprised. He asked for references and I gave him photocopies: since then there has been an ever mounting wealth of literature which leaves little doubt about the role of ascorbic acid, but just a few, this one from the U.S. Senate

Document No. 264. "Studies by Dr. Emil Ginter at the Institute of nutritional Research at Bratislava, Czechoslovakia showed that cholesterol deposits have been lowered by 30 to 40% in guinea pigs given vitamin C as compared to a control group deprived of vitamin C. The Russians too are aware of the value of vitamin C, a convincing clinical trial demonstrates how Dr. L Miasnikov began a study of patients suffering from hypertension and atherosclerosis. Different medications were given but in the last two years she began using vitamin C.'

The report is long but as I say convincing and it concerns 35

patients. Those with high cholesterol levels were reduced considerably but those with normal levels were unchanged. Dr. C. G. King, Director of the Nutrition Foundation and

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Professor of the Columbia University discovered the same thing, namely that ascorbic acid governs the rate at which cholesterol forms in the arteries. It seems unfortunate that our own conservative medical journal is reluctant to publish any of the challenging findings found in highly reputable overseas medical journals. Should you require further references, a copy of Sebrell/Harris, The Vitamins, Vol. 1. 2nd edition, 1967 is available at the library,

Monash University. After reading the wealth of evidence available concerning this topical subject, you would be indeed brave not to ensure that you were at least excreting vitamin C. Scientists, reputable scientists, all over the world will assure you of this, but how strange that a small minority can influence the majority. For those interested, lipids are covered in some of our own published work.

CANCER AND VITAMIN C How about contentious statements like cancer and vitamin C? Surely that's pushing it too hard? It may surprise you to know that Reputable journals like the Lancet (March 4, 1972) record an article about ascorbic acid, cell proliferation and cancer. Two doctors, Cameron and Rotman, present their thesis and conclude that

preliminary impressions are encouraging. In the United States Dr. Jorgan Schlegel produced an excellent paper about ascorbic acid prevent kidney and bladder cancer. This may be found in the Journal of Urology, February 1970. These research workers claim that the American Cancer Society estimated that 3 1,000 people developed cancer of the urinary organs in 1969 with a death toll of 15,000.

Bladder cancer has been linked with smoking and they state that vitamin C can stop the lethal activity of a chemical compound 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid from oxidising into deadly carcinogenic components. It is indicated that there must be sufficient C to exceed the body's requirements so that ascorbate will spill out into the urine. Now how about that for expensive urine? Melanoma gets some attention also. Dr. Harry Demopoulos of the University of Southern California describes how vitamin C and an amino acid, cysteine have proven themselves able to stop the growth

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of melanoma. It is contended that the melanoma cell has its own

metabolism which differs in certain respects from the normal cells.

FREE RADICALS Both cysteine and ascorbic acid are known to be effective scavengers of free radicals in the blood stream. Of the two, vitamin

C is the more effective. The laboratory trials were reported in the Los Angeles Times December 19th, 1965. It was emphasised that it has by no means been established as yet, that this new and experimental treatment can be regarded as a cure for those actually suffering from malignant melanoma. But what is perhaps important is for us to consider the knowledge that an ample supply of vitamin C in the system will destroy free radicals and in this way help to inhibit or prevent the growth of melanomas.

SURGERY INCREASED REQUIREMIENTS FOR ASCORBATE Let's discuss surgery, for here we know we have some allies. Three University of Texas physicians recommended that vitamin C should be given to all patients undergoing surgery. Drs. Fujino, Dawson and McGanty said they reached that conclusion after measuring blood levels of the vitamin in 95 female patients throughout abdominal and vaginal surgery. Although vitamin C levels increased during actual surgery, sharp decreases were noted during the first post-operative day. Of course one only has to read Sebrell/Harris to know that an increase utilisation occurs in any form of shock and particularly surgical shock. If the patient is not supplemented he may suffer post operative thrombosis or succumb to infection either of pyogenic or upper respiratory type. We believe that non excreters are at risk, little is known about the cause of post operative thrombosis but our laboratory tests lead us to believe that many patients may go to the theatre "non excreters' and now that a dip stick is available this

should be a routine pre and post operative test.

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DENTISTRY Dental surgeons might also be questioning patients about pre and post operative status, for despite classical opinion in this country there is much research eventuating overseas. One dentist informed me that they have tried everything but vitamin C for dry sockets and his surgery intends conducting some trials in their two man practice. Extensive trials covered in the Journal of Periodontology MayJune 1964 by three dental researchers from the University of Alabama Medical Centre showed that the patients with the greatest response were those who were supplemented with vitamin C although they did not necessarily have low blood levels by today's medical standards.

MENTAL HEALTH From dental let's move to mental. The Journal of the American Medical Association refers to a British study in which vitamin C has brought drastic improvement to 40 male patients who were chronic psychiatric patients. Some had been in hospital as long as 45 years. In April 1969 an article by Dr. Mayer (Presidential Nutritional Adviser) wrote: "I have encountered mounting interest in the possibility that enormous doses of certain vitamins may be beneficial to schizophrenics and other mentally ill patients." Pauling also wrote (1969) that the proper functioning of the brain requires the right chemicals in the right amounts. A number of psychiatrists in most United States are now using orthomolecular psychiatry along with the more traditional methods of treating schizophrenia. Drs. Hoffer and Osmond have dedicated their lives to treating the mentally ill and almost single handed they have established schizophrenics anonymous centres in the USA and Canada. But, what do we in Australia know of their work?

ROAD ACCIDENTS I have by coincidence just glanced at my TV screen and heard the respected surgeon Gordon Trinea appealing to the public for more sanity on the road. He is unhappy, and rightfully so, about those that drive and drink, those that he has to repair that reek of

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liquor. I wonder what his reaction will be to the advice of our esteemed and well meaning but unenlightened colleague who advocates a lot of whisky for your cold, instead of vitamin C. Which brings me to my promised report concerning improved driving. A German scientist Dr. Grossjohounn claims (in a report published in Pharmaceutical Research) that drivers supplemented upon vitamin C showed increased driving concentration, co-ordination and active response. He recommends supplement before and during the trip but no hot toddies.

BAD BACKS In 1964 Professor Greenwood recommended an increased intake of vitamin C to preserve the integrity of the intervertebral discs and preventing back trouble. He stated that significant number of patients were able to avoid surgery by the use of large doses of vitamin C. Symptoms recurred if they stopped their vitamin C. As my physician knows, I can personally testify to this. For since I went on to large doses of vitamin C I no longer collapse to the floor or have to take to my bed medicated with pethidine. Recently, I wished to observe how long it would take without any vitamin C intake to become a "non-excreter". I relapsed and was

reminded of my presupplemented days. It took 5 days before I stopped excreting vitamin C, but only one day to commence again after supplement. No doubt this figure would vary from person to person because of body pool and our individual requirements which would be ordained by personal involvement and biochemistry and thus utilisation.

