Who is Dr. Rath...

[Governor_Quinn]

… and where the hell does he get the money to buy his bizarre ads ranting about pharmacutical companies? I’ve found him twice in the NY Times and once in USA Today. Who is he?

[London_Calling]

You’re not keeping up, are ya Guv … He’s the well-known love child of Dan Rather and Dr Ruth - I’d rant, wouldn’t you ?

Btw, I believe his somewhat grumpy autobiography is entitled ‘The Gripes of Rath’

Thang yew, goodnight and happy Paddy’s day …zzzzzzzzz…

[Dijon_Warlock]

Now that was funny.

As to the OP, I have no idea and have never heard of him.

[Derleth]

Link-a-chow:

http://www.dr-rath-foundation.org/makehealthnotwar/whoweare.html

Dr. [Matthias] Rath was born in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1955. After graduating from medical school he worked as a physician and researcher at the University Clinic of Hamburg, Germany and the German Heart Centre in Berlin. His research focused on the causes of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

So he’s a German-trained cardiologist. He apparently does know a bit more than the run-of-the-mill kook. He certainly can hire someone to make a slick website.

http://www.dr-rath-foundation.org/makehealthnotwar/naturaleradication.html

[quote]
[ol]
[li]The prevention and treatment of diseases based on their root causes instead of the treatment of symptoms.[/li][li]Healthy function of body cells is a precondition of health.[/li][li]Cellular Health Principle #1 – Optimum Supply of Cellular Energy.[/li][li]Cellular Health Principle #2 – Optimum Connective Tissue Strength in Soft Tissues.[/li][li]Cellular Health Principle #3 – Optimum Connective Tissue Stability in Hard Tissues.[/li][li]Independent Health Information and Education Is the Key to Health.[/li][li]Comprehensive Research in Natural Health Is a Cornerstone of a New Healthcare System.[/li][li]Adopt the Scientific Principles of Cellular Health.[/li][li]Elect Political Officials Who Defend the People’s Right to Natural Health.[/li][li]Outlaw the Pharmaceutical Industry’s “Business With Disease,” Not the Dissemination of Information on Effective, Safe and Affordable Natural Health.[/ol][/li][/quote]
So he’s a holistic physician with a beef with the pharmaceutical industry. He thinks that cellular-level maintenence will eradicate disease and that the pharmaceutical industry is really, really bad. Oh, and he’s anti-war, too. I don’t get how that last bit fits with the rest, except if we’ll be sending Pfizer and Glaxxo Wellcome-sponsored cruise missiles against Iraq.

He thinks the pharmaceutical industry is getting rich by deliberately prolonging illnesses and only treating symptoms. Like any good obsessive, he’s given it a name: `The Pharmaceutical “Business With Disease”’:

Clicka haar: http://www.dr-rath-foundation.org/makehealthnotwar/businesswithdiseases.html
The answer is sobering: There is an entire industry with an innate economic interest to obstruct, suppress and discredit any information about the eradication of diseases. The pharmaceutical industry makes over one trillion dollars from selling drugs for ongoing diseases. These drugs may relieve symptoms, but they do not cure. We have to realize that the mission of this industry is to make money from ongoing diseases. The cure or eradication of a disease leads to the collapse of a multi-billion dollar market of pharmaceuticals.

[Leno]Really kooky stuff[/Leno]

Anyway, he’s managed to amass a following (or `Foundation’) of sorts, so that probably pays for his ad space. He’s still fairly kooky, but at least he’s supporting various publications by buying ad space.

[Smeghead]

Wait, wait, lemme guess - he just happens to have his own wonder treatment that cures all manner of disease for sale on his site, right?

[Darth_Nader]

I think I’ll stick with my good ol’ pure-castile soap from Dr. Bronner.

[Jackmannii]

His site (and full-page newspaper ads with Glamour Shots of Dr. Rath) are long on rants and the promise of magical prevention/cure of disease through vitamin therapy, but short on actual relevant research data (his web page of “scientific publications by Dr. Rath” consists of quotes from a book he wrote, not any peer-reviewed research publications).

Try this gem from Dr. Rath:

*"2. Since both diseases (cancer and AIDS) spread in the same way, they can both be stopped by understanding how to block this biological invasion. The natural amino acid lysine, especially in combination with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is able to neutralize these enzymes and to significantly reduce or entirely block the spread of cancer and AIDS.

3. Almost every person on earth suffers from a deficiency in these key nutrients - lysine and vitamin C - because our body is unable to produce neither one of these nutrients. Education about this basic health fact is the first step to control these epidemics."*

Of course, since humans do not suffer from widespread deficiencies in these nutrients, and claims that such deficiencies cause cancer and AIDS are unfounded, the good doctor is propagating quackery.

Worse than that, he appears to be hijacking the war issue to draw attention (and potential funding?) for himself and his organization. There are numerous good reasons to question or oppose the war, but blaming it all on evil machinations of the pharmaceutical industry goes beyond foolish. It gives war proponents ammunition to brand the opposition as loons.

Dr. Rath compares himself to various renowned figures such as Nelson Mandela.

He’s a lot closer to Daffy Duck.