A Remarkable Medicine Has Been Overlooked

by Jack Dreyfus

Jack Dreyfus, founder of the hugely successful Dreyfus Fund, discovered that a medicine (phenytoin) was very successful in treating his severe depression. This book is a story of Dreyfus’ extraordinary life, his discovery of phenytoin (PHT), and a testament to his ceaseless effort to make the truth known to people in this country and around the world. This book includes the amazing story of Jack's remarkable life, and the clinical section of The Broad Range of Use of Phenytoin. Phenytoin has been reported in the world medical literature to be useful for over seventy symptoms and disorders.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medical, Health

430 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.

[Elizabeth Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this so long ago that I am trying to remember what I thought (just found my one word note of "Interesting!" It is about how Dilantin, an epilepsy drug, turns out to be remarkably effective for depression and many other uses. So often off-label uses are helpful, but as I recall this book, which explains the mechanisms and uses, also explored also how the author spent his fortune promoting awareness and met with so many mainstream medical roadblocks and closed-minded smallness.

[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