PROTECTING AGAINST SIDE EFFECTS OF IMMUNISATIONS Dr. Kalokerinos and myself have both written and spoken about the role of ascorbic acid and immunity. Part of my paper concerning the illness and death that occurred during a mass vaccination

campaign during the last war was recently published in the Medical Journal of Australia, April 7th, 1973, p. 711-712. Professor Wilson points out in his book 'The Hazards of Immunisation", Athtone Press, London 1967, that many of the ill effects of immu-

nisation may never see the light of day for fear of malpractice suits.

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"I was frankly surprised," Dr. Wilson admits, "to learn from

unpublished records of the Ministry for Health of the large number in the civil and military populations who had died as a result of attempted immunisation.' Yet only a few were referred to in the medical journal. We have already pointed out that we are not opposed to routine immunisation but rather the routine that is adopted. Dr. Kalokerinos will demonstrate to you the dangers of immune insult in the scorbutic and sub-scorbutic. Now that you have a means of estimating scorbutic status I would consider it negligent for a doctor to attempt to submit my grandchild to the supreme challenge of the R. E. system ... triple antigen without prior knowledge of scorbutic status. Other attenuated vaccines such as measles B.C.V. or smallpox provide a longer lasting utilisation of vitamin C, but do not appear to inactivate the R.E. system as effectively as a series of challenges issued at the one time. We believe that this was the reason for the increased aboriginal infant mortality in the Northern Territory, we believe that this is the reason why many servicemen died after their "shots" and now Dr. Wilson supports our beliefs in this book. Why take the risk of inflicting an immune insult? Ensure that your patients are excreting and that they continue to excrete during the immunising period.

COT DEATHS A headline in the "Age" newspaper, Melbourne 16.12.72, stated 'Cot Deaths: doctor's new theory' ... and Dr. Traub's new theory was related to triple antigen, but he suggested that it was an anaphylactic reaction. Nobody has given much thought about the association of an acute ascorbic acid deficiency as suggested by Dr. Kalokerinos, except some overseas scientists at the Institute of

Nutrition in Mexico. Before leaving for the Rockefeller University in the United

States a Professor of Medicine phoned me and said I was to write to Dr. Beal in South Australia and forward copies of our reports and theories for her consideration. A long time later came an answer. Dr. Beal only worked one half day per fortnight as she had family commitments. For all this she is doing fine work, but is half a day

ZSt

per week sufficient contribution toward this all important problem? She did not share our enthusiasm for vitamin C deficiency being responsible for cot deaths, but she had observed that the most susceptible infant is male, aged one to seven months, living in overcrowded sub-standard conditions in a city centre and probably bottle fed by a young mother. Dr. Beal does not suggest it, but the milk may not contain supplement, just as the breast milk of Aboriginal and some undernourished white women does not contain vitamin C. If we presume that the mother is excreting vitamin C per the breast milk and she is not, what reserves is the body born with? Is this the critical death level period of one to seven months? Isn't this worth considering now that we have the means to test vitamin C per dip stick. And should we not also test the babies urine to make sure of the intake? A further study conducted in Washington and published in Prevention magazine April 1969, indicates the most common age for crib death is 3 months. The age that many doctors will recommend D.P.T. As those who follow the literature will know,

the last three cot deaths that we read about in this country all had triple antigen administered shortly before their death. In the light of all this information, don't these suggestions warrant investigation? Although he was no scientist George Bernard Shaw remarked about vaccinations during a BBC broadcast, "If the true figures could be ascertained, they would probably horrify Herod"; and whilst waxing biblical, it seems an opportune time to remind you that David slew Goliath with a single shot. In one of his articles Dr. Fred Klenner stated "There are some physicians who would stand by and see the patient die rather than use ascorbic acid, because in their finite minds it exists only as a vitamin". I say that is food for thought. But what evidence have we that our theories are correct, our own Federal Minister for Health has stated that the success of Dr. Kalokerinos is due to total child care and not the use of vitamin C. What a shocking indictment this is for the rest of his colleagues, can

you believe they don't really care? Or does the vitamin C routine work?

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ANOTHER PHYSICIAN DUPLICATES DR. KALOKERINOS 'RESULTS I should like to read part of a letter which Dr. Kalokerinos received from one of his colleagues, Dr. Ronald Kilgour, who tried

his treatment, you will then be able to answer this question yourself. '... Your obvious frustration is a feeling that I have experienced in circumstances not dissimilar to your own and ifthis communication will act by way of encouragement to you I feel that it has been justified.'

‘When I took up my post in the East Kimberleys I was told by my predecessors that I could expect a high mortality in the Aboriginal children - this was despite the availability of all modern medication and a hospital that had reasonable facilities." "My first reaction was disbelief and it was only after losing six young patients in three months that I realised the truth of this statement." "The pattern was fairly typical. I would see an Aboriginal child often as an outpatient, become mildly concerned and arrange admission. The following day the child was worse, but still sitting up in the cot.' 'Two days later, in spite of the appropriate antibiotic and all reasonable measure, deterioration occurred and, finally, despite intensive care, death occurred. Some delay resulted from the exhibition of steroids but the outcome was the same.' 'T remember well sitting with my Matron and some of the nursing staff in a state of depression discussing where we had failed and being totally unable to fault the treatment given. Although the children were not well fed, nutrition in some cases was adequate and vitamin intake was not sus-

pect.’ ‘When I read your original article in 1969 I was prepared to use Gorgonzola cheese intravenously if it would have any

effect and so I circulated your article, called a meeting of the nurses, teachers and others in contact with Aboriginal children.'

‘Bottles of vitamin C tablets were circulated and given at

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every opportunity. All inpatients below the age offive were given vitamin C 100 mg B.D. regardless of diagnosis and this was continued for a short period after discharge.’ "The result was remarkable and over the ensuing nine months there were no deaths that could not be satisfactorily explained. Two babies survived staphylococcal empyema and one child recovered quickly from meningococcal septicaemia.' "The nursing staff and maids were extremely impressed and became enthusiastic proponents of the treatments. When I left and my successor stopped vitamin C therapy the result was immediate return to the old mortality rate.' "Unfortunately, it has been impossible to convince any paediatrician in Western Australia that the high dosage vitamin C therapy was even worth investigating and nothing further was done. At the time it did occur to me to run a controlled trial, but ethically this would have been indefensible. I have no scientific proof of what happened, but I have certainly found that your experience can be repeated...' "IfIcould be of any assistance to you other than as a convinced supporter of your views, please let me know. In the meantime you have the satisfaction of knowing that a number of East Kimberley Aboriginal children are alive today because of your original research."

