Linus Pauling

Linus Carl Pauling (February 28, 1901 – August 19, 1994) was an American physical chemist, widely regarded as the premier chemist of the twentieth century. Pauling was a pioneer in the application of quantum mechanics to chemistry, and in 1954 was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work describing the nature of chemical bonds. He also made important contributions to crystal and protein structure determination, and was one of the founders of molecular biology. Pauling received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 for his campaign against above-ground nuclear testing, becoming the only person in history to individually receive two Nobel Prizes (Marie Curie won Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry, but shared the former and won the latter individually; John Bardeen won two Nobel Prizes, but both were in the field of physics, and both were shared; Frederick Sanger won two Nobel Prizes in chemistry, but one was shared). Later in life, he became an advocate for regular consumption of massive doses of Vitamin C, a regimen now regarded as medically unorthodox.

Work in alternative medicine

Pauling's scientific work in his later years generated controversy and was regarded by many scientists as outright quackery. In 1966, at the age of 65, he began to champion the ideas of biochemist Irwin Stone, who proposed that massive doses of Vitamin C could prevent colds. Eventually Pauling went beyond this, to the idea that Vitamin C could prevent cancer. While most scientists do not believe that there is any validity in these claims, a few, convinced that this is one of a number of cases where substances naturally in the body can be used to prevent disease, established a new discipline called orthomolecular medicine.

Related Topics:
Quackery - 1966 - Biochemist - Irwin Stone - Vitamin C - Colds - Cancer - Orthomolecular medicine

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On Pauling's retirement in 1974, he and some of these scientists founded the Institute of Orthomolecular Medicine (now the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine) in Palo Alto, California. The Pauling Institute no longer subscribes to his recommendations for Vitamin C supplementation. Dr. Matthias Rath, one of Pauling's collaborators from this time, has continued research into the effects of large amounts of Vitamin C on the human body. One proposal put forward by Rath and Pauling includes the idea that humans naturally have elevated levels of cholesterol (and atherosclerotic plaque build-up in arteries) to prevent the negative effects of scurvy (extreme vitamin C deficiency), which would kill them much sooner than cardiovascular disease.

Related Topics:
1974 - Palo Alto - California - Matthias Rath

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pauling died of prostate cancer on August 19, 1994 at 7:20 pm the age of 93 in Big Sur, California.

Related Topics:
Prostate cancer - Big Sur, California

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~