On the matter of Dr Anthony J Morris, my verdict on the research skills of the non-skeptics is quite simple.
I have known Dr Morris personally since 1984, so can say straight up, that PALMD, the practicising internist from the Great Lakes region of the USA, (PALMD's vitriole, pdf'd and uploaded here - just in case he tries to ever deny he said this) has research skills as useless as a mate of his, called Dr Ed Friedlander.If PALMD had used pubmed properly, he would have found all Dr Morris's papers, but then, .... it seems he couldn't figure out his correct name, hmmmmm???
(By the way guys. If you're reading here, this blog URL has been sent to all Dr Morris's friends, and his attorney. A print copy has been airmailed to Dr Morris as well.)
I'm not going to put the evidence these septic non-skeptics can't be bothered finding up here, because it would be pearls before swine. I'd like to see if - ever - people who waste hours writing ignorant blogs about people they can't be bothered to research... can ever actually get it right. Or would it be too much of a blow to their pride to admit that they got it all seriously wrong?
64 Million dollar questions. Will they eat humble pie? Will they apologise to Dr Morris? (Not that he cares)
Because I have the relevant documents, I know what they don't know. And because I know what they can't be bothered finding out, I have to ask this question: "If the research skills of PALMD and Dr Friedlander are this bad, would I want them within a mile of me, should I actually need medical help?"
Seriously folks, if you are patients of either of these men, ...scarey!
What follows is all the information non-skeptics are going to be handed on a plate, by me. The same as was dished up in a mail trail after reading Dr Friedlanders site...,
From: Hilary Butler [mailto:butler@watchdog.net.nz]
Sent: Sunday, 13 September 2009 8:12 PM
To: 'scalpel_blade@yahoo.com'; 'jim@swankin-turner.com'
Subject: On the matter of Dr J. Anthony Morris.
Dear Dr Friedlander, This email is copied into Mr James S Turner, long time lawyer for Dr J. Anthony Morris, who can attest to all of the following and more besides.
You have this text on your site:
I have received a few inquiries about J. Anthony Morris. who is presently cited on many of the anti-immunization sites as having been "the chief vaccine control officer for the United States Food and Drug Administration." On the record of his publications, he was a virologist at the NIH from the 1940's to the time of the swine flu vaccine business. He helped develop several experimental vaccines that did not work, most notably the failed attempts to create an influenza B vaccine in the 1960's following the obvious success of the influenza A vaccine. Not everything works out, in fact most things don't, and this is no reflection on him. His one major paper deals with the discovery that some anti-influenza antibodies are protective and some are not; you can read it in NEJM 274: 527, 1969. In the paper, his title is listed as "Chief, Section on Respiratory Viruses, Division of Biologic Standards, National Institutes of Health." In other words, he was a microbiologist who supervised the standardization of some of the viruses used for research. He is also third author on a paper in Science 116: 117, 1969, which lists his affiliation as "Division of Biologic Standards, National Institutes of Health." He has no major publications after this, and I could find nothing more about him except from anti-immunization activists. I would conclude that the claim that he was "the chief vaccine control officer for the United States Food and Drug Administration" is just one more lie. If Dr. Morris or his family wish to show me evidence to the contrary, or they have something else to say about the whole anti-immunization business, I will post it here.
Dr Morris has never laid claim to developing any experimental flu vaccines whatsoever. He did however, extensively test the effectiveness of all influenza vaccines up until 1976, and investigate why all the influenza vaccines, including A strain vaccines, appeared not to work very well. (You seem to infer that the only source of information which will satisfy you, is for Dr Morris to produce himself, or for his family to contact you. My connections with Dr Morris are no concern of yours, since surely as a scientist, what should really matter are the FACTS on the issue, some of which are stated below. )
In 1976, Dr Morris appearing on the Phil Donahue show. (Perhaps you should talk to him as well?) He had informed his superiors he was going to go public through a variety of media, because none of the information he had provided to those in charge of the campaign had been either acknowledged and used. He was told not to go public. He disobeyed that order in many ways, the Donahue show, being only one way.He informed America, on Phil Donahue's show, that he had been responsible for the testing of the Swine flu vaccine; that it could cause serious allergic and neurological reactions; had a very low potency, and was completely unnecessary as the virus concerned was an ordinary pig virus, and not highly pathogenic, and had died out within two weeks of it's being detected in February, and had not been seen anywhere else.