CLINICAL EVIDENCE I would like to think that you would accept this letter as reasonable clinical evidence, I would like to think that it would encourage some other physicians here this evening to try vitamin C. I would like to think that you will now ensure that your patients are exceeding present day recommendations of vitamin C, I would like to think you would start to test some of the foods that we assume contain certain amounts of vitamin C. For how long has medicine been founded upon assumption? We test for all sorts of other things, why not this all important vitamin? As I have shown, the effective dose that may make the difference between misery and good health, may vary between 100mg to 150g. I would like therefore to think that a physician was in the position

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where he could advise his patients about their daily requirements. No doubt with a knowledge of the literature, a little experience and by the use of the dip stick he could make an educated guess at this. I would like to think that non-excreters no longer existed, thus putting them beyond the veil of risk. 1 would like to think that our present day lack of knowledge concerning the vitamins, is related to the lack of laboratory tests that are available to the physician. It takes ages to get back results for vitamin B estimations. And who asks for any other type of vitamin estimations? Surely it is time we correlated some of our routine laboratory data with the state of the patients nutrition? The best we can do at this time is use clinical experience, and ask Dr. Kalokerinos if that is acceptable scientific evidence? We consider that this dip stick should be the forerunner of other routine aids to the physician that will eventually assist him with his daily problems. There is no wealth but health, and although I do not believe that vitamin C alone will ensure this, it is a start. Perhaps if we remember that it is easy to get too little and hard to get too much of this vitamin it may encourage us, just like Dr. Kilgour the Western Australia doctor who wrote to Dr. Kalokerinos to give it a trial before resorting to intravenous Gorgonzola cheese. In conclusion, and as this meeting has been engendered by the spirit of Linus Pauling, what should we do with him and his co-

workers who continue to proclaim his heresy. We believe the public should be aware of his beliefs. Ladies and gentlemen I am convinced that the face of medicine will change, must change, and whether it be within the next 5 years or 10 years, vitamins and orthomolecular medicine will be declared respectable components of conventional medicine. The question of heresy will then have been answered. Then, but only then will we all, not just a minority, pay homage.

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VITAMIN C - FACT OR FANCY Glen C. Dettman BASPR DF PA CBs. Pees. tes 1. F.M.TA.(HK), D.R.S.H.(Lond.) OAKLEIGH PATHOLOGY SERVICE

(Excerpt from Journal of Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists. Sept. 1973.) Paper presented by Invitation at International Nutritional Congress, Mexico City, 1972. I am aware of the controversial nature of the topic of our paper, we all know that the role of vitamin C is well documented. We only require 20 to 50 mg per day to prevent scurvy and maintain health [1] Once tissue is saturated, excess vitamin C is excreted in the urine and wasted [2], it is further reported that even if tissue is not completely saturated, we may continue to thrive [3], so why all this fuss about a subject that has been adequately covered? Such was my attitude two years ago before I became involved in the "Kalokerinos Probe" initiated by the Australian College of Biomedical Scientists. It is now my mammoth task in a short space of time to impart some of the data we have compiled over this period and hopefully raise a doubt or two about our acceptance of current attitudes. In the late 20's Fleming discovered penicillin, and it is amusing

to read in an early edition of Mackie and McCartney [4], that its use was limited to assisting in the isolation of certain micro organisms. It was not until the early 40's that the true potential of this antibiotic was realised, and of course developments are still taking place. Acupuncture could be cited as another example of wasted opportunity, think of the suffering that could have been prevented in the prison camps of World War 2, if we had known something about its application. Begrudgingly we now admit that our Asian friends might have something.

I hope to show that Kalokerinos has made a significant contribution toward medicine, not only by saving the lives of numerous

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underprivileged children, but by agitating for some research into the reasons for this. One of the text books I have been using recently [5] (Sebrell/ Harris), devotes 250 pages to the chemistry, physiology, pathology and methodology of vitamin C. There are 3,500 authors' references included, but little text is devoted to sub-clinical ascorbic acid deficiency, or as Dr. Priscilla Kincaid-Smith refers to it in a personal communication addressed to me, "Occult Scurvy" [6]. However Vilter states that there is undoubtedly a great deal of subclinical ascorbic acid deficiency in most of the civilised world today and that it is difficult to say at what stage of ascorbic acid tissue depletion the first deleterious effect occurs. Chemical processes within the cells are probably impaired long before symptoms or physical manifestations occur [7]. Now that is worth bearing in mind, for that is important, not only to the substance of this paper, but for future assessment. Is it not time we supplemented our clinical knowledge concerning the symptoms, if any, and the disease patterns that nonexcreters and thus possible sub scorbutics may exhibit? Our initial laboratory investigations conducted at Collarenebri were of a general nature, with an emphasis upon the vitamin C levels of the children. Because of technical difficulties, these estimations were limited to the urine, our results indicated that a

very high percentage of the children and adults excreted very little, or no vitamin C. This work has been published [8], and as a result of it, a research team from the Commonwealth Health Department

organised by Dr. Hipsley and Dr. Silvia Nobile, spent some time at Collarenebri using more comprehensive methods to investigate our findings. Not surprisingly, this team discovered that there was a general vitamin deficiency, including that of vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is found in greatest concentration in tissue of high metabolic activity. It is highest in the retina and occurs in decreasing concentration in other tissues [9]. In man, ascorbic acid appears in the urine when the concentration in the plasma reaches approximately 1 mg.100 ml. [10], making the measurement of urinary

ascorbic acid a useful screening test, obligating the investigator if he finds an individual is not excreting ascorbic acid. No physician would ignore the positive result of say a screening test for glucose, upon the grounds that there was no clinical evidence of diabetes

2o1

and anyway the reduction was found to be associated with low renal threshold or some other reducing agent. The logical thing to do is pursue the evidence ... and that is where our involvement with non excreters begins. The reticulo-endothelial system is involved with vitamin C [11] and amongst other things is responsible for antibody production and phagocytic actions [12,13,14]. During my military service days of World War 2, I, like many

other victims, was subjected to a mass immunization campaign that could only be described these days as criminal. Recruits were marched through a tent with an earth floor and attacked by medical orderlies who had little knowledge of asepsis and. even less of immunity. One needle was used to inoculate hundreds of troops, 64 sterilization" was achieved by showing the needle to a feeble flame provided by a spirit lamp. Nobody was invited to comment upon their state of health, and certainly in those days, and regrettably now, nobody tested the urine to ensure that ascorbic acid was being excreted. I remember only too well the results of this mass immunization campaign ... three recruits died, camp hospitals were full, and most of us, to say the least, were very ill. Is it not

reasonable to assume that some of this illness was caused by the unusual challenge accepted by our reticuloendothelial system, resulting in overstimulation and inability to cope with infection, the whole thing being aggravated by low levels of vitamin C? When an antigen is administered the body must be expected to react, and there are numerous physical conditions in which immunization is contra-indicated [15]. As yet ascorbic acid deficiency has not been considered as a criteria for contra-indication, but shouldn't it? Kalokerinos rightfully observes that some aboriginal children died after they had triple antigen administered. We suspect these children were either frankly scorbutic or sub-scorbutic. Unfortunately nobody attempted to estimate the laboratory scorbutic status of the recipients, so just as we are unable to tell you that x number of recruits failed to excrete ascorbic acid before their immunization programme in 1941, and therefore may have been at greater risk, so we are unable to inform you of the results of any screening tests attempted upon these Aboriginal children in 1972 ... progress? Numerous parents at Collarenebri volunteered information to

