Doctor worked to unlock secrets of human brain
Dr. Abram Hoffer once wrote: “I give my critics full credit for having delayed the full introduction of orthomolecular medicine into the medical world and for having denied life, health and happiness for innumerable patients.”
It seems the perfect glimpse into the mind of the Saskatchewan man who gained knowledge of so many others’ brains while facing doubt from many in the world of psychiatry.
Born in 1917 in a farmhouse in southwest Saskatchewan, Hoffer would go on to the universities of Minnesota and Toronto before returning to his home province in 1950 to organize a provincial research division in psychiatry.
It was during that time he teamed with England’s Dr. Humphry Osmond to discover treatments for schizophrenia, high cholesterol and alcoholism.
The pair found LSD could recreate the symptoms of schizophrenia and studied the physiology of a person while on the drug, leading to the discovery of adrenochrome (oxidized excess adrenalin with psychedelic properties that they suggested could induce schizophrenia).
They had much success treating schizophrenics through the use of high doses of anti-oxidants niacin and vitamin C.
Hoffer and Osmond also treated alcoholics with LSD, finding the drug could simulate the lifechanging hallucinations drinkers could have that led them to stop drinking. Despite criticism from the medical community, schizophrenics would sometimes show up at the door of Hoffer’s Saskatoon home asking for help.
In recent years, more research into oxidization and vitamin use has been undertaken to learn more about treating diseases of the brain.
Hoffer died in Victoria in 2009 at the age of 91.
As we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, the Leader-Post and StarPhoenix are telling the stories of 150 Saskatchewan people who helped shape the nation. Send your suggestions or feedback to sask150@postmedia.com.