X-Message-Number: 9504
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 02:37:45 -0400
From: Saul Kent <>
Subject: To Bob Ettinger

        This is my response to Bob Ettinger's 
reply (msg #9485 ) to Mike Darwin's offer 
(msg #9483) to come to Michigan with Brian 
Wowk to provide three days of free consultation
and free equipment to help the Cryonics Institute 
(CI) implement Mike's recommendations for 
improving the quality of CI's cryopreservation 
methods.

        I am responding to Bob because Mike
asked me to do so.  As he stated in his offer, Mike
isn't going to be posting on this issue any further.

        I agreed to allow Mike and Brian to offer
their services to CI for 3 days because I believe the 
proper implementation of Mike's recommendations 
would significantly improve CI's cryopreservation
methods.

        I base this opinion on the results of 
extensive research in the 21st Century Medicine 
(21CM) lab, and the opinions of others including 
Dr. Steve Harris, and cryobiologist Greg Fahy.

        Bob replied that CI has been aware of 
Mike's recommendations for a long time, and that 
they've already conducted research in attempts to 
verify some of Mike's conclusions, but have 
been unable to do so.  I look forward to reports 
on this research.
        
        Since Bob chose to give examples of
past recommendations by Mike and Jerry Leaf
that CI found to be "wrong", Mike asked me to 
give his perspective on these issues.

        Bob says that Jerry Leaf was "wrong"
in his concerns about the quality of water used 
in human cases and in research.  Jerry did not
feel he was mistaken about this.  Since Jerry
was suspended in 1992, and is no longer able to
defend his position, Mike asked me to refer to
a recent discussion we had on the importance
of water quality for the organ cryopreservation
research being conducted at 21CM.

        The discussion included Dr. Greg
Fahy, Chris Rasch (who has done extensive 
brain tissue culture work and viability studies 
at Stanford  University), and  Dr. Steve Harris. 

        At issue was the utility of spending 
about $5,000 for equipment to remove pyrogens 
from water, although we already have a high purity 
water generation system at the lab. The decision 
to make this expenditure was unanimous. Chris 
pointed out that, at Stanford, scientists do not find 
their in-house distilled water good enough for their 
research, and that they purchase ultra pure water 
from outside sources.

        Bob also stated that Mike is "wrong" in his
concerns about storing non-sterilized perfusates in the
refrigerator.  Mike asked me to point out that the problem
of water purity and the risk of bacterial growth in per-
fusates is a statistical one.  Although one test may not
show any bacterial growth in a perfusate, it's possible 
that the next one will.  For years it was thought that
Betadine, which is used to disinfect wounds cannot
grow bacteria.  Yet, a major epidemic of infections
occurred from bacteria growing in a single batch of
Betadine.

        In the vitamin business, we've found that
frequent testing is necessary to deliver consistently 
pure products.  That's why the Life Extension Foundation
maintains a state-of-the-art quality control lab for frequent
testing of products, and also commissions assays from
independent outside labs.

        I think it would be fairer of Bob to state that 
there was (and is) a difference of opinion between him 
and Jerry Leaf and Mike Darwin on these issues, 
rather than that Jerry and Mike were "wrong".

        I'm disappointed that Bob chose not to 
accept the offer of three days consultation with Mike 
and Brian. Both Mike and Brian have much to offer 
any cryonics organization, and I'm sorry that CI will 
be missing out on the opportunity to avail 
themselves of their knowledge and talents.

        Mike has informed me that he doesn't
think it is practical to send the equipment he offered
to CI without the accompanying instruction and
guidance that he and Brian would have provided
If Bob had accepted his offer of consultation.

        However, since Bob says that CI will
continue to conduct research to assess the validity
of Mike's recommendations, we look forward to
reports on the results of this research.

---Saul Kent, CEO
21st Century Medicine  

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