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From AIDS to Zaire Ebola - Diseases: Ethical Implications of Patent Medicine’s Unacknowledged Appropriation of Natural Remedies

Abstract

The BMJ’s 2003 obituary of David Horrobin, branding him a “snake oil salesman” (BMJ 2003;326:885), provoked over 100 responses and a Press Complaints Commission rebuke, exposing medicine’s fraught stance on unorthodox therapies (BMJ 2003;326:1089). This paper examines the ethical consequences of patent medicine’s historical appropriation—without acknowledgment—of remedies from orthomolecular medicine, homeopathy, and traditional practices, focusing on cancer, Ebola, and enveloped viral diseases. Salvestrols, niacin, selenium, ascorbate, oregano oil, and historical examples like quinine, willow bark, colchicine, morphine, and digitalis demonstrate efficacy, yet their origins are obscured by profit-driven narratives. Paul Marik’s vitamin C protocol, potent against sepsis and flu, and selenium’s antiviral promise—spanning AIDS, Ebola, and beyond—further highlight this neglect, persisting despite royal and parliamentary support, undermining equitable access, evidence standards, and patient welfare—eroding medicine’s ethical foundation.

Introduction

David Horrobin’s ghost looms as a symbol of medicine’s tension with natural remedies, a conflict evident in the BMJ’s 2003 critique and its fallout. Patent medicine, flourishing in the 19th century, systematically pilfered from orthomolecular medicine, homeopathy, and traditional practices—salvestrols, niacin, selenium, ascorbate, oregano oil, and beyond—without credit, repackaging them for profit. Historical examples abound: quinine from cinchona bark, willow bark’s salicin (aspirin), colchicine from autumn crocus, morphine from opium, and digitalis from foxglove were refined into patented drugs, their origins buried. This paper explores cancer, Ebola, and enveloped viral diseases, spotlighting Hoffer’s niacin, Pauling’s vitamin work, Marik’s sepsis-flu protocol—misrepresented or ignored—and selenium’s antiviral legacy from Foster, Taylor, and Lipinski. King Charles III’s advocacy and parliamentary motions (e.g., 2010 EDM 908) affirm these traditions, yet patent medicine’s uncredited theft persists, challenging “First, do no harm.”

Cancer: Salvestrols, Niacin, and Appropriated Therapies

Burke’s 1997 discovery of CYP1B1 as a tumour marker (Murray et al., Cancer Res, 1997) and Potter’s 2002 salvestrol work (Br J Cancer, 2002) root in orthomolecular principles—nutrients as therapy—yet patent cure-alls like Hamamelis Water claimed plant-based cures without credit. Hoffer’s niacin megadoses (up to 17,000 mg/day) treated schizophrenia and cancer (JOM, 1995), validated for lipids (Parsons et al., 1955), inspiring Pauling’s 1968 Science paper that should have shifted medicine—yet patent medicine co-opted it, uncredited. Pharma backlash labeled niacin “unapproved,” forcing Hoffer from institutional practice; he quit, continued curing patients (JOM, 2009). Pauling’s vitamin C (JOM, 1993), dismissed despite support (Curr Oncol, 2009), mirrors this—patent nostrums like Lydia Pinkham’s borrowed freely. Homeopathy’s Digitalis predates Withering’s 1785 isolation, Opium (morphine) Sertürner’s 1804 patent, quinine Jesuit cinchona (17th century), willow bark’s aspirin (Bayer, 1899), and colchicine from Dioscorides (JOM, 2008; Homeopath Essay, 2025)—all uncredited. Mistletoe, astragalus, tangerine peel, and Essiac (BMC Cancer, 2013; Phytomedicine, 2016) extend this—abiraterone’s £3 billion (NEJM, 2012) overshadows their 5-15% plant potential (J Ethnopharmacol, 2015).

