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Linus Pauling PhD wrote well over 1000 papers, speeches, editorials and books—not counting reprints and translations—on a wide variety of topics related to chemistry and physics, including: biological chemistry, nutrition, metallurgy, and better health. Not only was he the most prolific researcher and writer of his time in these areas, but there seems to have been no slowing down of him right up until his death at age 93.
Unfortunately, his discovery of the therapeutic effects of clays and the minerals they contained, came rather late (1990s) in his professional career, no doubt due to his other interests which he maintained all his life with atomic energy, military passivism, quantum mechanics, analyses of petrochemicals, and the like. Nevertheless, Dr. Pauling conducted copious amounts of research on, and wrote dozens of papers about, Vitamin megadoses, serological properties, use of x-rays, and general chemistry textbooks. Given his loyalty to and obsession with Vitamin C, he undoubtedly would have been an even greater ally and advocate of mineral clays had he been born even one generation later which would have left him with more productive years spanning the nutritional and supplement craze in which we now find ourselves.
Notwithstanding, it is this double Nobel Prize winner, who is often quoted as saying,
“ You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency.”
However, the Linus Pauling Institute goes on record as saying:
A statement purportedly attributed to Linus Pauling has proliferated on the Internet, often in association with the sale of mineral supplements. The alleged quote is usually akin to “You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency.” We are reasonably certain that Pauling never made such a statement for the obvious reason that it is untrue. Pauling was interested in the health effects of micronutrients, especially vitamin C, the vitamin that absorbed his interest for almost thirty years. Throughout his career, Pauling used x-ray diffraction to elucidate the molecular structure of many inorganic substances, such as minerals, and organic substances like proteins. If he had been particularly interested in the health benefits of minerals, he would have focused his research in this direction. There is no evidence in the published literature that he did so. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/ss03/contents.html
In an effort to establish an actual connection between Dr. Pauling and his alleged, yet for- the-moment, undocumented statement, an excerpt of the most comprehensive list of his publications found by the writer on related mineral and nutritional subjects, has been prepared for your convenience.
The full list of what appears in pdf format on http://charon.girinst.org/~zeke/test.bit.pdf. A careful reading of these publications may yet reveal something similar from which the quotation attributed to him was fabricated or copied. The full list is entitled:
PROFESSOR LINUS PAULING
(Compiled by) Z. S. Herman and D. B. Munro
The Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine
440 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94306
October 15, 1996
A representative extract of those publications bearing a relationship to trace elements, minerals, nutrition, and better health is listed following this introduction. It is not exhaustive, but somewhat complete. Another excellent source of Dr. Pauling’s impressive work product which may be had in hard copy format referencing his most important works may be had at:
In 1986 Linus Pauling and Ava Helen donated their papers to their alma mater, Oregon State University. At over 500,000 items, the Pauling stand as among the largest personal archives in the world. Now, twenty years after its donation, the OSU Libraried Special Collections, has available richly illustrated listings of the Pauling’s' extensive correspondence, manuscripts, research notebooks and awards, as well as their scientific, peace and personal papers make The Pauling Catalogue an invaluable resource for scholars of twentieth century history.
Good Hunting
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