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THE NEW ZEALAND MEDICAL JOURNAL
Vol 116 No 1177 ISSN 1175 8716
NZMJ 11 July 2003, Vol 116 No 1177
http://www.nzma.org.nz
The
Rise and Fall of a Scientific Genius: The Forgotten Story of Royal
Raymond Rife
Written,
produced and directed by Shawn Montgomery (c) 2004 Zero Zero Two
Productions
Shawn Montgomery has produced a fascinating video
documentary woven from restored audio tapes, records, photographs and
current interviews. The production quality is high given the technical
problems he undoubtedly overcame and the story that unfolds is
intriguing. There are a few repetitions of information, but these are
minor distractions. He raises the twisting, turning questions that
surround all those associated with heresy, quackery or unrecognised
genius, from Galileo and Semmelweiss to Issels and Milan Brich.
Royal Raymond Rife, "genius scientist", trained for six years
at the Carl Zeiss Optical Company in Germany and became the inventor of
powerful microscopes, leading to the discovery of a revolutionary
therapy for viral diseases. Rife reasoned that if he was going to find a
cure for diseases such as cancer it was important to be able to see the
live virus that caused the disease. The first of several highly advanced
microscopes was built in 1920. Noting that certain microorganisms
absorbed different frequencies of light, he invented a system of
rotating prisms to stain the specimen with light. Extrapolating from
this resonant effect of light, he experimented with electromagnetic
radio waves and discovered that for each type of virus there was a
particular frequency that would cause its disruption.
He subjected test animals in his laboratory to lethal doses of
pathogenic germs and reported that he could invariably save their lives
by subjecting their bodies for a few minutes to the electrical energy of
the properly chosen frequency. These experiments and subsequent clinical
therapies were heralded by his supporters to demonstrate the medical
technology for the next century!
Montgomery presents a good mystery without a clear answer. At least not
for me, since I've seen only the first video volume, Rife's Rise. I
presume the sequel, Rife's Fall, may well cast a critical light on
Rife's discoveries within the context of modern biomedical understanding
or orthodoxy. One gets the impression, however, that is not the way this
story eventually plays out. In the absence of the video sequel, one can
go to Google and search for Royal Raymond Rife. There you will find a
rich assortment of conspiracy theorists and their various attempts to
explain how Rife's ingenious discoveries (including optical microscopic
identification (magnification x 31 000) of living viruses and
"silver bullet", EMR-frequency therapy for polio, most tumours
and viral infections, protozoan, bacterial and fungal diseases, stiff
muscles, headaches, motion sickness and "prostrate") have been
suppressed by the medical/pharmaceutical establishment. What is missing
is a logical and objective analysis of why.
Of course most of this is not scientifically assessed in the first
volume. That is not intended to imply that the last chapter in the long-recognised
relationship between viruses and malignancy has been written. Although
we have an ability to define the linear and sequential relationships
between oncogenes and abberant DNA, our contemporary view of the
temporal and spatial controls determining functional gene behaviour in
the natural history of malignancy is at best myopic. Nevertheless, in
the absence of bona fide substantiation, the FDA currently forbids any
medical claims regarding Rife's therapies.
Randall Allardyce
Senior Lecturer, Department of Surgery
Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences
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