Ebola: Selenium, Ascorbate, and Stolen Immunity

Ebola’s 1976 debut (294 cases, 53% mortality; Bull World Health Organ, 1978) showed asymptomatic immunity, echoed in Gabon’s 18-33% ZEBOV antibodies (PLoS One, 2010). Taylor’s 1995 selenium hypothesis (JOM, 1995) and Lipinski’s 2015 antiviral work (BJMMR, 2015) align with Baka nut diets—Foster’s AIDS research (1990s) showed selenium slows HIV progression biochemically, a potent antiviral Taylor and Lipinski echoed for Ebola (J Orthomol Med, 1997). Klenner’s 1949 vitamin C trials (50-100 g/day curing polio; South Med Surg, 1949) should have changed medicine, Cathcart argued—ignored instead (Townsend Letter, 1984). Ascorbate’s role (Feldmann & Klenk, Adv Virus Res, 1996) and Bas-Congo’s 50% seropositivity (Grard, 2024) suggest orthomolecular roots, bypassed in 2014-2016’s £1.5 billion vaccine push (Lancet, 2017). Homeopathy’s “like cures like”—Lucanus’s Pharsalia Namuid venom immunity—prefigures vaccination, uncredited (Homeopath Essay, 2025). Quinine’s Jesuit cure reflects this theft.

Enveloped Viral Diseases: Selenium’s Broad Reach

Lipinski’s 2020 work extends selenium to flu and SARS-CoV-2 (Med Hypotheses, 2020), echoing Beck’s 1995 flu findings (J Infect Dis, 1995)—Foster’s HIV-to-AIDS delay (J Orthomol Med, 1997) and Taylor/Lipinski’s Ebola potency mark it the most potent antiviral known. Marik’s vitamin C protocol (Chest, 2017) slashed sepsis mortality (8.5% vs. 40%) and cured flu in his famous Lever case—yet COVID saw it used sporadically, success hushed (J Thorac Dis, 2020). Cathcart’s recapitulation—Marik’s work should have changed medicine—faded post-2020 news. Patent tonics like Fernet-Branca borrowed—uncredited. Vaccines—Ebola’s 11-day shield (Lancet, 2017)—lag behind selenium, sidelined by profit.

Bacterial Resistance: Oregano Oil’s Legacy

Hippocrates’s oregano oil outpaces antibiotics against MRSA (Lu et al., Front Microbiol, 2018)—patent “balms” claimed herbs, sans credit. Resistance kills 700,000 yearly (Lancet Infect Dis, 2016)—“First, do no harm” falters.

Ethical Considerations

1. Evidence Standards: Ethical trials halt for efficacy (NEJM, 2012), yet natural remedies face higher bars—Hoffer and Pauling’s truthiness obscures evidence (JOM, 2009; Curr Oncol, 2009); Klenner’s ignored cures amplify this.

2. Equity: Abiraterone’s cost dwarfs nuts or oil—Gabon thrived, West Africa didn’t. Profit denies access, breaching justice.

3. Patient Welfare: Neglecting selenium, niacin, or oregano risks lives—Hoffer’s patients healed despite pharma’s “unapproved” tag, while antipsychotics’ side effects (tardive dyskinesia, metabolic syndrome; Am J Psychiatry, 2010) dwarf niacin’s safety, vital for ATP via Krebs cycle; Marik’s sepsis-flu success was hushed.

4. Scientific Integrity: Ioannidis’s 70-90% failure rate (PLoS Med, 2005) and JOM’s exile reflect bias—patent theft erodes trust.

Discussion

Patent medicine’s appropriation—niacin from Hoffer (curbed by pharma), immunity from homeopathy (cocoa, Lucanus), herbs from Hippocrates, quinine, willow bark, colchicine—distorts history. Selenium’s antiviral potency (Foster, Taylor, Lipinski) contrasts its neglect—Marik’s protocol, a game-changer, faded. King Charles’s support and parliamentary motions affirm relevance—profit prevails. Ioannidis’s critique, Horrobin’s fate, and Klenner’s sidelining signal dogma over patients—nature’s remedies suffer.

Conclusion

Horrobin’s ghost demands accountability. Patent medicine’s uncredited theft—salvestrols, niacin, selenium, ascorbate, oregano oil—breaches equity, evidence, and welfare. Hoffer quit to heal; Marik’s sepsis-flu cure was buried—some abandon titles to cure. Reinstating JOM in PubMed could right this—medicine owes Hippocrates and its patients no less.

References (Abbreviated)

JOM, 2008. “Patent Medicine’s Debt to Homeopathy.”

Homeopath Essay, 2025. American Institute of Homeopathy.

Murray et al., 1997. Cancer Res.

Hoffer, 2009. JOM.

Lipinski, 2020. Med Hypotheses.