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me concerning the treatment of Kalokerinos that had so dramatically cured their children. European as well as Aboriginal children were involved. This treatment included the parenteral use of ascorbic acid and antibiotics, which according to these parents

converted their febrile screaming children into contented afebrile children. As not all these patients had clinical scurvy, then surely the treatment worked equally well in sub scorbutic conditions? Must we wait and see the grim clinical picture of scurvy before we consider vitamin C deficiency? For too long we have assumed that all we need do, each and every one of us, is to consume 50 mg of

ascorbic acid per day and nature will do the rest. Of course we have routine screening tests for protein, glucose and a host of other constituents, but we do not consider it worth a routine cheek to ensure that our ascorbic acid has been absorbed. It is something

like taking money to the bank via a hazardous journey, a hold-up may occur upon the way, but some of it may be banked. But what if our credit is not good in time of crisis? Have we enough for a withdrawal? It is so simple to get a "bank statement for if we are excreting ascorbic acid, then we are, in 'credit". Kalokerinos

realised this journey was a hazardous one and bypassed it, substituting parenteral injections resulting in instant tissue absorption thus ensuring supplement for all systems. Our initial investigations at Collarenebri showed without exception that his charges were multiply infested, chronically infected and mildly anaemic, and despite oral ascorbic acid generally scorbutic. Children at risk? Certainly ... but just how thin or thick is this line of demarcation? I have already mentioned how Vilter states that this is difficult to say. How quickly can we utilize our reserves, how much of that 50 mg. really gets to the "bank"? Numerous things may have first claim upon your oral dose including: Parasitic infestation [16], achlorhydria [17,18], chronic or acute infection [19,20,21], trace

elements of chemicals like copper that are present in our food and water supplies which act as catalysing oxidisers [22], (copper water piping is now compulsory in our state), some antibiotics, smoking [23,24], or a combination of any or all of these things may ensure that very little of your 50 mg of ascorbic acid is absorbed. Could

Pauling be right when he states that there is a vast variable individual requirement [25]? It was with these thoughts in mind that we decided to make some spot tests upon a cross section of the

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community. We commenced by testing the specimens we collect ourselves in the laboratory. Over the past year we have examined three hundred specimens of urine. A total of 39 or 13 per cent failed to show any ascorbic acid, many other showed 1 or less than 1 mg/ 100 ml, but in order to keep our figures meaningful we have only concemed ourselves with 'non excreters". Some co-operative physicians who have treated non-excreters have commented upon the improved mental attitude of the patient. If we consider this extract from the journal of Clinical Nutrition [26] as an authentic description of a scorbutic, then maybe the improvement is explained? 'Scorbutico is widely used in a figurative sense to describe an irritable, neurotic, even discontented, unsociable, whining cranky person" ... Inow envisage great interest in a screening test upon some of our loved ones, there is of course potential danger here as the sub clinical scorbutic may be asymptomatic. Friends of the staff participated in our screening programme ... these were to represent the norms. of our community, people without any reason to visit their physician. A total of 50 were tested and 10 proved to be non excreters. Each of these non excreters were given 250 mg of ascorbic acid daily until excretion commenced. Five excreted variable amounts the following day, four after two

days and the final person five days. It is unwise to ask his wife, a trained nurse, if he took his tablets.

About ten years ago | assisted in an honorary capacity part time at our Children's Cottages in Victoria. Part of our work involved P.K.U. investigations. Recently the paediatrician willingly agreed to us testing some of his patient's urine for vitamin C content. Initially 21 specimens were tested, of which 16 failed to show any ascorbic acid. A further investigation followed involving the

use of 12 patients who were tested prior to, and after controlled amounts of ascorbic acid were given. Pre-treatment test indicated four non excreters, all patients were given orange juice daily and re-tested at the end of a week, at which time there were still four non excreters. Finally, all patients were given 100 mg of ascorbic acid daily for two weeks. We have just assessed the results and one of these children is still a non excreter. Table 1 shows that there were no high excretions. Was this supplement being utilised by depleted tissues or had these diseased bodies found some other use

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for the vitamin? More likely it was partly claimed before it made the 'bank", but this we hope to investigate. In our original survey for P.K.U. conducted at the Cottages in 1960, 11 cases were found and I find it interesting to reflect upon part of the report of the

paediatrician at that time: "Nine of these children who were admitted had previously been overlooked by a failure to carry out a screening test either by hospitals, paediatrician, or other doctors'. Of course, at that time there was no simple screening test and P.K.U. was such a rare disease, so why worry? We now know better.

RESULT OF URINARY ASCORBIC ACID TESTS CHILDREN'S COTTAGES, KEW Patients Identification 6/72

12/6/72 2gie/72 Ascorbic acid in mg/100mI:

Orange Juice 28mg/100ml (12/6/72)

We should not have to be reminded that scurvy may cause mental impairment [28,29], and if we ensure our patients are excreting, this could be considered as one definite prophylactic advantage, for is not clinical scurvy more common than P.K.U.? In a letter published in the Medical Journal of Australia [30], Kalok-

erinos suggested some cot deaths might be due to acute ascorbic 261

acid deficiency. Two babies I was fortunate enough to obtain specimens from were both non excreters. One was teething and irritable, the other suffered from a multitude of clinical symptoms. Both were given oral supplement and slowly improved, but Kalokerinos believes this response would have been quicker if the ascorbic acid were given parenterally. In this card indexed and computerised age, useful information would certainly be forthcoming if non excreters were noted and observed. Part of our survey included some patients from a Women's Hospital in Victoria. I am grateful to their department for performing the tests and supplying me with their figures. Over a two week period, 52 patients were examined for urinary vitamin C, of which 19 failed to excrete. Recently a T.V. programme featured the role of the computer at this very worthy hospital. All patient informaformation is contingent upon adequate supplies of vitamin C, and the players could be included under the physical and mental stress risk, then the measurement of their excretion appears worth while. Despite massive dosing spread over the day, many of the players appear to utilise their dosage. Sucking that orange at half time suddenly makes sense. Little is known about the tolerance of ascorbic acid after such encounters, but theoretically, if the scien-

tists we are accepting our cues from are correct, this football team should show an improvement in the absence of injury and disease of all sorts. Neither the club doctor nor myself can be sure that vitamin C has been responsible for the following press reports, but they reflect in our favour. Bench work we have done indicates that high urinary ascorbic acid concentration inhibits the growth of bacteria, and the enhancement of phagocytosis is already documented. In writing to me Kincaid-Smith concluded by saying "it would be of great interest if ascorbic acid proved to be a useful substitute for such things as mandelic and hippuric acid". Finally I wish to draw attention to a report recently released by Professor Wilson of Monash University [37]. He lists 2,500 excess deaths of children under the age of one in Melbourne's inner suburbs, many theories are advanced, but regrettably nutritional status is not mentioned. Perhaps it is appropriate to quote Sir Robert McCarrison who in 1920 said, "If the doctors of today do not

become the nutritionists of tomorrow, then the nutritionists of today will become the doctors of tomorrow".

