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In acute traumatic injuries, sprains, and other such conditions in which early
analgesic therapy is required, I think that DMSO would have an important role in
therapy, because of the rapidity of its action and the simplicity of its application.
I would construe that as a rather favorable comment from Dr.
Baum.
Mr. BENNETT. Did I imply something that would make me be in
disagreement with that? Because if so, I did not intend to.
The CHAIRMAN. Any questions?
MS. OAKAR. Thank you, I do have a few questions.
First of all, thank you for being here and being so patient in
staying.
Mr. Bennett, you mentioned initially that it seems somewhat
voguish for people to lure people to Mexico for DMSO treatments
and call this a wonder drug. I hope I am not misquoting you. None
of the people we heard from this morning and this afternoon
practice in Mexico, that I know of.
Dr. Scherbel, from my city of Cleveland, is chief of rheumatology
at Cleveland Clinic, one of the most renowned in the country. I do
not recall anyone calling it a wonder drug. So I do not think that
term has been used that we have heard, so I do not know who does,
but none of our witnesses have.
Mr. BENNETT. Dr. Jacob himself, I believe, certainly on "60 Min-
utes" last night, accepted the fact that yes, in its early days that is
the way it was acclaimed. I do not think the scientists have said
that in recent years. But the Mexican thing has made it so to the
arthritis sufferer, to the public.
MS. OAKAR. We do not want people to go to Mexico. What does
the Arthritis Foundation recommend for its members in the relief
of arthritis; anything?
Mr. BENNETT. Oh, yes.
Are you talking about rheumatoid arthritis?
MS. OAKAR. Let's say rheumatoid arthritis.
Mr. BENNETT. Do you want me to go into the basic plan in brief?
It is a combination of medication, rest and exercise. That is a very
oversimplified summary of it.
Ms. ÓAKAR. What medication specifically do you recommend?
Mr. BENNETT. The Arthritis Foundation reflects the recommen-
dations of the experts; we do not make the recommendations our-
selves.
Ms. OAKAR. What do the experts that you quote--
Mr. BENNETT. Aspirin is usually the drug of first choice. In those
patients who cannot tolerate it in the dosage that is necessary to
keep their inflammation under control, or in whom it does not
work, then there are other somewhat more complex drugs that are
tried in turn.
You are dealing with a disease for which there is not any cure.
Therefore, the problem is to try to keep everything under control.
There is a certain amount of trial and error because patients vary
so much from one patient to the next.
Ms. OAKAR. You are familiar with the fact that new studies have
found that aspirin really is counterproductive. Some studies show
that it produces an abnormally low ascorbic acid or vitamin C
levels. I am a lay person concerning this, but isn't it an essential in
collagen formation? At times it seems what we have traditionally
recommended for some older Americans is the worst thing they can
