John Whysner - The Alchemy of Disease: How Chemicals and Toxins Cause Cancer and Other Illnesses

T his book is dedicated to Paul R. Saunders, in whose laboratory I was lucky enough to work beginning in high school. Our studies of the toxicology of venoms, described in , was largely responsible for beginning my career. I am also grateful to Boyd Harding, who was my mentor during my MD-PhD in biochemistry. My fraternity brother from Johns Hopkins Ray Milkman convinced Jerome Jaffe to hire me to work in the Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention, which was part of Richard Nixons Executive Office of the President. This connection not only led me to understanding drug abuse treatment but also provided a connection to my lead-based-paint poisoning prevention studies.

Ken Chase and I were in the same laboratory at the National Institutes of Health. Ten years later, my employment in his medical and consulting practice Washington Occupational Health Associates, Inc., provided my transition into occupational and environmental medicine. I still work for his firm, and the breadth of my experience in toxicology is largely thanks to his confidence in my ability to step into any situation and help the workplace or environment. I am grateful to Gary Williams, who gave me the opportunity to work in his division at the American Health Foundation when I wanted to return to academic laboratory research. There I met and worked for Ernst Wynder, who helped shape my views of the priorities regarding risks to human health. His historical studies in epidemiology and toxicology showing that cigarette smoking caused lung cancer were inspirational to me. My relationship with the veterinary pathologist Gordon Hard at the foundation was valuable to my understanding species differences for the toxic and carcinogenic effects of chemicals.

After I left the American Health Foundation, Paul Brandt-Rauf offered me a faculty position at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. Teaching students in his Department of Environmental Health Sciences was a challenging experience: I had never done it before. Teaching the course Fundamental Principles of Toxicology, with the help of fellow faculty members Greg Freyer, Joseph Graziano, and Tom Hei, forced me to round out my knowledge of toxicology.

I am very thankful to my daughter Kate Whysner, who encouraged me to write this book and edited all of it. My other daughter, Joanna Whysner, involved me in global-warming issues through the kids book that she illustrated, The Global Warming Express. My spouse, Amy Bianco, a trade-science book editor, agent, and buyer, provided me with invaluable help in understanding the process of writing a book and getting it published. Also, I wish to thank her brother Anthony Bianco, who is an accomplished business writer, for helping me put together the proposal for this book. I greatly appreciate the colleagues who reviewed book chapters: Jonathan Borak, Christopher Borgert, Paul Brant-Rauf, Frederick Davis, David Eastmond, Joshua Gardner, Joe Graziano, Gordan Hard, Dominick LaCapra, Sonya Lunder, Bob Pearlman, Jerry Rice, Laurence Riff, Ben Stonelake, and especially Sam Cohen, who reviewed multiple chapters.

Special thanks are owed to the editors at Columbia University Press. Miranda Martin and Brian C. Smith have shepherded my manuscript through numerous review processes and provided encouragement for the required reorganization and corrections, which have greatly enhanced the result. Patrick Fitzgerald was my initial contact, who generously entertained my proposal leading to our contractual arrangement. Columbias production editor Michael Haskell, manuscript editor Robert Fellman, and book designer Chang Jae Lee have greatly enhanced the literary and visual appeal of the book. Finally, I wish to thank the reviewers of the manuscript for Columbia University Press for their valuable criticism and suggestions as well as the Faculty Board and Editorial Committee for their approval.

I acknowledge receiving generous scholarships from the Southern California Alumni for my undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University and the American Cancer Society for my MD-PhD studies and research. I have received funding from the National Science Foundation and Department of the Navy for my cone snail venom research; the National Institute on Drug Abuse for clinical studies of opiate addiction treatment; the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Centers for Disease Control, and the National Bureau of Standards for lead-based-paint poisoning prevention research; and the National Cancer Institute for some of my research at the American Health Foundation. At the American Health Foundation I also received funding from the chemical industry for studies on the mechanism of acrylonitrile-induced tumors in rats, the American Petroleum Institute for studies of the mechanism of benzene-induced acute myelogenous leukemia in humans, Hoffman-LaRoche for DNA binding studies, and the General Electric Corporation for studies on the mechanism of PCB-induced liver tumors in rats.

I disclose that, during my tenure at Washington Occupational Health Associates, I have consulted and provided expert testimony in litigation for the federal government, public utilities, petroleum companies, drug companies, and others regarding polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), petroleum solvents, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals. I have received no funding from the government or industry for the writing and production of this book, and all of the opinions stated herein are mine alone.