Schizophrenia is Caused by a Mescaline-Like Substance

Introduction

In 1952 a brilliant paper was published in England by Osmond & Smythies in the Journal of Mental Science, a prestigious psychiatry publication. Osmond was disappointed with the reception he got to this article, which claimed that DMPEA, a mescaline-like substance similar to brain catecholamines, caused schizophrenia. This toxic substance was created by abnormal methylation.

Osmond was so mad that he moved to Saskatchewan, Canada. However, professor Nolan Lewis of the US was impressed by the theory. Osmond met Dr. Abram Hoffer, who was also impressed.

Hoffer

Hoffer modified the theory, thinking that the unknown toxin was adrenochrome. Adrenochrome is an oxidation product of adrenaline that is toxic. However, there is very little adrenaline in the brain. He got some support from Altschule of Massachusetts. However, most psychiatrists rejected the adrenochrome theory. They felt that there wasn't enough evidence for it. To this day Hoffer, who invented his version of the theory in the Fifties, sticks to the adrenochrome theory.

Hoffer was director of psychiatric research in a mental hospital in Saskatchewan. Osmond was made the director of the hospital. Unfortunately Osmond is now deceased. Hoffer is in his ninties and still working hard! Nolan Lewis is deceased, unfortunately.

Both Hoffer & Osmond got support from Linus Pauling. It seems that Hoffer had a Ph. D. in biochemistry as well as an M.D. Osmond was a psychiatrist. Pauling was a chemistry professor who won two unshared Nobel Prizes! All three were prolific writers. Hoffer & Osmond thought that nutrition should be used as a treatment. This was supported by Pauling. I also support his, but my theories are different.

The three were severely criticized by the APA (American Psychiatric Association), heavily funded by the drug companies. However, Pauling blasted them back saying that they were biased and that they only looked at the niacin treatment. Pauling's theories were much more general than just niacin.