Digitoxin

The Encyclopedia of Medical Breakthroughs and Forbidden Treatments

Shoreline, Washington. Medical Research Associates, 2005

$24.95, order at www.medical-breakthroughs.com or 1-800-247-6553

This 8.5 X 11 soft-cover-bound volume is presented in four major sections: 1) Background; 2) Information on 60 specific ailments; 3) Topical Pain Relievers; and 4) General Treatment Methods. As a data aficionado, I have found numerous items of great interest in my review.

This volume will serve the practitioner best as a reference volume. The authors give an interesting emphasis on the topic of pain in both the background section and in Part III as well, for good reason. The $50 billion annual price tag in the US for managing pain is a reminder of why that should be so.

Interesting expanded sound bytes on alternative methods abound. In part II, numerous examples of short synopses of alternatives can be found. For instance, mentioned under "Allergies" are:

* the natural substance quercitin;

* MSM (methyl-sulfonyl-methane);

* NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique);

* conventional drug treatment with one of the non-drowsy antihistamines is mentioned, along with the story of the manufacturer's chicanery in pushing the drug with marginally supported science.

The authors tackle the major diseases as well with longer synopses. For example, under cancer, the text covers:

* the controversy arising from the Scandinavian study suggesting that mammograms do not promote greater survival (Lancet 2000; 355:129);

* data suggesting the utility of infrared thermography in diagnosis;

* AMAs (anti-malignin antibodies) in cancer detection;

* anti-metastatic measures (heparin, warfarin, prostacyclin, the Chinese herb Qian-Hu, the peptide trigramin, the leech protein antistasin, the Chinese herb Mo-her, the protein galectin-3, modified citrus pectin and Raf kinase inhibitory protein);

* tissue-strengthening and blocking of collagen-dissolving enzymes (vitamin C, lysine, proline);

* the Moss Reports regarding alternative treatments (Dr. Ralph Moss is very familiar to TLfDP readers);

* Paw Paw (Asimina triloba);

* Antineoplastins (Burzynski's work);

* cancer pain management options

I am aware of a small number of areas in the cancer field not mentioned: Hugh Riordan's seminal work on high-dose vitamin C as a cytotoxic agent against cancer cells; the Swedish observation that breast cancer patients on digitoxin have a much lower mortality; and European work suggesting that mistletoe manifests anti-tumor effects (Iscador). So, while this work, like any in its field, is not absolutely complete, the descriptor "encyclopedic" is appropriate. The aggregate number of alternative options is just short of overwhelming.

In the briefly treated part III (Topical Pain Relievers), selected topics include:

* DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide);

* TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) and CES (cranial electrotherapy stimulation);

* light (photon therapy, phototherapy and the use of LEDs [light-emitting diodes]);

* magnets;

* Pain Away (a proprietary topical herbal combination);

* Penetran+Plus (a proprietary topical application of ammonium compounds which apparently recalibrate juxtaposed neuroelectrical circuits);

* topical arnica products

Part IV deals with a number of selected topics not always addressed in comprehensive reviews of alternatives:

* Bowen Therapy (an osteopathic soft tissue therapy re-balancing neuromuscular relationships);

* hyperbaric oxygen therapy (including a brief paragraph regarding use in ischemic stroke);

* insulin potentiation therapy (capitalizing on the increased numbers of insulin receptor sites on malignant and other cells;

* detoxification and deficiencies (including exercise as a "wonder drug");

* olive leaf extract (Olea eurpoaea L.) (anti-microbiological actions and other properties);

* photoluminescence (photoirradiation of an aliquot of venous blood then re-infused into the patient); the rationale for this approach is explored;

* prolotherapy (injecting high-concentration dextrose into connective tissues to cause regeneration, restructuring and tightening). References to prolotherapy are entering mainstream literature.

The authors have also chosen to mention a number of examples bearing evidence that the pharmaceutical-medical complex is not averse to selectively manipulating data which argue against the availability of alternative options in medical practice. We may not be as aware as we might be of the many ways in which this influence operates. The recent well-publicized example of the apparent suppression of toxic data regarding rofecoxib may only be the tip of the iceberg.

I have found this volume to be a sparkling additional vital resource in my own library of alternative methods for holistic medical practice, many of which have substantial and surprising documentation. I have already salted away a number of them for my own future use. For the medical practitioner wishing to have available the widest variety of alternative resources, the "Encyclopedia" will be a must.

review by Robert A. Anderson, MD, ABHM, FAAFP, FACPM

COPYRIGHT 2005 The Townsend Letter Group
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group