The FDA fired him, after that appearance, for insubordination. He then employed a Washington lawyer, James S Turner (who is still a lawyer, and who will hold all the files on this very extensive 7-year long case for unfair dismissal by the FDA, which he won. You can contact him here: http://www.swankin-turner.com/jim.html I have copied him into this email.) Given that this is in the public domain, and Mr Turner will have accurate documentation, why have you not talked to James S. Turner?
The media of the time covered Dr Morris's case extensively. For instance, ask the Washington Star to provide you, from the archives of 1976, the major articles they ran on this story. One of them was July 25, 1976. They ran another extensive story on January 5, 1979, The Washington Post on 13 March 1977, ran a major article on the story which included photos of both Dr Morris and James Turner. Many other papers also ran reports of the story as it was huge news at the time.
There is also inaccurate mention of him on page 100 in this book:
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?chapselect=yo&page=100&record_id=12660
J. ANTHONY MORRIS, Bacteriologist, Bureau of Biologics, Food and Drug Administration; discharged under protest, July 1976.
Seems many of his sloppy colleagues besides yourself, don't know how to accurately define his role either.
With regard to your comment about Dr Morris's lack of publications after 1969, again the public record can explain that, if you know where to look. James Turner would also be able to fill you in on why there is no scientific publications from Dr Morris from 1969, if you asked him for that information.
You could also contact Nicholas Wade, or read his article in Science volume 175, 25 February 1972 pages 861 – 866 Called “Division of Biologics Standards: In the matter of J. Anthony Morris”, which details Dr Morris's first battle with DBS from the late 1960's (the “matter” which lead to the senate hearing detailed below). Nicholas Wade, who is still around, interviewed Dr Morris extensively.
This debacle in the late 60's lead to Dr Morris going to Senator Ribicoff, which resulted in high level investigations of various committees into the issues, and then a Senate Hearing. You can obtain, free from your library of congress, a copy of the “Hearings before the Subcommittee on Executive reorganization and Government Research of the Committee on Government operations, United States Senate, Ninety-second congress second session on titles I and II of S.3419, April 20, 21 and May 3, 4 1972.
James S Turner represented Dr Morris in front of the Senate in 1972 as well, so he will have extensive records on Dr Morris's career as well as his findings in both DBS and FDA, which put him so off-side with both organizations, since the two issues were very similar.
This Senate Hearing also details some of the systemic harassment Dr Bernice Eddy after she discovered SV40 as well.
I trust that the information above, will provide you with the start of what should prove an interesting project.
When you have completed your study, perhaps you might like to apologise to Dr Morris (not that he cares. When I discussed this with him, he just snorted, and didn't care whether someone addressed the issues with you or not ….), for behaviour unbecoming of a fellow scientist. If you would direct that apology through James S Turner, I'm sure he will pass it on to Dr Morris.
Sincerely,
Hilary Butler.
Dr Friedlander couldn't be bothered replying, so I jogged his memory
From: Hilary Butler <butler@watchdog.net.nz>
Subject: FW: On the matter of Dr J. Anthony Morris.
To: jim@swankin-turner.com, scalpel_blade@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 7:53 PM
Dear Dr Friedlander,
Below is my email to you from last year. Today, I checked your website, and as attached, found that your information on Dr Morris remains unchanged.
You say “ I give myself out to be a Christian.
I'm a man of integrity, and I demand basic truthfulness from others.”
Talking the talk is one thing, but it would appear that walking it, is another?
Do not be surprised if your refusal to walk the talk, goes viral. I know that you checked with James Turner's office, because Dr Morris told me so.
