Pottenger's studies on raw milk
Now
what Pottenger actually did in some of his
experiments is this. He used four groups of
cats. All received for one-third of the diet
raw meat. The other two-thirds was either
raw milk or various heat-treated milks. The
raw milk/raw meat diet produced many generations
of healthy cats. Those fed pasteurized milk
showed skeletal changes, decreased reproductive
capacity, and infectious and degenerative
diseases.
Now just
who was Pottenger? He was the son of
the physician who founded the once famous
Pottenger Sanatorium for treatment of tuberculosis
in Monrovia, California. He completed his
residency at Los Angeles County Hospital in
1930 and became a full-time assistant at the
Sanatorium. From 1932 to 1942, he also conducted
what became known as the Pottenger Cat Study.
In
1940, he founded the Francis M Pottenger,
Jr. Hospital at Monrovia. Until closing in
1960, the hospital specialized in treating
non-tubercular diseases of the lung, especially
asthma.
Dr.
Pottenger was a regular and prolific contributor
to the medical and scientific literature.
He served as president of several professional
organizations, including the Los Angeles County
Medical Association, the American Academy
of Applied Nutrition, and the American Therapeutic
Society. He was a member of a long list of
other professional organizations.
