Max Jacobson – Wikipedia

Max Jacobson (July 3, 1900 – 1 December 1979) was an American naturalized German doctor ^[first] .

Nicknamed “Miracle Max” and “Dr. Feelgood” ^[2] , it is known above all for having administered amphetamines and other drugs to several high -profile customers, including President John F. Kennedy.

Jacobson flew from Nazi Germany in 1936, due to his Jewish origins. Arriving in New York, a medical office opened in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where he cared for many famous people.

Nicknamed “Dr. Feelgood”, Jacobson was known for his “miraculous regenerators of tissues”, which consisted of pharmacological mixes based on amphetamines, animal hormones, bone marrow, enzymes, human placenta, painkillers, steroids and multivitamins.

Tra i suoi pazienti: Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Leonard Bernstein, Humphrey Bogart, Yul Brynner, Maria Callas, Truman Capote, Van Cliburn, Montgomery Clift, Rosemary Clooney, Bob Cummings, Maya Deren, Cecil B. DeMille, Marlene Dietrich, Eddie Fisher, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, Alan Jay Lerner, Mickey Mantle, Liza Minnelli, Thelonious Monk, Marilyn Monroe, Zero Mostel, Elvis Presley, Anthony Quinn, Paul Robeson, Nelson Rockefeller, David O. Selznick, Elizabeth Taylor, Billy Wilder e Tennessee Williams.

Relations with John F. Kennedy [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

The first time Jacobson visited John F. Kennedy was in September 1960, just before the debates for the presidential elections of that year. ^[3] Jacobson joined the presidential hidden and accompanied Kennedy to the 1961 Vienna summit.

From the registers of the White House it appears that Jacobson has been summoned to treat the president 34 times, starting from May 1962. The treatments served mostly to soothe the pains related to the back pain attacks that afflicted Kennedy. Some of the potential side effects of steroid treatments included hyperactivity, alteration of judgment, nervousness and mood changes. Kennedy, however, was not disturbed by the FDA reports on the content of Jacobson’s injections, and proclaimed: “I don’t care if it’s horse piss. It works.”

At a certain point the treatments were however interrupted by the doctors of the White House, who realized the inappropriate use of steroids and amphetamines administered by Jacobson.

End of medical activity and death [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

At the end of the 1960s, Jacobson’s behavior, a consumer himself of amphetamine himself, became increasingly irregular. Victim of his own success, he comic to work with impressive rhythms (24 hours a day). In 1969, one of Jacobson’s customers, the former presidential photographer Mark Shaw, died at the age of 47. The autopsy showed that Shaw had died of “acute and chronic intravenous amphetamine poisoning”. Jacobsen ended up under investigation and his medical staff, questioned, had to admit the purchase of large quantities of amphetamines that were administered in high doses to patients. The Bureau of Narcotics and Dangero Drugs seized Jacobson’s escort and his medical license was revoked on April 25, 1975 by the New York State Board of Regents.

Jacobson attempted to tighten the license in 1979, but he was denied. A state spokesman said that the then 79 -year -old Jacobson did not seem ready to return to the “mainstream of medical practice”. Jacobson died in December 1979. He is buried in the Jewish cemetery of Mount Hebron.

The song is believed Dr Feelgood of Aretha Franklin contains a reference to Max Jacobson, to whom the singer turned to lose weight. ^[4]