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But the transfer of power to Republicans such as John Porter (IL), head of the appropriations subcommittee in the house, and Arlen Specter (PA), who took Senator Harkin's post in the Senate, have raised many questions.
Will the new leaders see alternative medicine as an innovative way to cut runaway medical costs? Or will they take aim against "alternative pork" at the NIH, to use Business Week's truly ludicrous phrasing (12/12/94).
One hint may be an article on vitamins in the National Review, a bellwether of conservative thinking. "Taking Vitamins" by Jeff Elliott (11/21/94) is a thoughtful look at how the FDA has raided promoters of dietary supplements. Their tactics "seem designed to keep consumers in the dark," says Elliott. It recounts the FDA raid on Life Extension Foundationšs store in Hollywood, FL.
"Rather than wait for the store to open at 11 AM, they battered in the door and began pulling vitamins off the shelves," said Elliott. "The most chilling aspect of this raid was the confiscation of more than five thousand copies of the non-profit organization's newsletter." Finally, somebody notices this egregious trampling of first amendment rights. "Intended or not," the article concludes, "this system is an effective mechanism for suppressing public knowledge about dietary supplements. And that canšt be healthy." Bravo!
Cancer Watch, a monthly news and educational magazine about cancer research, has begun to carry news of alternative medicine. A favorable article on shark cartilage and the OAM appeared in the November issue. The article praises OAM for "supporting innovativer research to evaluate alternative medical practices." It also states that "a recently held OAM cancer workshop was a great success."
It quoted Charles Simone, MD, of the Simone Protective Cancer Institute, Lawrenceville, NJ on his preliminary results with shark cartilage.
"Simone reports complete responses in three patients: one 84 year old with bladder cancer, one 49 year old with breast cancer, and one 59 year old whose lung cancer spread to the liver. The metastases were resolved within three to 10 months." (Cancer Watch, 2066, Central Ave., Schenectady, NY 12304)