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CONCLUSION I have within the limits of my time hopefully fulfilled our obligations in presenting not only facts about vitamin C deficiency in infancy, but in a more general sense in the community. Time does not permit a recapitulation, but why procrastinate over the academic probabilities of a programme which involves no risk and ensures that non excreters are pushed beyond a veil of uncertainty? We consider that there is a need for research into ascorbic acid deficiency, some of the reasons have been explained. We further suggest a simple manner whereby this research may start ... with an office dip stick. Then should you find that some of your asymptomatic or psychosomatic patients are non excreters, wouldn't you want to know why? Much effort and small fortune was expended in Australia over the past few years in promoting a "flu-vaccine" that has suddenly been declared "useless". Our suggestions involve no such patient or financial risk.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people have assisted with this work and it is impossible to name them all, but I have special reasons for mentioning the

following:Dr. Archie Kalokerinos of Collarenebri, N.S.W., whose work so

inspired me. Lady Cilento of Brisbane, Queensland. Professor G. M. Kellerman, Monash University, Victoria, who kindly read the proofs of this paper and assisted with its construction. Dr. David Pitt and Dr. Poppins of Children's Cottages, Victoria. Dr. Milne and Mr. E. Wilson, of Heatherton Sanatorium, Victoria.

Dr. Priscilla Kincaid-Smith of Renal Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria; University of Melbourne. Dr. Silvia Nobile, Vitamin Laboratories, N.S.W. Dr. W. Bruce Stafford, who is my chief, and my staff in Victoria,

particularly Sister Farrow, Mrs. Holmes, R. Singam, Ian Dettman and B. Dale. Mr. Allan H. Collinson, Director, Bio-Diagnostic Service Pty. Ltd.

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Dr. Zimmerman, Club Physician, Essendon Football Club, Victoria.

Mr. Des Tuddenham, playing captain and coach, Essendon Football Club, Victoria.

The numerous General Practitioners. Sigma (Pharmaceuticals) Pty. Ltd., who so generously supported me by providing 'Scorbies" for use in the footballers'trials.

Roche Products (Sydney), N.S.W. who also contributed a supply of vitamin C.

Finally, the Fellows of the Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists.

REFERENCES 1. Stamm W.P., Macrae T.P. and Yudkin S., Brit. Med. J. 11, 239 1944.

2. Lowry O.H., Bessey O.A. and Burch H.B., Pros. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 80, 361 1952. 3. Krebs HA., Peters R.A., Coward ILH., Mapson L.W., Parsons L.G., Platt B.S., Spence J.C. and O'Brien J.R., Lancet 1, 835, 1948. 4. Mackie and McCartney, Sth Ed., 439 1938. 5. The Vitamins, Sebrell/Harris, V.1., 2nd Ed. 1967. 6. Dr. Priscilla Kincaid-Smith, Personal Communication, Melbourne. 7. Vilter R.W., Sebrell/Harris, V. 1., 2nd Ed., 461, 1967. 8. Dettman G.C., "Transactions', 6, 1970- 1. 9. Yavorsky M., Alamaden P. and King C.J., J. Biol. Chem. 106,525,1934. 10. Bell, Davidson, Scarborough. 7th Ed. 249, 1968. 11. Wiggers, Physiology in Health and Disease, 4th Ed., 881, 1946.

12. "Drug Topics" (American Soc. Biol. Chemists). July 19, 1971. 13. Pauling L., Vitamin C and the Common Cold, 37, 1970. 14. Reid M.E., Vitamins (N.Y.) 1, 388,1954. 15. Hartun IL, The Yellow Book. Vol. VII, 29,1971. 16. Harrison, Clinical Methods in Clinical Medicine. 4th Ed., PA iLE Mi.

17. Personal Communication. Phyllis D. Cilento. Queens-

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land. 18. Vilter R.W., The Vitamins, Sebrell/Harris, VI, 2nd Ed., 503, 1967. 19. Reid M.E., Vitamins (N.Y.) 1, 269,1954. 20. Ecker E.E., Pillemer L., Wertheimer D. and Gradis H., J. Immunol, 34, 19, 1937. 21. Ecker E.E., Pillemer L., Griffiths J.J. and Schwartz W.P., J. Am. Med. Assoc. 112,1449,1939.

22. Butt V.S., and Hallaway M., Arch. Biochem. Biophysics 92,24,1961. 23. Dudani A.T., Krishnamurti C.R., Biochem. Biophysics. Acta, 13, 505, 1954. 24. Schelegel, Pipkin, Nishimilra and Schults. J. Urology 103,144,1970. 25. Pauling L., Vitamin C and the Common Cold, 26,1970. 26. American J. Clin. Nutrition 1300 24 Nov. 1971. 27. Pitt D.B., Children's Cottages, Kew, Victoria, 1960.

28. Wiggers. Physiology in Health and Disease, 4th Ed., 958, 1946. 29. McFarlane J., "This is an Australian", Queensland Health

Dept., 1972. 30. Kalokerinos A., Med. J. Australia. 292 August 8, 1970. 31. Czina G., Beitr. 1Cin. Tuberk. 119, 407, 1949. 32. Caulkner J.M. and Taylor P.H., Ann. Internal Med. 10,

1867,1937. 33. Abbasy M.&, Harris L.J. and Ellman P., Lancet 11, 181,

1937.

34. Greenwood J., Optimum Vitamin C Intake as a Factor in the Preservation of Disc Integrity, Med. Annals of the District of Columbia. 33, 274, 1964. 35. Lund G.C., Levenson S.M., Green R.W., Paige R.W., Robinson P.E., Adams M.X, McDonald A.H., Taylor P.H.L. and Johnson ILE., Arch. Surg. 55, 557, 1947. 36. Lund G.C., and Crandon J.H., J. Am. Med. Assoc. 116,

663,1941. 37. Wilson M.O., Monash University, Victoria. (Yet to be pub-

lished, Australian Paediatric Journal).

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IMMUMSATION, ASCORBATE AND DEATH By Glen C. Dettman, B.A., PhD., F.A.C.B.S., F.R.MLS., F.LS.T., F.M.T.A.(H.K.), F.R.S.H (Lond.) F.1.A.P.M.

(Excerpt from Australasian Nurses Journal, December, 1977)

INTRODUCTION: Dettman, G.C. Orthmolecular Medisearch, Mentone, Australia.