Sincerely,
Hilary Butler.
to which he replied:
From: Ed Friedlander [mailto:scalpel_blade@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 9 February 2010 7:48 AM
To: Hilary Butler
Subject: Re: FW: On the matter of Dr J. Anthony Morris.
|
Thank you for the opportunity to update myself on Dr. Morris. In fact, in light of the H1N1 business, I've been reviewing influenza vaccines. In looking over my notes from a few years ago, I realized they were unbalanced and I think the revised account is more fair. Dr. Morris's article in NEJM was a superior piece of work and I should have said so. I also regret any suggestion of dishonesty by Dr. Morris -- I believe he is being misquoted presently by the anti-immunization community. Their pattern of deception is outrageous. |
So I went to Dr Friedlander's blog:
And I replied to him as follows:
From: Hilary Butler [mailto:butler@watchdog.net.nz]
Sent: Tuesday, 9 February 2010 6:57 PM
To: 'Ed Friedlander'; 'jim@swankin-turner.com'
Subject: RE: FW: On the matter of Dr J. Anthony Morris.
Dear Dr Friedlander,
Thank you for your reply.
As usual, Jim Turner is copied into this reply to you. I'm also blind copying this into another long term friend of Dr Morris. I'm sure the “joke” will be appreciated.
I see that your site now reads as follows:'
I have received a few inquiries about J. Anthony Morris. who is presently cited on many of the anti-immunization sites as having been "the chief vaccine control officer for the United States Food and Drug Administration." On the record of his publications, he was a virologist at the NIH from the 1940's to the time of the swine flu vaccine business. He helped develop several experimental vaccines, most notably the failed attempts to create an influenza B vaccine in the 1960's following the obvious success of the influenza A vaccine (in the development of which he also participated). Not everything works out, in fact most things don't, and this is no reflection on him. His one major paper deals with the discovery that some anti-influenza antibodies are protective and some are not; you can read it in NEJM 274: 527, 1969. It was a great piece of work. In the paper, his title is listed as "Chief, Section on Respiratory Viruses, Division of Biologic Standards, National Institutes of Health." In other words, he was a microbiologist who supervised the standardization of some of the viruses used for research. He is also third author on a paper in Science 116: 117, 1969, which lists his affiliation as "Division of Biologic Standards, National Institutes of Health." He was dismissed from the FDA, at least in part for talking in public about the risk-benefit ratio of influenza vaccines in the early 1970's. This went to litigation that he evidently won. (Academic politics is bizarre. When a practicing scientist goes on "Donahue", something is not right.) I could find no support for the claim that he was "the chief vaccine control officer for the United States Food and Drug Administration". This looks like a propagated error within the anti-immunization community. I am not aware of any attempt by Dr. Morris himself to mislead others during his time as a scientist. If he has in fact stated that no influenza vaccine has been of benefit to humankind, as is alleged here (warning: vulgar language), then time has proved him mistaken
As far as Dr Morris is concerned, as a result of over a decade of being in charge of the potency testing and studying of all influenza vaccines, none of the flu vaccines tested as efficacious at any time during his long tenure, and there is no flu vaccine which Dr Morris would include in his “health” schedule.
Time has not proven him mistaken.
Nothing has changed, actually, except that the CDC, FDA and people like you, find different, less litigious ways to try to “rope in” the Simonsens of the world – but she does keep popping up most inconveniently (as attached) …., and the CDC and FDA continue to disguise the fact that all flu vaccine suffer from exactly the same “defects” which Dr Morris found in his career, many years ago. And Gerby was suitably rewarded for her staunch support… …. So far, though, no-one has quite been able to rope in the Cochrane Collaboration, which you chose to ignore.
I looked at the blog of October the 10th 2009, which you directed me to. I have attached a pdf of this blog in case you decide to change it, for Jim Turner to see if he's interested. (Jim, I will send a copy to Tony).
You say: I also regret any suggestion of dishonesty by Dr. Morris -- I believe he is being misquoted presently by the anti-immunization community. Their pattern of deception is outrageous. Contrary to your assertions, none of the quotes attributed to Dr Morris, by anti-vaccine sites, are misquoted. Furthermore, your blog does nothing much to rectify your original mischaracterizations at all. All you do is attempt to reduce him to nothingness, and sideline him as some sort of irrelevant nuisance to your cause. Some of your current entry is grossly, factually incorrect and reflects your inability to follow research leads when handed you on a plate..
Hint: Medical articles in many different medical data bases; senate records; Nicholas Wade; Jim Turner; newspaper archives. You will find a swathe of on-paper proof should you really start looking, and asking those who know what really happened, who just might have them all in one place, in boxes. Now, there's a novel thought!
