To: Susan Okie at
okies@washpost.com
Staff Writer, The Washington Post
From Carlos Xxxxx at xxxx@tampabay.rr.com
Dear Susan,
Thank you for your article today about the AMA accepting money from the pharmaceutical companies to be used in an AMA program to educate doctors about ethical guidelines against accepting gifts from drug companies. I read it in today's Tampa Tribune, starting on the front page.
I have a friend in St Petersburg Florida who has worked in two different doctor's offices --- doctors in private practice in St Pete. This friend told me that she and all the doctors' staff NEVER had to buy lunch. She said that EVERYDAY a different pharmaceutical representative (sales person) would take the WHOLE office staff out to lunch at a fancy eating place. Both offices, same thing.
We are talking ten or more people on the staff in each office. Can you imagine what this is costing the pharmaceutical companies?
Probably this practice has just grown worse and worse each year. And probably the pharm reps would explain --- "I have to keep up with the competition" --- "medicine in the USA is a business" ---"business is business."
I want to mention to you, Susan, another unfortunate business practice of the AMA and perhaps some of its physician members. This practice was designed to influence the public and the FDA. The AMA tried to suppress valid and valuable medical information in the USA and influence public opinion for the benefit of their AMA membership.
This "business behavior" was designed to hinder non-AMA physicians. But it was also harmful to the public health by depriving the public of valid and effective treatment methods that were then and are today arguably superior to what some of the pharmaceutical companies have been selling and what some AMA physicians have been prescribing.
Perhaps the quickest way for me to do this is to simply share with you an email conversation that just took place this week between an enquirer and Dr Saul Pressman of British Columbia, Canada.
Saul Pressman is an author and manufacturer in the field of ozone therapy --- a therapy in wide use for at least fifty-two years in the USA and currently used around the world. Pressman has a discussion list/site on the Internet that he moderates. It is called ozonetherapy@yahoogroups.com It was on this list that this email conversation originally took place this week.
BTW, Dr Pressman is the author of a book titled, "The Story of Ozone." Saul is email reachable at spressman@hotmail.com
Here is an edited version of the email conversation:
Dear Saul,
I'm confused. You say that ozone is a good thing and does a lot of good things. Why do they advertise "ozone alert/action days" on TV as if ozone was a bad thing? Xxxxx
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Dear Xxxxx,
To understand the reasons behind the existence of "ozone alert/action days" or news media misinformation/disinformation about ozone it is first necessary to know the history of ozone therapy.
Ozone therapy was accepted medicine in the USA from at least 1880 until 1932, a period of fifty-two years.
Dr. J.H. Kellogg used ozone in steam saunas at his Battle Creek, Michigan clinic in 1881. He wrote about this in his book, "Diphtheria: Its Nature, Causes, Prevention and Treatment."
In 1885, the Florida Medical Association published "Ozone" by Dr. Charles J. Kenworthy, MD, detailing the use of ozone for therapeutic purposes.
In September 1896, the electrical genius Nikola Tesla patented his first ozone generator, and in 1900 he formed the Tesla Ozone Co. Tesla sold ozone machines and ozonated olive oil to doctors.
Beginning in 1898 Dr. Benedict Lust, a German doctor practicing in New York and the founder of Naturopathy, wrote many articles and books on ozone. Naturopathy has as its foundation the use of heat, light, air and water. Ozone qualifies as the 'air' segment.
In 1902, J.H. Clarke's "A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica", London, described the successful use of ozonated water --- he called it "Oxygenium" --- in treating anemia, cancer, diabetes, influenza, morphine poisoning, canker sores, strychnine poisoning and whooping cough.
In 1902, Dr. Charles Linder MD, of Spokane, Washington was written up in an article in a local newspaper which stated that he injected ozone into patients as part of his standard medical practice.
In 1904 "The Medical Uses of Hydrozone and Glycozone" by Charles Marchand, a New York chemist, appeared in its 19th edition. Hydrozone was another name for ozonated water and Glycozone was another name for ozonated olive oil. This book is in the Library of Congress with the US Surgeon General's stamp of approval on it.
In 1911, "A Working Manual of High Frequency Currents" was published by Dr. Noble Eberhart, MD, the head of the Dept. of Physiologic Therapeutics at Loyola University, Chicago. In Chapter 9, he details the use of ozone to treat tuberculosis, anemia, chlorosis, tinnitus, whooping cough, asthma, bronchitis, hay fever, insomnia, pneumonia, diabetes, gout and syphilis.
In 1912, Dr. H.C. Bennett published "Electro-Therapeutic Guide". He described the inhaling of Ozol, which is what he called ozone after bubbling it through eucalyptus, pine or thyme oils.
In 1913, the Eastern Association for Oxygen Therapy was formed by Dr. Eugene Blass and some German associates.
In 1920, Dr. Charles Neiswanger, MD, President of the Chicago Hospital College of Medicine published "Electro Therapeutical Practice." Chapter 32 was entitled "Ozone as a Therapeutic Agent."
In 1929, a book called "Ozone and Its Therapeutic Action" was published in the USA. It listed 114 diseases and how to treat them with ozone. Its authors were the heads of leading American hospitals.
In 1933, the American Medical Association (AMA), headed up by M. Fishbein, set out to eliminate in the USA all medical treatments that were competitive to drug therapy. The suppression of the use of ozone therapy by doctors in the USA began then, and continues to this day, except in thirteen states, where currently doctors are protected by state laws.
[See below for a list of the 13 states]
At the behest of the AMA, the FDA began seizing ozone generators in the 1940s.
So now you know, very briefly, the generally unknown history of ozone therapy in the USA.
Since 1933, the AMA and the FDA have done everything in their power to prevent ozone therapy from being used or even known about, in order to protect the profits of the pharmaceutical industry and promote the practices of the membership of the AMA.
These days, the FDA and the giant pharmaceuticals have interlocking directorships. (People are working, and taking money, from both sides, while still supposedly maintaining their impartiality - Dennis)
The major exhaust pollutants caused by burning hydrocarbons in oxygen in the internal combustion engine are carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and sulphur dioxide. Ozone cannot be produced in the internal combustion engine because the hydrocarbon fuel quenches the spark gap.
Ozone has been incorrectly blamed for smog. Carbon monoxide, a deadly poison, is present in smog at about 3000 parts per hundred million. Toxic hydrocarbons are present in smog at about 100 parts per hundred million. Ozone is present in smog only transiently at around 25 parts per hundred million.
Ozone in smog is produced by the effect of the sun's energetic photons acting on polluting gases. Singlet oxygen is broken off these gases momentarily, but in seconds it reattaches itself to the other gases, which is part of nature's system for cleaning the atmosphere.
The problem is not one of too much ozone in smog, but not enough ozone in the smog. If sufficient amounts existed, the pollutants would all be oxidized and rendered harmless.
Ozone is easy to measure, so they use this deceitful tactic to smear the name of ozone. Carbon monoxide is a proven killer. Yet, you never hear of a carbon monoxide alert.
"Ozone alert/action days" is really an example of a successful public relations hatchet job. Don't be sucked in like the news media by this false information.
Best of Health!
Dr. Saul Pressman, DCh, LTOH
spressman@hotmail.com
The thirteen states that override the FDA and allow their doctors to use any therapy are: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington.