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Miracle cures! Blackmail and revenge! One single man
threatening to overthrow the medical profession!
These might be some taglines for The Cure, an in-progress
documentary about the work of Anthony G. Holland, a professor of music at
Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Holland is also an amateur scientist
who has been running with a much-discussed idea that is steeped in mystery and
often dismissed as quackery.
Royal Raymond Rife (1888-1971) is a central figure in this
discussion. In the 1930s, Rife claimed to have discovered a "mortal oscillatory
rate" for various pathogens, meaning that causing these organisms to vibrate at
specific frequencies effectively destroys them. He went as far as inventing the
"Rife machine", a simple electrical device which passes tiny amounts of current
into a patient's skin. Rife himself further claimed that his work and findings
were brought down and discredited by the American Medical Association, which he
claimed was at the center of powerful conspiracies against him.
Royal R. Rife (left) with his Rife machine. Via RifeSecrets
Rife was largely forgotten until his work was revived by the
1987 book The Cancer Cure that Worked,
which spawned numerous businesses marketing and promoting the "Rife machine",
as well as dozens of medical fraud lawsuits.
Holland was intrigued by this research, enough to try to
construct a Rife machine on his own. For over six years, Holland conducted
experiments on pancreatic cancer and leukemia cells using a homebrew setup
consisting of a simple frequency generator and several amplifiers. Holland claims that, while his initial
experiments using a single signal were ineffective, by combining two
frequencies to strengthen the high harmonics of one signal he was able to
obliterate certain cells on certain frequencies. If this sounds familiar, it's
similar to the principle that enables the human voice to shatter a
glass. Although his early findings were marked with inconsistencies,
Holland claims to have destroyed 90% of some pancreatic cancer samples using
one signal.
Mr. Holland at his day job. Via The Saratogian
Anthony Holland conducted his experiments at Skidmore's
biology department lab and at the lab of his former student Jonathan Brody, a
scientist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Holland formed Novobiotronics, his own
non-profit firm, in 2011 to continue his research, and has published data from various
trials on his site.
While both Rife and Holland may both be dismissed as
eccentric amateurs, this is a clear case of an accomplished musician's
inspiration to dip into science. And who knows? He just might be onto
something.
References:
This
American Life - Mr. Holland's Opus (radio transcript)
The
Cure Blog
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