The Purification Rundown, also known as the Purif or the Hubbard Method, Numerous individuals have been hospitalised as a result of taking part in the process.
It has no known clinical use in treating drug addiction, but followers of Scientology believe it to be the only effective way to deal with the long-term effects of drug abuse or toxic exposure. Criminon, It is promoted variously as religious or secular, medical or purely spiritual, depending on context. He marketed this anti-radiation mixture in the form of a tablet, calling it "Dianazene". Twenty-one thousand such tablets were seized and destroyed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1958.
The 1979 predecessor of the Purification Rundown was known as the "Sweat Program" and was similarly designed to remove traces of LSD which, according to Hubbard, remained for long periods in the body. The participant had a restricted diet, including large doses of vitamins and a teaspoon of salt, and spent at least an hour a day jogging in a rubberised suit. For some, this regimen lasted for months. and was published in Hubbard's Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology as well as the book Clear Body, Clear Mind. Thus the effects of niacin overdose, which include skin irritation, flushing, dizziness and headache, are interpreted as a positive effect of the program. $1,790 "with discounts" in 1996 (though another 1996 source claims around $4,000 for a four-week programme), Scientology promotes the Purification Rundown to the public as a detoxification program, while it also works with non-religious Scientology-affiliated groups such as Narconon to offer this program as a treatment for addiction and high levels of stress. Conditions that are claimed by Scientologists to respond to the program include cancer, AIDS, heart problems, kidney failure, liver disease and obesity.
The Church of Scientology unsuccessfully tried to have the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Hubbard for his invention of the program.
In California, two organizations were set up by Scientologists to try to give scientific legitimacy to the detoxification program—Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE) and HealthMed Clinic.
The program, as delivered by HealthMed, is heavily promoted in the book Diet for a Poisoned Planet by journalist David Steinman, who denies any connection with the Church of Scientology. The book was the subject of a paper from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which accused Steinman of distorting facts.
Reception
Theoretical basis
The theory behind the Purification Rundown is that toxins, drugs, and radioactive particles are stored in body fat, which are released through the exchange of fats (thus the oil consumption) and exercise, and then finally released via perspiration and other normal mechanisms such as body waste. Independent scientific evaluations report that the concentration of toxins or drugs in the sweat is negligible, as they are primarily removed from the body through the liver, the kidneys and the lungs. Evidence offered has not demonstrated that detoxification is actually taking place.
A 1995 review at a medical conference described the massive doses of niacin as inappropriate, especially since they cause the release of histamine, which is counterproductive when dealing with chemical sensitivity. Psychologist Herman Staudenmayer describes the program as part of a trend for diagnosing and treating a Multiple Chemical Sensitivity disorder which does not correspond to any known disease and is likely to be psychophysiological. Three experts consulted by The Buffalo News criticised the weak evidence and dubious assumptions behind the program.
David Emerson Root, a medical doctor affiliated with Narconon, has administered the program for twenty years and stands by the theory behind it. A non-Scientologist, he denies that the program collects money or new members for Scientology.
Newkirk Herald Journal editor Robert W. Lobsinger solicited a number of medical experts' opinions on the program in 1989. Dr. C. Mark Palmer of Ponca City, Oklahoma rebutted the theory that sweating would clear out drugs, stating that "No matter how much a patient were made to sweat, it could not significantly increase his clearing of most drugs."
After reviewing materials published by Narconon, University of Oklahoma biochemistry professor Bruce Roe described the program as "a scam" based on "half-truths and pseudo-science." A report on Narconon for the Department of Health in California described the mega-doses of vitamins as "hazardous" and "in some cases lethal". Prof. Michael Ryan, a pharmacologist at University College Dublin, testified in a 2003 court case that the program is scientifically unverified and medically unsafe.
Those who market the program insist that it has been proven safe and effective. The marketing materials present testimonials for its effectiveness. Some doctors who have observed the treatment have been impressed by the testimonials but asked for evidence that improvements are caused by the program itself rather than suggestion, delusion or the placebo effect.
In a 1999 French court case, five staff members of the Church of Scientology were convicted of fraud for selling the program and other Scientology procedures. In Russia, the program has been banned by officials as a threat to public health.
Adverse outcomes
Paride Ella and Giuseppe Tomba, clients of Narconon in Taceno, Italy, died in 1995 during the vitamin phase of the
program, suffering kidney problems and a heart attack respectively.
In 1996, journalist Mark Ebner described the case of a woman who had suffered heatstroke and anemia while on the program.