Lu et al., 2018. Front Microbiol.

From AIDS to Zaire Ebola - Diseases: Ethical Implications of Patent Medicine’s Unacknowledged Appropriation of Natural Remedies Abstract The BMJ’s 2003 obituary of David Horrobin, branding him a “snake oil salesman” (BMJ 2003;326:885), provoked over 100 responses and a Press Complaints Commission rebuke, exposing medicine’s fraught stance on unorthodox therapies (BMJ 2003;326:1089). This paper examines the ethical consequences of patent medicine’s historical appropriation—without acknowledgment—of remedies from orthomolecular medicine, homeopathy, and traditional practices, focusing on cancer, Ebola, and enveloped viral diseases. Salvestrols, niacin, selenium, ascorbate, oregano oil, and historical examples like quinine, willow bark, colchicine, morphine, and digitalis demonstrate efficacy, yet their origins are obscured by profit-driven narratives. Paul Marik’s vitamin C protocol, potent against sepsis and flu, and selenium’s antiviral promise—spanning AIDS, Ebola, and beyond—further highlight this neglect, persisting despite royal and parliamentary support, undermining equitable access, evidence standards, and patient welfare—eroding medicine’s ethical foundation. Introduction David Horrobin’s ghost looms as a symbol of medicine’s tension with natural remedies, a conflict evident in the BMJ’s 2003 critique and its fallout. Patent medicine, flourishing in the 19th century, systematically pilfered from orthomolecular medicine, homeopathy, and traditional practices—salvestrols, niacin, selenium, ascorbate, oregano oil, and beyond—without credit, repackaging them for profit. Historical examples abound: quinine from cinchona bark, willow bark’s salicin (aspirin), colchicine from autumn crocus, morphine from opium, and digitalis from foxglove were refined into patented drugs, their origins buried. This paper explores cancer, Ebola, and enveloped viral diseases, spotlighting Hoffer’s niacin, Pauling’s vitamin work, Marik’s sepsis-flu protocol—misrepresented or ignored—and selenium’s antiviral legacy from Foster, Taylor, and Lipinski. King Charles III’s advocacy and parliamentary motions (e.g., 2010 EDM 908) affirm these traditions, yet patent medicine’s uncredited theft persists, challenging “First, do no harm.” Cancer: Salvestrols, Niacin, and Appropriated Therapies Burke’s 1997 discovery of CYP1B1 as a tumour marker (Murray et al., Cancer Res, 1997) and Potter’s 2002 salvestrol work (Br J Cancer, 2002) root in orthomolecular principles—nutrients as therapy—yet patent cure-alls like Hamamelis Water claimed plant-based cures without credit. Hoffer’s niacin megadoses (up to 17,000 mg/day) treated schizophrenia and cancer (JOM, 1995), validated for lipids (Parsons et al., 1955), inspiring Pauling’s 1968 Science paper that should have shifted medicine—yet patent medicine co-opted it, uncredited. Pharma backlash labeled niacin “unapproved,” forcing Hoffer from institutional practice; he quit, continued curing patients (JOM, 2009). Pauling’s vitamin C (JOM, 1993), dismissed despite support (Curr Oncol, 2009), mirrors this—patent nostrums like Lydia Pinkham’s borrowed freely. Homeopathy’s Digitalis predates Withering’s 1785 isolation, Opium (morphine) Sertürner’s 1804 patent, quinine Jesuit cinchona (17th century), willow bark’s aspirin (Bayer, 1899), and colchicine from Dioscorides (JOM, 2008; Homeopath Essay, 2025)—all uncredited. Mistletoe, astragalus, tangerine peel, and Essiac (BMC Cancer, 2013; Phytomedicine, 2016) extend this—abiraterone’s £3 billion (NEJM, 2012) overshadows their 5-15% plant potential (J Ethnopharmacol, 2015). Ebola: Selenium, Ascorbate, and Stolen Immunity Ebola’s 1976 debut (294 cases, 53% mortality; Bull World Health Organ, 1978) showed asymptomatic immunity, echoed in Gabon’s 18-33% ZEBOV antibodies (PLoS One, 2010). Taylor’s 1995 selenium hypothesis (JOM, 1995) and Lipinski’s 2015 antiviral work (BJMMR, 2015) align with Baka nut diets—Foster’s AIDS research (1990s) showed selenium slows HIV progression biochemically, a potent antiviral Taylor and Lipinski echoed for Ebola (J Orthomol Med, 1997). Klenner’s 1949 vitamin C trials (50-100 g/day curing polio; South Med Surg, 1949) should have changed medicine, Cathcart argued—ignored instead (Townsend Letter, 1984). Ascorbate’s role (Feldmann & Klenk, Adv Virus Res, 1996) and Bas-Congo’s 50% seropositivity (Grard, 2024) suggest orthomolecular roots, bypassed in 2014-2016’s £1.5 billion vaccine push (Lancet, 2017). Homeopathy’s “like cures like”—Lucanus’s Pharsalia Namuid venom immunity—prefigures vaccination, uncredited (Homeopath Essay, 2025). Quinine’s Jesuit cure reflects this theft. Enveloped Viral Diseases: Selenium’s Broad Reach Lipinski’s 2020 work extends selenium to flu and SARS-CoV-2 (Med Hypotheses, 2020), echoing Beck’s 1995 flu findings (J Infect Dis, 1995)—Foster’s HIV-to-AIDS delay (J Orthomol Med, 1997) and Taylor/Lipinski’s Ebola potency mark it the most potent antiviral known. Marik’s vitamin C protocol (Chest, 2017) slashed sepsis mortality (8.5% vs. 40%) and cured flu in his famous Lever case—yet COVID saw it used sporadically, success hushed (J Thorac Dis, 2020). Cathcart’s recapitulation—Marik’s work should have changed medicine—faded post-2020 news. Patent tonics like Fernet-Branca borrowed—uncredited. Vaccines—Ebola’s 11-day shield (Lancet, 2017)—lag behind selenium, sidelined by profit. Bacterial Resistance: Oregano Oil’s Legacy Hippocrates’s oregano oil outpaces antibiotics against MRSA (Lu et al., Front Microbiol, 2018)—patent “balms” claimed herbs, sans credit. Resistance kills 700,000 yearly (Lancet Infect Dis, 2016)—“First, do no harm” falters. Ethical Considerations 1. Evidence Standards: Ethical trials halt for efficacy (NEJM, 2012), yet natural remedies face higher bars—Hoffer and Pauling’s truthiness obscures evidence (JOM, 2009; Curr Oncol, 2009); Klenner’s ignored cures amplify this. 2. Equity: Abiraterone’s cost dwarfs nuts or oil—Gabon thrived, West Africa didn’t. Profit denies access, breaching justice. 3. Patient Welfare: Neglecting selenium, niacin, or oregano risks lives—Hoffer’s patients healed despite pharma’s “unapproved” tag, while antipsychotics’ side effects (tardive dyskinesia, metabolic syndrome; Am J Psychiatry, 2010) dwarf niacin’s safety, vital for ATP via Krebs cycle; Marik’s sepsis-flu success was hushed. 4. Scientific Integrity: Ioannidis’s 70-90% failure rate (PLoS Med, 2005) and JOM’s exile reflect bias—patent theft erodes trust. Discussion Patent medicine’s appropriation—niacin from Hoffer (curbed by pharma), immunity from homeopathy (cocoa, Lucanus), herbs from Hippocrates, quinine, willow bark, colchicine—distorts history. Selenium’s antiviral potency (Foster, Taylor, Lipinski) contrasts its neglect—Marik’s protocol, a game-changer, faded. King Charles’s support and parliamentary motions affirm relevance—profit prevails. Ioannidis’s critique, Horrobin’s fate, and Klenner’s sidelining signal dogma over patients—nature’s remedies suffer. Conclusion Horrobin’s ghost demands accountability. Patent medicine’s uncredited theft—salvestrols, niacin, selenium, ascorbate, oregano oil—breaches equity, evidence, and welfare. Hoffer quit to heal; Marik’s sepsis-flu cure was buried—some abandon titles to cure. Reinstating JOM in PubMed could right this—medicine owes Hippocrates and its patients no less. References (Abbreviated) JOM, 2008. “Patent Medicine’s Debt to Homeopathy.” Homeopath Essay, 2025. American Institute of Homeopathy. Murray et al., 1997. Cancer Res. Hoffer, 2009. JOM. Lipinski, 2020. Med Hypotheses. Lu et al., 2018. Front Microbiol.