-- The Truth about Srila Prabhupada's cadmium poisoning --
PDF = ANYBODY_CAN_THROW_TOGETHER_SOME_DOUBTS.pdf
Doc = ANYBODY_CAN_THROW_TOGETHER_SOME_DOUBTS.doc
Docx = ANYBODY_CAN_THROW_TOGETHER_SOME_DOUBTS.docx
Recently someone going by the name of VARIS LUX has posted a few paragraphs online in which he raises various doubts about Srila Prabhupada’s three hair tests done in 2002 and 2005 which found about 250 times above average normal levels of cadmium. In summary, we find this post is typical of someone who is not a serious student of truth, but instead searches the net for those items which he can cast in a certain light simply to cause doubts. Argumentativeness and extremely selective references is their hallmark. To have found the items that he did in his post, he must have deliberately bypassed hundreds of times as much material which did not suit the very limited case which he has thrown together. This is dishonesty, not at all a truly balanced or objective scientific critique. And this is what we have faced with the ISKCON leadership since 1997: they resort to creating doubts with irrelevant but scientifically-worded sound-bites that are intended to cloud the issue with doubts. For this reason we have engaged many scientific experts (and continue to pursue more) who all have verified that the levels of cadmium in these tests are not innocuous or explainable as normal, but are extremely elevated and lethal over a short time. Obviously Varis Lux has only watched our video and not read the book, which has already thoroughly discredited the defective points in his post. (by Nityananda das)
POISONING OF SRILA PRABHUPADA’S BODY:
free download, 828 pages, 108 chapters:
www.killgurubecomeguru.org/books/
POST FROM VARIS LUX: (Our comments inserted below in italics and yellow.)
Cadmium is not an efficient poison, and is very unsophisticated, and not used for assassinations. Reasonably any miscreants would have access to a multitude of more sophisticated assassination attempts.
COMMENTS: Cadmium IS a very deadly poison- “not efficient”? This is absolutely untrue. “Unsophisticated”? Actually, cadmium IS used in assassinations by foreign intelligence agencies, and we have quoted cases in our book (Ch. 94). Cadmium poisoning is very hard to detect, totally unusual and unexpected, so therefore very sophisticated. Varis Lux is speaking gibberish here.
1. It also can occur in natural minerals used in Ayurvedic medicines: www.npr.rg/sections...
COMMENTS: This npr article and others have already been addressed in our book (pg. 95, 226, 264-5, 745). Cadmium is never used as an ingredient in any Ayurvedic medicine, unlike arsenic, lead, mercury, tin, and zinc. Of course cadmium is everywhere in tiny amounts, so Ayurvedic medicines may sometimes be contaminated with tiny amounts of cadmium, even slightly above the acceptable healthy levels. But there is no way that any bad Ayurvedic medicine could result in levels 250 times above the average normal person, as has been determined. It is a very long way from normal 0.065 ppm in hair to Srila Prabhupada’s average of 15.75 ppm. Balavanta tested Srila Prabhupada’s Ayurvedic medicines and found heavy metals normal. Ayurvedic medicine is not an explanation, sorry.
2. Furthermore hair analysis is very limited for forensic purposes. It's true that some heavy metals and other toxic chemicals in our bodies make their way to the hair, says James Klaunig, a professor of toxicology at Indiana University in Indianapolis and a member of the executive council of the Society of Toxicology. (Klaunig is an expert in forensic toxicology, the science of finding traces of toxins in various body tissues.) But in his opinion, hair is a lousy indicator of heavy metal levels in the rest of the body. Though a properly tested hair sample might be able to show that a person has a certain metal in his or her system, "the levels are difficult if not impossible to quantify," he says. In other words, hair analysis can provide a yes-or-no answer, but it can't reliably answer the all-important question of how much.