At first glance there may not appear to be any correlation between the words used to introduce this paper. During the past six years we have been able, to establish the role of Ascorbate in general medicine. There is growing evidence that 50 mg of Ascorbate per day is merely sufficient to prevent clinical scurvy. Our investigations show that there is a marked variable individual requirement and this may differ from day to day. Certain stress conditions immunological challenges, for example, routine immunisations, together with smoker and takers of the oral contraceptive pill are indications for extra supplement. This paper will discuss briefly some previously neglected areas ... Paper presented at Xth International Congress Nutrition, Kyoto, Japan, 1975. In the Journal of the Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists, July 6, 1973, Professor Linus Pauling concluded his foreword

to a number of articles related to Ascorbate, by stating "All physicians should consider this evidence, make the proper use of vitamin C in restoring the health of their patients and in preventing disease". [1] Professor Pauling was referring in particular to the clinical accomplishments of Dr. Kalokerinos, note again, carefully, the choice of words in Pauling's concluding sentence "Restoring the health of their patients and in preventing disease". Dr. Kalokerinos has shown this to be possible by an intelligent

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application of oral and parenterally administered vitamin C, yet how many other physicians have heeded and acted upon Pauling's advice? Requested by Dr. Chavez to present papers [2,3] at the 9th International Nutritional Congress in Mexico 1972, we journeyed confidently to that country to present our findings, alas, to an elaborate, vast but almost empty auditorium. The vitamin C story is just too simple and as its exact mode of operation is not fully understood most physicians prefer to ignore the results obtained by Klenner, Belfield, Hoffer, Kalokerinos et al.

Time will prevent us from discussing our thesis and the results of our six years of research in the available time, we must concentrate upon two important areas. The first area 'Restoring the health of the patients" has been adequately described by Dr. Kalokerinos, the second, "And in preventing disease" leads us into the sancturium of immunisation. We have shown that triple antigen injections given to scorbutic children can result in massive immunological insults which may cause death. [4] Obliged to investigate this phenomena we were surprised to find that the whole subject of herd immunisation is controversial and not nearly so well authenticated and effective as we would have our recipients believe. The more we research this area, the more we realise that there

is an urgent and honest need for a total enquiry. For example, in a recent personal communication received from Dr. L. Pomeroy, editor of the Journal of the International Academy of Preventive Medicine, it is pointed out how few physicians realise the decline in TB occurred before the discovery of isoniazid and other anti-

tubercular drugs [5]. The incidence has been steadily declining over a period of more than a hundred years and is usually attributed to a mysterious improvement in Western diet [6]. Further it is not known that there is an acceptable and alternative to the Pasteurian theory and that this is taught in at least one University [7]. It may surprise many to learn that it is alleged that Pasteur plagiarised his thesis from a brilliant 19th century medical scientist, Professor P.J.A. Bechamp. Not only did he plagiarise, but he gravely distorted the misunderstood material so that it could be

understood by himself and the establishment of the day, thus it is

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alleged. Bechamp's microzymian thesis shows an uncanny understanding of 20th century biology, insomuch that he described enzymes and prognosticated the discovery of RNA and DNA. It is the light of such knowledge that his thesis is being reconsidered by academics of this day [8,9] and that we doubt the efficacy of routine immunisations. Dr. F. Klenner of North Carolina, U.S.A, in his paper "Significance of high daily intake of ascorbic acid in preventive medicine" [10] gives an apt description of cot death, stating that it is due to a deficiency of Ascorbate. Quite independently, as Klenner was unknown to us at the time, Kalokerinos made these statements in

the Medical Journal of Australia 'I have no doubt that so called cot deaths are in fact acute vitamin C deficiencies and these can occur even if the diet is adequate." "And their response to vaccines against these infections is not always good"... "Thus an infant may die, a few days or weeks after being vaccinated" [11]. "Subsequent work that we have been doing and subsequent events support these statements. We have shown that there may be an absence of Ascorbate in breast milk (Table 1) [12] prepared infant food, and under certain conditions, in infant formula milk

[13]. We have further shown that an infant who is not excreting Ascorbate may be at risk and more probably so at the age of three months when it is recommended that he has his first triple antigen injection, the first supreme challenge to his immunological system. Publications in the Medical Journal of Australia over a period of a few years show that many children died mysteriously (cot deaths)

after an elapse of time significantly related to the immunisations [14,15,16,17,18]. On March 13, 1975, I submitted these findings to

the editor of the journal which over this period of time had published these records but as yet they have not been published. We can only assume that this is because we have enunciated the dangers of immunisations but the facts are published and undeniable - It is our intention to advise physicians and all who deal with preventive medicine to ensure that children and adults are excreting Ascorbate before, during and after the immunising process. The Briggs of Australia have shown that women on the contra-

ceptive pill and smokers have an increased utilisation of Ascorbate

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as well as an alarming effect upon other vitamins [19]. A search of the literature will show even the most sceptic that 10 to 50 mg of Ascorbate per this day and age is insufficient either to maintain health or prevent disease. Thus adults too are at risk from immunisation procedure and as the public becomes more aware of these hazards the possibility of litigation must increase. To those who consider there is no such risk, we would urge two things (i) ensure your liability insurance policy is up to date and (ii) make a search of the literature and find out the facts for yourself. It is now seriously suggested that the slow virus may be the cause of a number of degenerative diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, leukaemia, diabetes and multiple sclerosis [20]. It is further possible that some of the attenuated strains of vaccines that we advocate may be implicated with these diseases. Of polio immunisation which we are misinformed about 10enner has stated "Many here voice a silent view that the Salk and Sabin vaccine

being made on monkey kidney tissue has been directly responsible for the major increase of leukaemia in this country." [21] If the profession reflects upon the massive compensation paid to the victims of thalidomide it must surely at least motivate them to ensure that the recipients immunological system is enhanced by sufficiency and not paralysed by an insufficiency of Ascorbate. Urinary ascorbic acid may now be readily assessed and monitored by the use of the dip stick made by Miles Laboratories (C-Stix). Those tested and showing nil, should be considered at risk and supplemented with Ascorbate until urinary spillover occurs. Immunological accidents may no longer be excused, cot deaths may be prevented and law suits will be avoided when the profession corrects and controls the genetic disease described by Irwin Stone,

hypoascorbemia [22]. In conclusion this would seem an appropriate time to reiterate the advice of Professor Linus Pauling, "All physicians should consider this evidence, make the proper use of vitamin C in restoring the health of their patients and in preventing disease."