You said you try hard to avoid profanity, Dr Friendlander. ???? As someone who gives themselves to be a Christian, why would you even need to use profanity? Your (colleague's) piece quoted on your blog about Dr Morris is again, wrong, wrong, and wrong. Again, your potty-mouthed piece says more about yourself than it does about Dr Morris.
However, your blog did cause me some amusement: Bill Maher goes on to quote another person, Dr. Jonah Salk. Presumably, he said, "Live virus vaccines against influenza and paralytic polio, for example, may in each instance cause the disease it's intended to prevent."
Were it a genuine quote, the citation would be fairly common, and easy to find. It's safe to conclude, until any contrary evidence comes up, that this quote is fake. Strike two.
Really? Amazing. Such dripping sarcasm and arrogance of ignorance. I have the medical article in which Dr Salk says exactly that. On the contrary, being “genuine”, never guarantees that any ‘needle' will jump out of the daily increasing haystacks, and hit you in the eye, at the click of a mouse. Something you have yet to learn.
Sincerely,
metal coils firmly embedded in pavement replied:
From: Ed Friedlander [mailto:scalpel_blade@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 10 February 2010 12:10 AM
To: Hilary Butler; jim@swankin-turner.com
Subject: RE: FW: On the matter of Dr J. Anthony Morris.
|
We are unlikely to agree, and we are not talking about the same things. What I need to know is, "Was Dr. Morris in fact "the chief vaccine control officer for the United States Food and Drug administration", as is represented on numerous anti-immunization websites. That is really the only issue that I raised in the first place. (red emphasis added above is mine)
It would seem that skeptics also have a disease called:
LITTLE EMPEROR SYNDROME
My final reply to Dr Friedlander is as follows: From: Hilary Butler [mailto:butler@watchdog.net.nz] Dear Dr Friedlander, How can you say this: What I need to know is, "Was Dr. Morris in fact "the chief vaccine control officer for the United States Food and Drug administration", as is represented on numerous anti-immunization websites. That is really the only issue that I raised in the first place Oh puleeze….. Can you not read your original “dripping-with-sarcasm” piece treating Dr Morris like some non-existent nuisance, and then your second piece “merely dismissing” Dr Morris as some irrelevant flea? Please drop the condescending hat, and instead of saying about Jim Turner, “he is welcome to contact me”, why don't you go to him and ask? I gave you all the contacts on 13th September 2009, and I can't believe that you are STILL running around like a headless chook on this issue. For a doctor who considers himself so superior to everyone else, you should have had the information you needed by 15th September 2009 at the latest. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should contact you to spoon feed you on this issue. It also amazes me that you “think” you know that we are not talking about the same thing. I say what I mean, and mean what I say. There is no equivocation in my comments. Perhaps it is you who needs to look at your words, and decide if there is duplicity there. Let me repeat. Dr Morris considered all flu vaccines a waste of time then, and still does to this day. As does Dr Lone Simonsen, if she was actually allowed the breathing space to say what she means without being dog-piled on by the likes of you and your mates. As does the Cochrane Collaboration, which you ignore. We will not agree, but at least I have agreed to disagree in the past, and left you in cyber-peace to live your life as you chose. Your website and blog are condescending, patronizing, and insulting to anyone whose choices are not yours, and also to God whose name you take in vain, yet throw around as if He's conferred a secondary degree in pontifical theocracy onto you, and you alone. We will all be called to account for our words, something I remember every time I write something. You will not be exempt from that, thought you write as if you are. Sincerely, Hilary Butler.
PS
From: Hilary Butler [mailto:butler@watchdog.net.nz]
|
Dear Jim,
After more defamatory vitriole about your client and friend Dr Anthony J Morris, I wrote this blog.
The pdfs of Dr Friedlander's original site and blog information as well as PALMD's blog have been uploaded onto my site, and are embedded into the blog. I've sent printed copies of both PALMD's blog and mine to Dr Morris today. His family and his friends have also been notified. I've also sent the information far and wide. Since neither Freidlander or the others have done the decent thing, I figure it's now time for me to go public.
I'm sure that Tony will not be interested in doing anything. Why waste money on pillocks like these?
