Carl Pfeiffer (pharmacologist)

Carl Pfeiffer (pharmacologist)

Carl Curt Pfeiffer, M.D., Ph.D. (1908–1988) was a physician and biochemist who researched schizophrenia, allergies and other diseases. He was Chair of the Pharmacology Department at Emory University and considered himself a founder of what two-time Nobel prize winner, Linus Pauling, PhD., named orthomolecular psychiatry and published in the Journal Science. 1968 Apr 19;160(3825):265-71.. Pfeiffer was native of Peoria, Illinois and obtained his bachelors and doctorate in pharmacology from University of Wisconsin and medical degree from University of Chicago. He has written several books on nutrition, trace metals, and biochemistry imbalances. Results of his studies have allowed some people suffering from chemical imbalances to gain stability without the use of prescription drugs.

In 1977, it was revealed that Pfeiffer was one of the researchers involved in behavior experiments for the Central Intelligence Agency. Between 1955 and 1964, under the project titled MK-SEARCH; he administered LSD to inmates in the Atlanta penitentiary and in New Jersey Bordentown Reformatory. These tests were given with full informed consent and were focusing on mind control. Pfeiffer was interested in trace element and mineral metabolism in schizophrenia and what is now known as bipolar disorder and investigated the therapeutic uses of amino acids in various illnesses. Pfeiffer and co-workers reported that about a third of all the patients they examined had very high basophil counts, very high blood histamine levels and anomalies in their trace metal levels. Pfeiffer collaborated with Abram Hoffer. Pfeiffer founded the Princeton Brain-Bio Center, an outpatient treatment facility specializing Orthomolecular Psychiatry and Medicine. Pfeiffer also helped supervise, a residential treatment facility in Skillman, NJ known as the Earth House which was founded by one of Pfeiffer's recovered schizophrenic patients––Rosalind LaRoche who dedicated herself to supporting to Dr. Pfeiffer and Nutritional/Orthomolecular medicine.

The Pfeiffer Treatment Center in Warrenville, Illinois treats patients with psychiatric ailments according to Pfeiffer's megadose therapy ideas. Pfeiffer's Law states, "For every drug that benefits a patient, there is a natural substance that can achieve the same effect." Pfeiffer found that biochemical imbalances were responsible for many psychological problems. After studying more than 20,000 schizophrenic patients he was able to divide schizophrenia into three biochemical groups: Histapenia, Histadelia, and Pyroluric 2,3. Once a patients chemical division was identified through laboratory analysis; a specific biochemical treatment can begin.

Of all the disorders he studied, Pfeiffer was focused intently on Schizophrenia. He used the terms: the waste basket diagnosis, the plague of mental disease, demon possession and insanity. He felt the word schizophrenia was an inadequate and misleading diagnosis. He believed that "disperceptions of unknown cause" was a more appropriate definition. In his book, 'Twenty-Nine Medical Causes of Schizophrenia', he gives a comprehensive list of medical causes of schizophrenia broken down into three categories: well-known, less-known, and almost unknown. Pfeiffer discovered that 90% of schizophrenics have either histapenia or histadelia. Histapenia involves depressed blood histamine and basophils, and elevated serum copper. Symptoms include paranoia, suicidal depression, auditory and visual hallucinations, religiosity, and sleep disorder. Histadelia involves elevated blood histamine and symptoms include delusions, severe depression, obsessive/compulsive behavior, and blank mindedness. Pyloria is caused by an overproduction during hemoglobin synthesis of kryptopyrrole, which chemically combines with vitamin B₆ and zinc, this results in their excretion and severe deficiency of both essential nutrients. Symptoms include light skin, poor wound healing, absence of dream recall, internal tension, severe depression, assaultive behavior and delusions.

Pfeiffer found that most depressed persons were born with a predisposition for depression. However, with biochemical treatment; approximately 85% of people were successful in overcoming depression.

Pfeiffer conducted a 12 year study which allowed him to classify behavior disorders into four categories based on trace metal patterns. Type A: high copper/zinc ratio, depressed hair sodium, potassium and lead sensitivity. These individuals exhibit episodes of fighting, oppositional behavior and mood swings. Type B: depressed hair copper, pyloria, elevated histamine and elevated toxic metals. They exhibit assaultive behavior, absence of remorse, pathological lying, fascination with fire and cruelty twoards animals. Type C: "mal absorbers", tend to be slender, usually impulsive and oppositional. Type D: depressed manganese and chromium levels. They exhibit nonviolent delinquent behavior.

Due to his studies and research the Carl Pfeiffer Treatment Center has a 70% success rate based on treatment of 500 children with learning disabilities, hyperactivity, ADD, and dyslexia.

Carl Pfeiffer died at the age of 80 at the Princeton Brain Bio Center. He suffered a heart attack at his desk where he had spent so much of his life in research.