Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine
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The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine (JOM), founded by Abram Hoffer in 1967, publishes studies in nutritional and orthomolecular medicine. There is controversy surrounding the journal, as the validity of the field of orthomolecular medicine is not widely accepted by the mainstream pharmaceutical based medical industry.[citation needed] As of January 2007, the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine was not included among journals selected by the U.S. National Library of Medicine for inclusion in their Medline PubMed database, although it is a valid search term for articles.[1][2]
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[edit] History
In 1967, physicians interested in megavitamin therapy started to publish their own journals. Abram Hoffer had previously published about 150 articles and books, but found it increasingly difficult to publish reports his studies of megavitamin therapies. Hoffer claims that his studies were rejected in a conspiracy of mainstream medicine, prompted by what Hoffer alleges to be extended conflicts of interest on the part of the APA.[3][4]
The Journal of Schizophrenia followed the formation of the Canadian Schizophrenia Foundation and the American Schizophrenia Association in the United States. Hoffer and Humphry Osmond, who developed the theory that schizophrenics suffer due to endogenous production of an epinephrine (adrenaline) based hallucinogen, were called before the Committee of Ethics of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to explain why they were publicizing a treatment, called xenobiotic psychiatry by Dr. Bernard Rimland, which was considered outside of standard psychiatric practice.[5] Hoffer claims that one of the assistant editors of the APA's American Journal of Psychiatry announced that he would never allow any article from Hoffer's group to appear in his journal.
Several name changes occurred: to Schizophrenia; then to Orthomolecular Psychiatry, ostensibly to reflect the increased application of this type of therapy to other mental illnesses; then toJournal of Orthomolecular Medicine.[6]
[edit] Controversial status
The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine is not indexed by MEDLINE, a database of biomedical literature. Journals are selected for MEDLINE by the National Library of Medicine, according to criteria including scope and coverage, quality of content, quality of editorial work, intended audience, quality of the layout, printing, graphics, and illustrations.[7] Exclusion from MEDLINE for the last 30 years has been interpreted by its supporters as confirmation of an alleged bias against orthomolecular medicine.[8] Although the editors of the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine compare JOM favorably with and as similar to Medical Hypotheses,[9] which is indexed, JOM is classified as a "Non-recommended Periodical" by the controversial alternative medicine watch website, Quackwatch.org.[10]
[edit] Notes
- ^ (January 2007.) "List of journals indexed for Medline, 2007." (Website). U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ "Fact sheet: Medline journal section.". (Website.) U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ Megavitamin Therapy In Reply To Task Force Report on Megavitamin and Orthomolecular Therapy in Psychiatry. Canadian Schizophrenia Foundation. August 1976
- ^ Abram Hoffer, Adventures in Psychiatry: The Scientific Memoirs of Dr. Abram Hoffer, KOS Publishing, Toronto, 2005 Review.
- ^ Article by Dr. Hoffer, accessed 23 Sept 2006.
- ^ Archives. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine. accessed online 28 November 2007
- ^ National Library of Medicine page on journal selection for MEDLINE, accessed 23 Sept 2006.
- ^ Saul, Andrew W. (August/September 2006.) "Editorial: Medline bias." Townsend Letter. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ AW Saul, Vitamin Therapy Censorship: Censorship of Vitamin Therapy Research by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, DoctorYourself.Com, Jan 2006, accessed 24 Sept 2006
- ^ List of Nonrecommended Periodicals at Quackwatch.org, accessed 23 Sept 2006.
