Ralph W. Moss

Ralph Moss

Ralph W. Moss is a US-american author of books and topical essays and also supplies pertinent internet products on the subject of alternative medicine including the propagation of conspiracy theories in this field. Moss is not only active as an author of books, but also operates his own websites on the net and sells the so-called "Moss Reports" dealing with health-related topics. His entourage usually refers to him as a "medical writer", a "science writer" or an "independent researcher". Regarding Moss there are dubious vanity titles like nominations in the "Marquis Who‘s Who in America", or "Who‘s Who in the World", "Who‘s Who in Health Care" and "Who‘s Who in Entertainment". In his publications and in internet websites of the “Cancer Communications Inc.” with postal address in Pennsylvania as well as in “Moss Reports” and “Cancer Chronicles”. Moss on one hand circulates demagogic views referring to orthodox scientific medicine (especially cancer therapies), on the other he tries to promote certain unconventional cancer therapies without any proven personal competence in this field. He is regarded as an opponent of medical chemotherapy in cases of cancer, which he considers to be inhumane. But when referring to some far-out unorthodox therapies and obvious alternative medical humbug, he also writes critical articles, e.g. in the cases of the Sodium Bicarbonate Therapy according to Simoncini or of the Germanic New Medicine according to Ryke Geerd Hamer. Moss is to be regarded as a proponent of alternative or pseudo-medical therapies of severe diseases such as cancer. In this context he advocates yoga, homeopathy or Therapeutic Touch. He is also regarded a supporter of the blatantly ineffective Antineoplaston Therapy (ANP) according to Stanislaw Burzynski. Moss also believes in the effectiveness of antioxidants in connection with Chemo- and Radiotherapy, although it is widely known that the formation of free radicals is essential to the effectiveness of these methods. Moss is also known to be a supporter of Virginia Livinston-Wheeler who was of the opinion that cancer originated in an infection with the bacterium "progenitor cryptocydes" and consequently advocated vaccination against cancer. Some time later progenitor cryptocydes turned out to be nothing but an ordinary stem of staphylococcus to be found on the skin of every human being. According to Moss there is a cancer business complex propagating corresponding remedies of the pharmaceutical industries pushing their interests with the help of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the American Cancer Society (ACS), renowned universities, and the Federal Drug Association (FDA). On the other hand reputed US-american institutions are suspected of illicitly qualifying naturopathic therapies as ineffective or not sufficiently tested.

Short Biography

No sufficient biographical documentation is available, not even on his own homepages. There is a BA diploma of New York University dated 1965 (Greek and Eastern History and Religion), and an MA degree of Stanford University dated 1973 where he obtained a PhD (in "Classical Languages and Literature"). But Moss is no physician and therefore has no degree in medicine, no MD. Still he falsely presents himself as a medical doctor on various German language homepages. Moss claims to have been Assistant Director of Public Affairs of the renowned Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1974 and 1977. This claim, however, is called in question by critics pointing to documents where he is only referred to as a “science writer”. Moss describes his job as follows: Officially, my job was to write one article per month for the centre’s newsletter, as well as various press releases and the research section of the annual report. [...] I was science writer in the Department of Public Affairs, responsible for reporting new advances in research and treatment to the general public. My greatest achievement was in writing the first description for the lay public on the discovery of tumor necrosis factor in 1975. He was dismissed from the MSKCC for “failing to properly discharge his most basic job responsibilities.” The true reason of his dismissal became apparent when Moss participated in a press conference of amygdaline adherents and accused his employer of suppressing studies advocating the use of Amygdalin (Laetrile). As a matter of fact MSKCC studies had disputed any effectiveness whatsoever of Amygdaline.

Activities

Moss is the author of about a dozen books and three documentaries. He published about a dozen articles in the magazine for alternative medicine "Integrative Cancer Therapies" ICT. Before 2002, when ICT was founded, there are no known scientific articles written by Moss in the database Medline. Editor in chief of the publication ICT is Keith I. Block who also wrote articles for the commercial "Moss Reports". Moss also held lectures in Germany and, on his websites, claimed he was a honorary member and scientific adviser to the German Society of Oncology (DGO - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Onkologie e.V.). This organisation, however, is nothing but a private association (Verein) located in 83043 Bad Aibling (Bavaria) and has nothing to do whatsoever with the DKFZ, the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. The above mentioned DGO aims at the promotion of alternative medical methods of healing in cancer therapy and Whole-body Hyperthermia (SGHT – Systemische Ganzkörper Hyperthermie). It was founded by the physician and ufologist Hans Nieper and is said to have 500 members.

Versions of this article in other languages

• Deutsch: Ralph W. Moss

Weblinks

• http://www.quackwatch.com/04ConsumerEducation/Reviews/moss.html
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/24860924@N07/page1
• My visit to Germany