A Remarkable Medicine Has Been Overlooked: Including an Autobiography and the Clinical Section of the Broad Range of Use of Phenytoin

by Jack Dreyfus

Many people live one life. Jack Dreyfus has had two. The first was when he founded the Dreyfus Fund. He became known as "the most singular and effective personality to appear on Wall Street since the days of Joseph Kennedy and Bernard Baruch" ("Life" magazine). The author's second life began in 1963 when, in the midst of a severe depression, he asked his physician to let him try a medicine usually prescribed for epilepsy. The medicine (phenytoin) brought him back to good health almost overnight. When he saw six other people have similar results, he realized he had an obligation to investigate further. He retired from his two highly successful businesses, established a charitable medical foundation, and spent the last 30 years of his life and $80 million obtaining information about the many uses of phenytoin. He found that it had been reported useful in the medical literature for over 70 symptoms and disorders. This information, in 20 different languages, has been translated and condensed into three bibliographies and sent to all the physicians in the United States. In spite of this, phenytoin is still being overlooked because of a flaw in the US system of bringing medicines to the public. Dreyfus's attempts to correct this tragic misunderstanding have led to the highest levels of government - but he has found government too busy with problems to have time for solutions.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medical

427 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 1981

Reviews

[Cilla Savary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The frustration expressed in this book about the blockades, intentional and not, in the medical community is something I have experienced myself. There is no system for reconsidering something that has been left in the past. In this case, all of the other experienced benefits when taking this medicine. This book is a reminder that all of the 'Renaissance' men of the past would be considered quacks today. Experimenting in one area and then another. Inventing something in one area and then some other area. Publishing findings. There is no longer a way to publish findings that are anything but those from long drawn out studies. In no way do I believe those methods are bad. They are a critical part of the scientific pursuit and validation. However, they should be part of discovery and validation not the entire and sole piece. Observations are not invalid because they are just observations. Antidotal stories are not worthless. Both of these should bring our attention to possible paths to follow. We have hobbled our medical exploration in several ways and Mr. Dreyfus taps into this in his findings with phenytoin.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable story about a drug that is so narrowly classified but that should be used more generally. At one point the book was sent to all physicians. But how many actually read the book? The book should be required reading in medical school.

[Celea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenytoin
PHT
started as his autobiography
a read that is part of my library
I consider this a must read