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BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Pauling, L., 1973, J.A.C.B.S. (31) Kalokerinos, A., 1973, J.A.C.B.S. (40) Dettman, G.C., 1973, J.A.C.B.S. (44) Dettman, G.C., 1973, Med. J. Aust., April 7th (712) Annals of Medicine, 1974. 6. Pomeroy, L.R., 1975, Personal communication, May 7. 7. Sandine, W., 1971, Oregon State University, Personal communication, October 22. 8. Sandine, W., 1974, Oregon State University, Personal communication, April 16. 9. Bayev, A.A., 1974, Inst. Molecular Biology, USSR, Personal Comm. July 2. 10. Klenner, F., 1974, J.I.A.P.M. Vol. 1, No. 1 (45). 11. Kalokerinos, A., 1971, Med. J. Aust, August 21. 12. Dettman, G.C., 1973, Med. J. Aust., August 18 (344). 13. Dettman, G.C., 1974, Med. J. Aust., August 17 (266). 14. Lachs, M.S., 1974, Personal communication, June 18. 16. Thomas, N.A., 1974, Med. J. Aust., Sept. 7. 17. Beal, S., 1973, Med. J. Aust., June 9. 18 Marshall, A., 1973, Med. J. Aust., May 17. 19. Briggs, M. & M., 1975, Med. J. Aust., March 22, (401). 20. The Age, 1974, Frontiers of Science, July 29. 21. Iiaenner, F.R., 1974, Personal communication, December 2.

22. Stone, I., 1972, The Healing Factor, Vitamin C Against Disease, Grosset and Dunlap (N.Y.).

GERM PHOBIA AND IGNORANCE Letter from Dr. A. Kalokerinos and Dr. Glen Dettman (Excerpt from Australasian Nurses Journal, December 1977).

Ever since Louis Pasteur announced his germ theory of disease, scientists have striven to associate particular viruses and bacteria with specific types of disease.

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Consequently, the manual of determinative microbiology (Bergey) grows alarmingly as more and more species are "discovered". For example, over 2,000 serotypes of salmonella have been described. The Journal of the Royal Society of Health (Vol.96, No. 1, 1976) states that the real incidence of salmonella isolates are at least 20 to 100 times than the records indicate. The same journal also describes how volunteers took various doses of organisms and that it required quite a large intake to produce clinical symptoms of disease. In other words, most showed symptomless excretion of the 'pathogen'. Yet a further article (same journal) shows that 70.3 per cent of wild birds autopsied had died with salmonella isolates. In view of the recent publicity concerning salmonella isolates from dried milk and Ann Westmore's report of tainted cocoa food, (Sun, Melbourne, October 5), shouldn't the health department

insist upon health certificates. from all the migratory birds, which "carry" so many exotic diseases? Such a suggestion is of course ridiculous, but as micro organisms

are ubiquitous and present day medical science does not satisfactorily explain their origin, is it not time that we looked at the brilliant thesis of a 19th century medical genius which explains more thoroughly the aetiology of disease? This medical professor, P.J.A. Bechamp, demonstrated to scholars of his time just what 20th century molecular biology was about. He showed that viruses and bacteria were coded within us and reproduced by what he called microzymian evolution of what we might call, enzyme transformation. He further showed that most disease was therefore endogenous, but he also stated the requirements that led to erogenous disease. Before you scoff at the microzymian theory, first study Bechamp's prolific works, then only belated praise can result, for you, like us, who have attempted to study his works will learn that the basic anatomical element, the beginning and end of all organised matter is the ferment which Bechamp described so vividly, the microzyma. To those who would like to learn more of this concept our joint paper has just been published by the International Academy of Preventive Medicine, Vol. IV, No. 1, July 1977.

We submit that gaps in our knowledge may be rapidly filled

pay

simply by understanding what causes viruses and bacteria rather than what viruses and bacteria cause. (The International Academy of Preventive Medicine have authorised the publication of the Kalokerinos-Dettman paper. It has been reproduced as a booklet by the Biological Research Institute, copies may be obtained by writing to this Institute, P.O. Box 117, Warburton, Victoria, 3799. Please

ask for: "Second thoughts about disease, A controversy and Bechamp Revisited (Offer still valid, 1991).

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DR STEPHEN MARSHALL - GOD'S SERVANT FACING THE FACTS, A PAPUA NEW GUINEA EXPERIENCE (Part One of Two) (Excerpt from Toorak Times, Folio 693, 28th September, 1988) This is a story about a humble servant of the Lord ... a dental surgeon and theologian who observed what happened to his charges after routine vaccinations, and the amazing clinical responses which occurred after administration of vitamin C. In other words he was not an armchair critic like so many who have castigated him for his courage, but an on the spot active participant able to observe exactly what happened after "lifesaving' shots were given in all sincerity to these third world children. Just prior to the publication of Dr. Marshall's beautiful personal story (Credits to Dr. Roy Kupsinel, M.D. for permission to copy this from 'Health Consciousness" August 1987), Dr. Marshall had the following letter published in "The Age" (2.6.87) Instead of asking him to elaborate upon his experiences he was "put down" by one of the arm chair critics who published the usual orthodox medical nonsense in support of vaccines. To him we say, it's not too late to question this dogma that medical students minds are polluted with, yes the dogma of artificial stimulation of the immune system which they in their lack of knowledge call "immunisation". Here is Stephen's thoughtful letter.

IMMUNIZATIONS

MAY HAVE REPERCUSSIONS

From S. Marshall

Credit: The Age 2.6.87

I was pleased to read the letter by G. Harrison (27/5), raising

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serious doubts about childhood immunisation. I think that our health authorities are not concerned enough about the long term repercussions of mass immunisation on the fragile status of our immune systems. In 1984, America's prestigious New England Medical Journal" published a letter from the Institute of Immunology in Vietnam. It reported that the T4/T8 Helper cell ratio in the blood of healthy people immunised with tetanus vaccine, fell temporarily and mimicked the T4/T8 ratios of diagnosed AIDS patients. This finding seemed harmless enough until recently. The 'New England Medical Journal" has just published a report that a smallpox vaccination could have provoked a case of dormant HIV into "full blown" AIDS. The ‘provocation effect" of mass vaccination campaigns against smallpox and other diseases in Africa, is being seriously considered as a cause of Africa's vast numbers of AIDS victims. As aresult, a leading AIDS researcher, Professor Peter Piot of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp is now in Zaire to see the possible effects of measles, polio and tetanus vaccines on children who have HIV but who are without the symptoms of AIDS ("The Times', London).

Dissenting against so much terrible immunological expediency, there is the American Professor Robert Mendelsohn, Department of Preventative Medicine, Illinois University, who is also the chairman of the Medical Licensing Board in Illinois. He strongly advises against mass immunisation.

I would like to conclude with a recent comment from another dissenter, Dr. Archie Kalokerinos who has been outstanding in reducing infant mortality among Aborigines in NSW. 'For nearly 20 years I have said that the only indication of success for an immunisation campaign is an overall drop in infant mortality - not Just a drop in the incidence of one disease." STEPHEN MARSHALL Essendon

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OUR COMMENT Why didn't the Age approach Dr. Marshall for his story? Why is it that the media in general are afraid to question medicines "Sacred Cow'? Once this is done the flood gates will open and explanations will be forthcoming showing quite definitely that in continuing with this 19th century vandalism that we have inflicted a whole new series of medical problems and exacerbated some of the existing problems. The classic examples (A) cot deaths, (B) asthma. (We will provide you with the alarming facts about this in a future edition).

