11
But they must get over the hurdle of it being safe. It is safe. The
only physical side effects I recall was in the early days some
massive doses had some reversible changes in the retina of the eye
of a rodent. That has never been duplicated in a human being.
Sometimes if you get a high concentration and your skin is
tender, you will get a little smarting like you did with Sloan's
liniment. But you can get away from that by diluting it in water.
The smell, they have not done much about the smell.
Mr. FORD. You have not used DMSO for arthritis, is that correct?
Mr. DUNCAN. No. But I have used it for bursitis and its response
of burns. Then I called Dr. Jacob. I was so much in pain, I got the
DMSO and put it on and called the doctor and said, hey, I have
discovered something, I am way ahead of you. But I was not. Every
time I see or I hear of some additional beneficial use of this I call
him and he is way ahead of me.
Mr. FORD. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.
Ms. Oakar, would you also like to make a statement?
Ms. OAKAR. Mr. Chairman, I have a statement I would like to
submit for the record.
The CHAIRMAN. Without objection it will be received.
[The prepared statement follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE MARY ROSE OAKAR
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Select Committee on Aging, I would like to
thank you for holding this hearing and for the opportunity to speak to you today
about this controversial drug, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
In Ohio alone, over 300,000 people suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. This crippling
disease particularly affects women and the elderly, and can be painful, debilitating
and costly. The annual cost to the State of Ohio from arthritic diseases is approxi-
mately 450 million dollars, not including 175 million dollars in lost wages. Further-
more, in Northeastern Ohio there is a ratio of one physician certified as a Rheuma-
tologist to every 200,000 people. When approximately one out of every seven people
nationally is affected by some form of arthritic disease, it becomes readily apparent
why these people are so very vulnerable to sales of products and services which
promise to ease their pains.
It was reported last year in Medical World News (March 5, 1979) that at least
seven clinics have opened in Mexico to treat arthritis patients, primarily Ameri-
cans, with DMSO. There are strong indications of connections between these clinics
and those offering laetrile to cancer patients. The connections are partly philosphi-
cal and partly economic, but the important point is that if the drug is not effective
or safe, thousands of Americans are being needlessly victimized, and if the drug is
safe and effective, then we should be making it available here to those whom it can
help.
Congressional hearings alone cannot determine the safety or effectiveness of a
drug, but we can examine both sides of the DMSO question and consider what
action, if any, is warranted by the Congress.
I hope that you will listen to the testimony of these witnesses carefully. Rheuma-
toid arthritis afflicts 6.5 million Americans, of whom approximately 75 percent are
women. At least 66 percent of those afflicted are elderly. This issue is of deep
concern to me and the other members of the House Select Committee on Aging. We
owe it to our senior citizens to do all that we can to examine and explore means of
making their later years as healthy and as safe as possible. Thank you.
Ms. OAKAR. First of all, I want to commend you for having this
hearing. I want to congratulate my friend, Congressman Duncan,
for being here. He is well known as one of the fairest people and
nicest people in Congress, as well as the most knowledgeable.
Bob, I think you are being a little kind with respect to the FDA,
if you don't mind my saying so. There are many cases, in my
judgment and based on the limited research that we have done
