Beginning in 1924, the Electronic
Medical Foundation promoted and distributed 15 different fake health
machines of the Abrams vintage. The Depoloray, Depolatron, Oscillioclast,
and Electropad were just four of the 15. Dr. Abrams original device is
known in our era as the infamous Black Box. It essentially had a small
well where the medical physician was to place a personal item of the
patient such as a picture of the patient, a piece of clothing worn by
the patient, hair and even human tissues. Then a small rubbing plate
slid over the well. The physician then rubbed the plate to hear the
squeak. In his era not only did the number of the squeaks add up to a
type of disease it was also the sound of the squeak. Later Abrams added
a dial to increase or decrease frequencies allegedly to simulate the
frequency of the patients tissues which produced their own frequency
noise! The actual sound was amazing. To this editor the noises
produced sounded like those that accompanied early sci-fi movies to give
one the willies!
Claims were made for the device
ranging from a method of confirming static palpation, to determining if
aberrant frequencies were noted. If the frequencies could not be matched
then the physician allegedly could change the dial to match the radio
frequencies to the correct vibrations. These devices were in vogue from
the 1920's through the early 1960's with numerous copy- cat imitators
from various professions.
For example in the chiropractic
profession a Dr. I.N. Toftness, was an early follower of Dr. Abrams and
brought this Abrams method or scheme to the Chiropractic profession
depending on how permissive relative to quackery one is. He presented
the same theory of disease, theory of detection for diseases, better
method of palpation and of course detection of vertebral subluxations as
well as a theoretical treatment. It is a form of practice he employed
for some forty odd years or so.
In those days anyone with a
nebulous idea could pass on some form of hucksterism. Realize that if
one cannot relate to some cure claim or diagnostic device by one who is
looked up to like their doctor they tend to believe it.
In 1936 I.N. Toftness D.C. began
developing his own personal version of Abrams Quack Machines for the
Chiropractic profession. He started with a Toftness- like Rubbing plate
also known as an Abrams-like article of device. It was very crude in
comparison to Abrams more advanced medicine show. He called it the
Toftness Radiation Detector. It was similar to a drumhead or plate,
which was rubbed producing Abrams infamous squeaking sound. In those
days anyone with a way out idea could pass on some form of treatment no
matter how bizzare to common sense. In fact as you will see, even today
in 2003, deluded practitioners are developing Abrams-like rubbing plates
gizmos and devices.
Over the years this plate changed
costumes by updating materials and fashions to always look impressive.
However because of the lack of acceptance by the rubbing plate within
organized chiropractic, I.N. attempted to develop other materials which
would amplify the sound he produced by the rubbing of his fingers on the
surface plate of his articles of device. He evens later developed
electrical rubbing plates, which demonstrated friction on anyone's
fingers that would rub them to demonstrate what he alleged he could
feel.
He originally used the rubbing
plates as a biofeedback concept that would enhance his palpation skills
by rubbing the plate with one hand while palpating a patient's spine
with the other. Even at the end of his seminar series in the 1980's he
stated he could put his T.R.D. over the floor and rub it with his left
hand while he rubbed the spine with his right hand claiming the energy
transferred through his body from his right palpating hand to his left
rubbing hand and elicited a squeak from the Toftness detector
surface.
Of course insurance carriers both
Workers Compensation, Group Health, Managed Care, Medicaid and Medicare
paid for these types of claims as Manual Medicine even though it never
occurred. As he rubbed the plate he would count the number of friction
squeaks. The higher the number the worse your illness. This magic trick
of course is now revealed to the third party payer and billions were
lost over the years to these types of devices.
However after being a disciple of
Abrams, Toftness also believed that he could feel a heat arising from
the spine while rubbing over the spinous process, and gluteal area and
about the skull without any article of device. He believed he had
developed this sixth sense of feeling by his practice with his left hand
over the rubbing plate while palpating with his right hand. He also
believed he could at times feel this heat right through patients
clothing by simply holding his hand over a patient. However because his
colleagues could not reproduce the "feeling" of heat he believed he
detected with his new sixth sense, he proceeded to develop a radionics
like device of course with a rubbing plate which would amplify the heat
he believed he was feeling. Thus he believed the rubbing plate could be
used to feel a heat arising from the body when subluxation or disease
was present and proceeded on with the concept that he had to developed a
medical device which would allow others to feel what he could. Remember
he believed he had developed a six sense which others did not have. But
with training and utilization of a rubbing plate to practice on and then
after practice one would advance to a Toftness-like medical device,
which would enable others to "feel" the heat.
In 1958 the FDA attained a
permanent injunction against the interstate shipment of Abrams radionic
devices. These devices all had rubbing plates. In 1961 the FDA filed
criminal contempt charges against the Electronic Medical Foundation.
Upon completion of the elimination of these types of frauds from the
much larger Medical Profession, the focus then was shifted to the much
smaller copy cat (e.g., md invented and promoted the concept)
Chiropractic Profession.
In the early 1960's five
condemnation decrees were made. The device at that time was called a
TRMD or Toftness Research Model Device. Five charges were filed on
08-16-62, 08-27-62, 09-21-62, 10-08-63 and 07-13-67. Subsequently these
devices at Milwaukee, Boyceville, Eau Claire, Ladysmith, Marshfield, and
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, were shipped to those cities from the
Toftness Chiropractic Clinic, Cumberland, Wisconsin, subsequent to their
shipment to the clinic by the Electronic Instrument Co., Tiffin, Ohio;
the devices at Cumberland, Wisconsin, were shipped to the clinic by L.A.