COMMENTS: These issues have already been addressed and rejected in Ch. 47-48 in our book. Anyone interested may read and see. Yes, sometimes heavy metal levels in hair will not accurately reflect what levels of heavy metals may be in the heart, liver, lungs, fat, brain, etc of that person. But we are not trying to establish what levels were in various organs. The point is simply that the average of 15.75 ppm cadmium in Srila Prabhupada’s hair is a lethal amount over a short period of time. We are confident Dr. Klaunig would agree. We are not trying to use hair tests to certify what levels were in the rest of the body. But science accepts that 15.75 ppm cadmium in hair, thrice verified, is a very meaningful indication of homicidal and deadly poisoning. Our expert opinions in Ch. 32-33 agree with this conclusion, and so we should too.
Klaunig notes that researchers recently found arsenic in a lock of Napoleon's hair, but it was impossible to tell whether he had enough of the metal to suffer from poisoning.
COMMENTS: If we study the voluminous materials on Napoleon’s arsenic poisoning and tests done on his hair samples, we will come to this conclusion: The levels of arsenic Napoleon endured over many years was up and down, and detrimental to his health. The uncertainty is whether, in the ultimate issue, if he actually died from arsenic poisoning or stomach cancer. We have no opinion on this, but whereas arsenic was ubiquitous environmentally and culturally in Napoleon’s time, there is no plausible explanation as to how Srila Prabhupada acquired such high levels of cadmium other than malicious, homicidal poisoning. Of course, Srila Prabhupada also believed he had been poisoned, if that means anything to Varis Lux.
Many researchers over the years have tried to develop toxin tests for hair samples, says LuAnne White, professor of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Medicine and Tropical Health in New Orleans. But, according to White, such attempts have mostly been abandoned as a "dead end." As White explains, hair follicles soak up compounds (toxic or otherwise) in a haphazard and unpredictable manner, so a hair analysis can never be as accurate as a blood or urine test at a doctor's office. "If you think you've been exposed to a heavy metal, you should go to a doctor," she says.
COMMENTS: As seen in the chart below, Srila Prabhupada’s cadmium levels were CATASTROPHIC, not simply the average Joe who might suspect he had slightly elevated and thus eventually unhealthy levels of something or other. LuAnne White is talking about people who have exposures less than those of industrially exposed persons, such as factory workers. In the chart, one sees Srila Prabhupada’s levels are FORTY times more than exposed persons. With the magnitude of multiples above normal seen in Srila Prabhupada, there is no doubt that there was a dramatic and lethal poisoning of cadmium.
3. Cadmium is used in many industrial processes, and particularily in India, environmental laws are lax. SP could have been exposed at the printers when he was checking proofs for the Bhagavatams for example as cadmium used to be an ingredient in printing inks. Lets not also forget that SP had a pharmaceutical company with all kinds of chemicals and reagents, where he could have been exposed. In those days there would have been no controls of toxic exposure.
COMMENTS: Checking Bhagwatam proofs with cadmium inks doesn’t relate to our situation here, Mr. Scientific, for at least two reasons: (1). Srila Prabhupada printed his India Bhagwatams in the early sixties, but did not fall deathly ill until 1977, over 13-15 years later? Sorry, the time delay means the printing inks are not a possibility. (2). Cadmium is an ingredient in COLOR inks, and his books were in black type only with no color plates either.
4. Cadmium is an ingredient in many tobaccos, which SP was regularly insuflating over the years. More research would be required to assess whether this was a risk factor or not. In conclusion I can see many explanations for the presence of Cadmium in SP's hair sample. By Varis Lux
COMMENTS: Sorry, Srila Prabhupada took Hedges snuff only occassionally, and why would it suddenly affect him if he had been taking it since the forties? Again, to reach the sky-high levels that Srila Prabhupada had could not possibly come about from snuff, Ayurvedic medicine, inks, cosmetics, shampoo, air, water, or food. The levels are far too high, and all these suggestions would result in levels far under the average 15.75 ppm that he had. We suggest you read the book first, then pontificate scientifically, and hopefully more accurately.
ALSO WATCH OUR OTHER VIDEO THAT ADDRESSES THESE AND OTHER POISONING OBJECTIONS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOLeHjRhZMc
The first video with the story of how the private investigation reached a scientific breakthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIBqNBMbPvY
Nityanandas Homepage
http://killgurubecomeguru.org/
If you have questions to Nityananda Prabhu,
please write to his eMail:
srigovinda@gmail.com