Monthly Archives: November 2019
Very exciting news! We are one of the ten “books not to miss” in the LA Times Holiday Gift supplement, 11/3/19, and have been in and out of the top 100 on Amazon under general books this month. Thank you!
Some of what medicine says is true, and some is not true—the problem is practitioners do not necessarily know which is true and which is not. Medicine is overwhelmed by knowledge, while starving for ideas on how to apply the knowledge to benefit patients. Medical practitioners are not routinely exposed to knowledge in other specialties. Research is done by each individual specialty, and researchers may not recognize the importance and significance of findings that relate to different specialties. Research bias…..
Regressive developmental disorders are when a child is normal at birth, and begins to regress mentally and physically months or years after birth, in intelligence and physical abilities; and some children develop seizures. Regressive developmental disorders have been hypothesized as genetic, which cannot be the complete answer, because genetics would lead to the disappearance of regressive developmental disorders. The named regressive developmental disorders are diagnosed based on variations in symptoms, and are incorporated into a larger category of autism spectrum…..
Toxoplasmosis is a parasite, which is almost universal, in cats; and can be transmitted to people, particularly the very young and those with immune dysfunction. Some mental illnesses have been tied to toxoplasmosis, particularly those involving reckless behavior and explosive anger. Pregnant women are warned to avoid litter boxes during pregnancy, because toxoplasmosis can cross the placenta and invade the fetal brain, to cause epilepsy, regressive developmental disorders, and microcephaly. Toxoplasmosis can have different manifestations in different patients, based on the…..
Autism spectrum disorders include fragile X disability. Minocycline, an antibiotic used to treat immortal pathogens, was seemingly able to improve behavior and slow fragile X disability. In 2018, a clinical trial, in patients with fragile X, tested minocycline with Lovastatin, as a combined drug regimen. The combination drug regimen was reported to have eased atypical behavior, and improved signaling balance. The success of minocycline in improving fragile X disability, suggests immortal infectious pathogens play a role. The diagnosis of…..
We are excited to report a new article from The World Health Organization (WHO), published in “Science”, November 2019. A group of scientists, led by Stuart R.G Calimport, PhD, Honorary Fellow at the University of Liverpool, are re-writing the ICD-codes for naming diseases, to identify diseases more specifically based on organ and tissue, allow for identification of diseases based on causes, monitoring the progression of disease, monitoring the progression of multiple co-morbidities, and enabling doctors to perform tests to identify…..
Cystic fibrosis is believed to arise from a biochemical genetic defect that reduces the ability to fight infections (gene therapy is currently being tested, at a proposed cost of $311,000 per year). Frequent lung infections are the hallmark of cystic fibrosis, without consideration of whether a lung infection is the disease; and the infection is causing an altered immune system, genetic defects, and endothelial damage. Cystic fibrosis is treated symptomatically, and patients suffer for a lifetime, may require a lung…..
During Dr. Merchant’s 42-year medical career, our beliefs about the root causes of chronic disease evolved. Dr. Merchant believed patients should get better or at least improve and worked toward that goal, by focusing on diagnosing what he could and treating what he could diagnose. “The Origin of Disease: The War Within” evolved over many years, as the successful, unexpected and even miraculous outcomes shaped his beliefs and theory. Dr. Merchant treated many chronic diseases based on the diagnosis of…..
Dr. Merchant’s grandfather, Crede Calhoun, moved to Panama, at age 18, and after obtaining a degree in journalism, from the University of Wyoming, returned to Panama. He became Chief of the Division for Civil Affairs and Director of Posts, from 1916-1947; and was a passenger on the first ship to cross the Panama Canal. He continued to work as a journalist, writing articles for the New York Times, New York Herald Tribune, and Newsweek; and after retiring as Chief of…..
Recent Posts
- Exciting news about The Origin of Disease: The War Within
- Medicine is overwhelmed with knowledge, yet starving for ideas on how to use the knowledge to benefit patients
- Regressive developmental disorders can be caused by toxoplasmosis
- Childhood epilepsy syndromes can be caused by toxoplasmosis
- Fragile X disorders may slow or improve with targeted antibiotic treatment