Ralph W. 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" referring to health-related topics. In his own entourage he is mostly termed as a "medical writer", a "science writer" or an "independent researcher". Referring to 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[1] and in “Moss Reports” and “Cancer Chronicles” Moss on the one hand circulates demagogic views referring to orthodox scientific medicine (especially cancer therapies), on the other hand he tries to further certain unconventional cancer therapies without any proven personal competence in this field. Moss is regarded as an opponent of medical chemotherapy in cases of cancer, which he considers to be inhumane[2]. But when referring to some far out unorthodox therapies and obvious alternative medical humbug he also writes critical articles, so for example, in the cases of the 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 against severe diseases such as cancer. In this context he advocates yoga, homeopathy or Therapeutic Touch[3]. He is also seen as 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[4]. 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 through 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
About Moss no sufficient biographical documentation is to be found, not even on his own homepages. What appears is a BA diploma of New York University in 1965 (greek and eastern history and religion) and an MA degree of Stanford University in 1973 where he attained a PhD (in "Classical Languages and Literature"). But Moss is no physician and therefore he has no degree in medicine, no MD. But on various German language homepages he wrongly figures as a doctor of medicine. Moss claims to have been Assistant Director of Public Affairs of the renowned Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1974 and 1977. This fact, however, is called in question by critics pointing to documents where he is only referred to as a “science writer”[5]. 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.”[6] The full reason of his dismissal came to the fore when Moss appeared at a press conference of amygdaline adherents and accused his employer of suppressing studies advocating the use of Amygdaline (Laetrile)[7]. 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[8]. Before the year 2002, the year when ICT originated, there is no known scientific article 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 appears on his own websites as honorary member and scientific adviser to the German Society of Oncology (DGO - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Onkologie e. V.)[9]. This organization, however, is only a private society (Verein, association) located in 83043 Bad Aibling (Bavaria)[10] and has nothing to do whatever with the DKFZ, the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. The aims of the above mentioned DGO are furthering 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.
Weblinks
- http://www.quackwatch.com/04ConsumerEducation/Reviews/moss.html
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/24860924@N07/page1
- My visit to Germany
References
- ↑ "Cancer Communications inc", PO Box 1076, Lemont, PA 16851, USA
- ↑ Ralph W. Moss: Conventional cancer therapy is so toxic and dehumanizing that I fear it far more than I fear death from cancer. We know that conventional therapy doesn't work--if it did, you would not fear cancer any more than you fear pneumonia. It is the utter lack of certainty as to the outcome of conventional treatment that virtually screams for more freedom of choice in the area of cancer therapy. Yet most alternative therapies regardless of potential or proven benefit, are outlawed, which forces patients to submit to the failures that we know don't work, because there's no other choice.
- ↑ http://www.ralphmoss.com/nytimes1.html (10/1/2001)
- ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16484715?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=9
- ↑ http://www.quackwatch.com/04ConsumerEducation/Reviews/moss.html
- ↑ "NIH OAM Director Resigns. Herbert Calls For Investigation Of Appointees," NCAHF Newsletter 1994 17 5 [1]
- ↑ http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/950717/archive_032434.htm
- ↑ http://ict.sagepub.com/
- ↑ http://www.ralphmoss.com/dgohonor.html
- ↑ http://www.dgo-info.de/