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substantiated in preliminary studies in humans who are brought
into the hospital with severe injuries.
The CHAIRMAN. Have you anything else to add to your original
statement, Doctor?
Dr. DE LA TORRE. No, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. Well, we are very pleased to have you.
Do you think that DMSO might have any efficacy against brain
tumor?
Dr. DE LA TORRE. A brain tumor is a mass that is pressing on the
brain. I seriously doubt that DMSO would dissolve that tumor.
However, it might be useful to use DMSO following removal of
the tumor and the consequences related to the surgery, where one
might get swelling of the tissue after the excision of a tumor. So it
might be useful in that sense.
The CHAIRMAN. I just wanted to ask one other question. Did
someone say that it ight have some salutary effect upon reducing
high blood pressure?
Dr. DE LA TORRE. Only so far as a brain injury is concerned. For
example, when the brain is traumatized, there is a condition that
can result in increased blood pressure.
We don't know exactly what mechanisms are involved there. But
besides affecting the blood pressure, it also affects the lungs and
other organs. The perfusion to the brain is diminished. If we find a
drug that can increase this perfusion, it can prevent its lethal or
devastating damage to the brain cells and possibly to cells in other
organ systems.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much.
Would my colleagues forego just a moment and let's hear Dr.
Marvin Paul. Dr. Paul is a staff member of Mount Sinai Hospital,
Toronto, Canada, and a former team physician for the Toronto
Maple Leafs.
Dr. Paul graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of
Medicine in 1957. He is presently a general practitioner. In the
early 1970's, Dr. Paul was the clinical investigator for the Health
Protection Branch of the Canadian Ministry of Health and Welfare
to research the use of DMSO on humans.
May I, without immodesty, Dr. Paul, mention the fact that I
have the honor to have an honorary degree from the University of
Toronto.
Dr. PAUL. A good university.
The CHAIRMAN. We welcome your statement.
STATEMENT OF DR. MARVIN PAUL, TORONTO, CANADA,
FORMER TEAM PHYSICIAN, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Dr. PAUL. Basically I came here to talk about DMSO and its use
in soft tissue injuries, particularly sports injuries. But now that
you mention this work that I did early in the 1970's, that is, severe
chronic rheumatoids and scleroderma. I did work with a small
number of patients with scleroderma, and it was based on my work
that the Food and Drug Directorate in Ottawa approved the use of
DMSO in the treatment of scleroderma.
This drug is now available, made by a pharmaceutical house
called Frank Horner, Ltd. and is marketed as a drug called
Kemsol. It might be of interest to you here in the United States;
