Table Of Content*
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NEW
REVISED EDITION
The inside storyofwhatsome call "tomorrow's aspirin'.'
A miraculousdrugfinally recognized bythe FDAincertain cases,
DA/ISO may prove tobethecure-all of the future!
"
''Itreads like asciencefictionthriller, butgivingtheprosand
cons with objective thoroughness .the first honest and
. .
complete account available about a drug which has been
..."
mysteriously kept from the people
Let's Live Magazine
"At times the book sounds like Watergate, what with FDA
agents popping into doctors' offices and popping out again
with their arms full of records. McGrady's book makes one
wonderifit, orany medication canpass the rules the nation's
medical watchdogs have written."
Seattle Post Intelligencer
DMSO
"The case for deserves airing; Dr. Jacob and his
colleagues could have no better tribune than McGrady."
Kirkus
"McGrady makes an excellent case for condemning the
agency (FDA) as a warden of overcautious bureaucrats who
would rather keep a useful drug offthe market for months or
years rather than expose themselves to criticism."
Edward Edelson, New York Daily News
Science Writer in the Washington Post
"A story toldin aclear, vigorous, highly informative way by
a veteran science and medical writer, a respected colleague
of the reviewer. Doctors and the people generally will ex-
perience a broadening ofthe mind regarding how a new drug
can be blocked by 'authoritarians.'
San Francisco Examiner
THE
PERSECUTED
DRUG
THE STORY OF
DMSO
REVISED AND UPDATED
PAT McGRADY, SR.
€
CHARTS?
NEW YORK
A DIVISION OF CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS INC.
A GROSSET & DUNIAP COMPANY
—
TO GRACE
for her literary suggestions, and
TO MANY FRIENDS IN SCIENCE, MEDICINE AND
—
GOVERNMENT
for their considerable help in gathering
and interpreting a mountain of material,
This book is gratefully and affectionately dedicated.
DMSO
THEPERSECUTEDDRUG: THE STORY OF
©
Copyright 1973, 1979 by Pat McGrady, Sr.
All rights reserved
Seventh Printing: December 1980
Charter Books
A Division of Charter Communications Inc.
A Grosset & Dunlap Company
51 Madison Ave.
New York, New York 10010
Manufactured in the United States of America
INTRODUCTION
In the forward of the hardcover edition (Doubleday,
1973), I described this book as representing "three stories in
one: the incredible performance of an unbelievable drug; the
unlikely adventures of a fantastic government agency; and
the problems of a man so good in a wicked world that his
virtues are regarded as vices."
The train of events since then has served only to confirm
that position. The reports, as set forth, still stand; not one of
them, so far as I have been able to learn, has been disproved.
Moreover, scientists in several countries have reported new
discoveries which embellish the excellent reputation of the
DMSO.
drug, dimethyl sulfoxide, or
— —
There was one and to my knowledge only one serious
challenge to the factuality of the claims I had cited in the
hardcoverbook.That was a complaint voiced inaninterview
with Medical Tribune by James L. Goddard, M.D., the
dynamic Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Ad-
ministration (FDA).
Admittedly activist by nature, Goddard gave the then-
somnolentoldFDA an air ofpurpose and dedication which it
sadly had lacked. In a short time, the reborn bureau was
advising drug houses which products they could and could
PAT McGRADY, SR.
not peddle; it was telling physicians, in effect, how and how
not to treat their patients; it was having growers and dis-
tributorsrecalling enormous amounts ofprovenderwhich the
FDA called dangerous. Goddard's G-men, initiating the
"no-knock" technique, began raiding research laboratories
and doctors' offices. Impressive was the fact that most of
these sorties took place without warning or warrants. Some-
thing new was being introduced into our constitutional gov-
ernment.
Goddard took exception to my report of a long taped
interview with him. Medical Tribune quoted Goddard as
saying that "there are at least a few minor errors of fact in
Mr. McGrady's book, along with more serious errors of
interpretation and emphasis." The only specific and con-
firmable error that he cited was my statement that "in the 17
years since he had won his M.D., Goddard had been in
private practice a total of 14 months. With this background,
he was now to wield unprecedented, some charged almost
dictatorial, power overthepracticeofmedicine in theUnited
States." Goddard's comment, according to Medical
Tribune, was: "I was in private practice for 16 months, not
14, although I admit that's not very important."
To me, any charge that I have been inaccurate is impor-
tant. I make occasional mistakes, and I am embarrassed by
every one ofthem. But when I reviewed the tape, Goddard's
voice come over loud and clear on his experience prior to
joining Government service: "I submit to being in practice
for 14 months and—grossing over $20,000a year." Ifthis was
my only "error" and Goddard charged me with no other
—
specific inaccuracy in his skimpy bill of particulars then I
could only conclude that my reportage was remarkably accu-
rate and my interpretations fundamentally sound. While I
feel certain I must have committed a few booboos in the
book, a diligent search and questioning of scientists and
physicians and others whoplayedimportant roles in the story
have failed to indicate a single significant error. I am con-
VI
DMSO
vinced that my report on "the incredible performance of an
unbelievable drug" is accurate.
Goddardretiredeventually, as so many ofhispredecessors
and successors have done, to serve as an official in the drug
industry which theFDA regulates. Andhe came to complain
toandabouttheFDA forsome ofthepracticeshehimselfhad
initiated as Commissioner.
DMSO
remains a truly amazing substance. It is a versatile
solvent; it probably will dissolve more chemicals than any
other solvent. It penetrates the skin and is in the bloodstream
within seconds; anditcarries many dissolved chemicals with
it. It freezes at a couple ofdegrees below room temperature.
As a runoffproduct ofthe paper industry, it is abundant and
should be cheap. (With inflation and the middleman's pro-
fits, its price during the last half-dozen years has multiplied
thirty fold. But considering its many uses, it still is cheap at
the current $10 a pint.)
DMSO
But the most amazing thing about is its effect on
life. It prevents, controls or cures some of the diseases of
man, animals and plants; no otherdrug orgroup ofdrugs has
DMSO's multiplicity ofuses. DMSO frequently is called the
A
closest thing to a panacea that the world has ever seen.
great many ofits medical applications were described in the
hardcover edition of this book and will be repeated and
updated in this edition.
VII
