The Paulings and Unitarianism

“In Unitarianism I have found a religion without dogma: A growing, changing, open-minded willingness to learn and, above all, to work.“ – Ava Helen Pauling, “Why I am a Unitarian,” September 18, 1977. Though both Linus and Ava Helen Pauling were avowed atheists,  they did maintain a long and friendly relationship with the Unitarian Church.  [...]

Nephritis Today

[Part 5 of 5] Currently in western medicine, it is believed that nephritis is caused by a variety of health conditions ranging from acute infections to autoimmune disorders. Modern therapies include corticosteroids, immunosuppressant drugs, antibiotics, plasmapheresis, renal dialysis, and kidney transplants. Corticosteroids reduce inflammation of the kidneys and immunosuppressant drugs are prescribed to limit the [...]

Ava Helen’s Role in the Nephritis Story

[Part 4 of 5] “This is the record of the diet which Linus ate when he was ill with nephritis. I kept the record and noted everything that he ate. Dr. Thomas Addis of the Stanford Medical School was his physician.” -Ava Helen Pauling While Thomas Addis is rightfully credited with Linus Pauling’s recovery from [...]

The Methods of Thomas Addis

Portrait of Thomas Addis by Marion C. Raulston, held in the Thomas Addis Papers, Lane Medical Library Special Collections, Stanford University. [Part 3 of 5] “[In the beginning] I was all set on measuring things and was trying to be ‘scientific.’ But anyone who has patients and patience can scarcely help coming at last to [...]

Thomas Addis: The Man Who Saved Pauling

[Part 2 of 5] When Linus Pauling received his diagnosis of Bright’s disease in March of 1941, his prognosis was grim. At the time Bright’s disease was considered to be fatal and the majority of the medical community was in agreement that there was no cure or effective treatment. Fortunately for Pauling, a man by [...]

Pauling’s Battle with Glomerulonephritis

[Part 1 of 5] On March 7, 1941, Linus Pauling stood before distinguished colleagues prepared to deliver an address in response to his receipt of the prestigious William H. Nichols Gold Medal, presented by the New York chapter of the American Chemical Society. Before Pauling began his recitation, he spoke candidly to his audience. He [...]

Linus Pauling Day-by-Day: The Internet Just Became A Bit More Crowded

In 1999 we hatched the crazy idea of trying to document every day of Linus Pauling’s professional life. Researchers were, at the time, honing in on a draft of the human genome, and our thinking was, if scientists can map the exact genetic details of human existence, why can’t we map the daily activities of [...]

Blood and War: The Development of Oxypolygelatin, Part 1

“On the basis of the information available to me, I have formed the opinion that oxypolygelatin solution…may well be a thoroughly satisfactory blood substitute, which could be manufactured cheaply in large quantities. It is probably superior to gelatin itself with respect to fluidity of solution, retention in blood stream, and osmotic pressure.” Linus Pauling, March [...]