Nyberg, D.C., Wilomar, Minnesota, and Jennings I Wilson, Minneapolis,
Minnesota; the devices at Cambedge, Minnesota, and at Davenport, Des
Moines, Indianola, and Keosauqua were shipped from the Toftness
Chiropractic Clinic, Cumberland Wisconsin, and the device at Columbia
Heights, Minnesota, was shipped by an unknown shipper following its
manufacture by the Toftness Chiropractic Clinic, Cumberland, Wisconsin;
and the labeling of the devices lacked adequate directions for use for
the purpose for which they were intended, mainly, for the diagnosis of
disease in man, since they were worthless for such purpose; 502(f)(1).
Subsequently the Toftness
Post-Graduate School of Chiropractors and the Foundation for the
advancement of Chiropractic Research, both of Cumberland, Wis, filed a
joint claim and answer. Interrogatories were served by the Government
and the claimants subsequently answered, depositions were taken, and in
the course of the proceedings the actions against the devices in the W.
Dist. Wis, Dist. of Minnesota. and S. Dist. of Iowa were transferred and
consolidated for trial with the action in the E. Dist. of Wisconsin. On
06-28-71, the claimants having consented to the entry of a decree
without admitting or denying the allegations of the libels, the court
entered a decree of condemnation and authorized the release of the
devices to the claimants for salvage of the parts from the devices under
the supervision of the Food and Drug Administration.
Thus 5 seizure actions at
Milwaukee. E. Dist. Wisconsin; Boycelville, Cumberland, Eau Claire,
Ladysmith, Marsh field, Wisconsin Rapids, W. Dist. Wisconsin; Cambridge
and Columbia Heights; Dist. Minnesota; and Davenport, Des Moines,
Indianola and Kecfsauqua, S. Dist. Iowa occurred.
Again in 1972, the Toftness
Radiation Detector device surfaced after our government had attempted to
speak to its citizens in a gentle manner. At Reno, Dist. Nev charges
were filed 10-03-1972 when the device was shipped by Dr. Harold Holmby,
Reno, Nev., from Cumberland, Wis, the labeling of the article lacked
adequate directions for use for its intended purposes, since adequate
directions cannot be written for use by laymen for such purposes, and
the article was not exempted as a prescription device, since adequate
information for use by licensed practitioners could not be furnished;
502(f)(1). A default decree authorized delivery to FDA for exhibit and
testing purposes. (F.D.C. No. 58296; S. No. 74-819 F; NJ No.62).
In the U.S. District Court for
the District of Oregon due to the high level of consumer complaints, an
action was filed as the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, plaintiffs, V. An
article of device consisting of one device, more or less, labeled in
part; (end of cylinder) "Toftness Post-Graduate School of Chiropractic,
Inc., 1425 Second Avenue, Cumberland, Wisconsin 54829.
This was in 1975 by United States
Marshal Everett R. Langford, and United States Attorney for the District
of Oregon: Sidney I. Lezak and Craig J. Casey, Assistant United States
Attorney.
As simple as can be put, this
case was filed only because to quote "CAUTION; FEDERAL LAW RESTRICTS
THIS DEVICE TO SALE BY OR ON THE ORDER OF A CHLROPRACTOR." and also
including as accompanying labeling the following items or written,
printed, and graphic matter relating to the article: (one 2-page manual)
"Toftness Radiation Detector Instructions for use...(one 5-page patent)
"United States Patent 3,626,930..." Defendant, Civil No. 75-309.
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
...the above described article was taken into the possession of the
United States Marshal for the District of Oregon, pursuant to a warrant
issued by the Clerk of the United states District Court for the District
of Oregon in the entitled suit for condemnation and forfeiture, brought
under the provisions of 21.U.S.C 301 et seq., wherein it is sought to
have the above entitled article condemned and forfeitured for the
following reasons: That the aforesaid article was misbranded when
introduced into, while in, and while held for sale after shipment in
interstate commerce, within the meaning as said Act, 21 U.S.C. 352 (f)
(l) in that its labeling fails to bear adequate directions for use for
the purposes for which it is intended, since adequate directions cannot
be written for use by laymen of the article for such purposes; and the
article is not exempt from the requirements of 21 U.S.C. 352 (f) (1)
under regulations 21 CFG 1.106 (d) since adequate information for use of
the article cannot be furnished under which practitioners can use the
article safely and for the aforesaid purposes. All persons claiming any
fight, title, or interest in and to the above... 1975, to show cause, if
any there be, why the same should not be decreed against and forfeited
to the United States... The charges were ethically made because of
"Inadequate directions for use" the product was seized in Salem, Oregon.
on 04-28-1975 and also Cornelius, Oregon., 04-25-1975. Both devices were
shipped from Toftness Post-Graduate School of Chiropractic, Inc.
Cumberland, Wisconsin. (M,S)...end of "PART 1 ©. Dr. Scott Neff, DC DABCO MPS-BT CFE DABFE
FFABS FFAAJTS