STEVE'S STORY. GETTING INVOLVED WITH GOD'S WORK Greetings from Melbourne, Australia. It was as I was leaving Papua New Guinea six months ago that I learnt from Dr. Glen Dettman that Roy Kupsinel, M.D., was interested in my experiences over the last two years there. I'm embarrassed that I have not written sooner, but as it has

turned out, it has taken some time for my experience in PNG to become clear, even to me.

Before going on, it is probably best to explain how I came to be in PNG. It goes back to when I was an under-graduate dentist at Queensland State University in Brisbane, Australia. It was in 1975, my final year in dental School, that I decided that

I would like to do some overseas aid work as a dentist for about two years after I had graduated. In the year or so that followed, things didn't go according to plan. I was working in private practice, and enjoying dentistry and the life in Brisbane very much. In ways I felt quite ready to do some overseas work In a government or church agency, but by this time I felt very strongly a call to become a missionary in a Catholic religious order. I was struggling with the realization that if I followed through with the training involved, it would end up with a commitment for life. Well, ten years later, that is how it seems to be working out.

BAD

In early 1988 I will take my life-long vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as a full member of my order the Divine Work Missionaries. That is why I could have been seen over Christmas time 1985, “enjoying” my working holiday along the back reaches of the Sepik River of PNG. Most of the two years that I spent in PNG were in the highland up behind the Sepik River, at 6,000 feet. This was in the famous tribal fighting district called Enga Province. I was up there in the Enga as a brother in temporary vows, learning the life of a religious and the work of a dentist in a foreign country.

During my missionary training in Australia, I had already acquired a degree in theology, and I was also there to see just how I might use that knowledge. It proved useful when I was invited into some local government and church groups that were concerned with health, development, justice and peace in the life of the people of Enga.

ONE DENTIST FOR UP TO 180,000 PEOPLE At first, my time was spent learning Pidgin English and the local language of Enga and getting to know the area and the people. There were three other students from my order in Enga when I arrived there, a fellow Australian from Perth, an Irishman, and an American from Chicago. (Our order of five thousand brothers and priests has about three hundred men in PNG who come from twenty-two countries around the world). While they began getting to know more about their pastoral duties, I started to get organized as a dentist. For my first year there, I was the only dentist for the 150-180,000 people in the province. With the help of missionaries from the Catholic and Lutheran missions, I was soon working in one of the old dental offices set up by the government and the Lutherans in the past. Later, at the beginning of my second year, the government recruited another dentist for the province, an. Englishman, and his

arrival freed me to work in another dental base at the mouth of the

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Ambum Rivers, parts of which had not seen a dental patrol for ten years.

KEEPING HEPATITIS AND OTHER DISEASES AT BAY WITH VITAMIN C In the Enga, several of the big tribes had been at war for some time, with thousands of men being involved. Apart from the damage to the fighters themselves, the normal life in the province had ground to a halt and medical and other government services in some areas were now greatly reduced. Eventually a very serious epidemic of Typhoid Fever broke out in the worst areas of the fighting and spread to other areas with those fleeing the conflict. By that time I had established my new dental base in the Ambum Valley at a mission health centre called Yampu. For about two weeks the religious nursing sister in charge of the health centre had been treating what we thought were increasing numbers of patients with resistant malaria. These people were being accommodated in the same ward where I had been treating dental patients. It was quite a shock to find out that my dental patients and staff had been in such close contact and sharing facilities with the Typhoid patients. What probably prevented the spread of the disease to any of my patients were the precautions that I had taken against Serum B Hepatitis which is endemic to PNG. After I arrived at the health centre, I had been encouraging the sisters there to use more vitamin C, especially in treating children with pneumonia and meningitis. It was a common occurrence to see children readmitted with pneumonia or meningitis a short time after they had been given the second or third vaccine against polio., some of these admissions went on to contract measles in the ward, occasionally one who had apparently received a measles vaccination appeared to develop measles type symptoms. After reading extracts from Dr. Archie Kalokerinos' book 'Every Second Child' and from Irwin Stone's "The Healing Factor", they were even giving shots of Sodium Ascorbate in conjunction with the

217

routine treatments. They were indeed encouraged by the results, and it was at this stage that the Provincial Health Director approached the sisters to set up a trial to test the vitamin C spillover in the urine of infants that had been admitted to the health centre with pneumonia. This doctor with experience in Africa and Vietnam, was another who was swayed by "Every Second Child'. However, at this difficult time of the fighting there was no money and a shortage of trained staff, and so unfortunately the offer of the trial was not taken up.

END Don't Learn other

OF PART ONE miss part two which will appear in the following edition. about Dr. Marshall's new posting and the enthusiasm of observer doctors who wanted to run some trials. We will also tell you whether Steve took his final vows.

DR. STEPHEN MARSHALL GOD'S SERVANT Part 2 Dr. Roy Kupsinel M.D. (Florida, U.SA) (Excerpt from Toorak Times, Folio 694, 12th October, 1988)

Last edition, you would have read the introduction to the Marshall story, we related how we were indebted to Dr. Kupsinel for permission to print this article. It gives us much pleasure in reprinting 'Kup's Komment" which preceded the text supplied by Dr. Marshall.

KUP'S KOMMENT: HC Advisory Board member Glen Dettman, Ph.D, put me in touch with Steve by first sending me a newspaper clipping about him in PNG. I wondered what that meant and you might too, at first it stands for Papua New Guinea. Subsequently, Steve returned to Australia and we spoke by telephone a few months ago.

Bi

Sin,

Once again I encouraged him to write me a story of his missionary experiences in New Guinea. In his letter accompanying this article, Steve writes, "I appreciate your interest in me and my work, and it was a valuable exercise for me to put the story together from a new angle, especially now that I'm only a few short months away from my final commitment to my order."

I am sure you will find his story exciting, moving and consciousness raising. God bless you, Stephen Marshall, a servant to the Master

Healer. And now, to continue with Stephen Marshall's story!

INJECTIONS OF VITAMIN C SAVED TYPHOID PATIENTS The treatment for the Typhoid patients at one stage, was being supplemented by 5000 mg of Sodium Ascorbate each day for three days. Their recovery was rapid, and during that period of a month and half we did not lose any patients to Typhoid. Later the administration of vitamin C by injection ceased at the health centre. This was because of a combination of things. There were difficulties in giving so much vitamin C by the IM route; the nursing staff were overtaxed and fearful because of the

fighting and the sister in charge was very concerned by this stage that the national health department might take disciplinary action if it again discovered that the health centre was using un-approved treatments. (Earlier in the year the surveillance of this national body was felt when it criticized the health centre for reverting back to the previously prescribed leprosy treatment after being disappointed by the newly introduced one.) It was not a happy decision, and in the months that followed several Typhoid patients died, some I believe, could have been helped.

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