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Barnes developed a unique diagnostic test for thyroid function that became known as the "Barnes Basal Temperature Test". This test is performed by placing a thermometer in the armpit for 10 minutes immediately upon waking.<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Silent epidemic - the underactive thyroid |url=http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20061204/news/news8.html |quote=It is called a Barnes Test, in honour of Dr. Broda Barnes, the doctor who created this test. This involves taking your resting body temperature, |work=[[Jamaica Gleaner]] |date=December 4, 2006 |accessdate=2009-04-28 }}</ref> A measurement of {{convert|97.8|F|C}} or below was considered by him to be highly indicative of hypothyroidism, especially when hypothyroid symptoms are present. A reading over {{convert|98.2|F|C}} was indicative of hyperthyroidism.<ref name="unsuspectill">{{cite book |last=Barnes |first=Broda |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Hypothyroidism: the Unsuspected Illness |year=1976 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |quote=Dr. Broda Barnes and Lawrence Galton tell what the thyroid gland is, how it works, the problems its dysfunction can induce. They detail case histories of patients, often thought hopeless, whose problems were discovered to be related to hypothyroidism and were cured by Dr. Barnes's simple effective techniques. And they discuss whether you too may be hypothyroid, affected by a condition even a physician may not recognize. ... |pages= | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=2sqMx5UdZbcC&dq=broda+barnes |isbn=069001029X }}</ref>
Barnes developed a unique diagnostic test for thyroid function that became known as the "Barnes Basal Temperature Test". This test is performed by placing a thermometer in the armpit for 10 minutes immediately upon waking.<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Silent epidemic - the underactive thyroid |url=http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20061204/news/news8.html |quote=It is called a Barnes Test, in honour of Dr. Broda Barnes, the doctor who created this test. This involves taking your resting body temperature, |work=[[Jamaica Gleaner]] |date=December 4, 2006 |accessdate=2009-04-28 }}</ref> A measurement of {{convert|97.8|F|C}} or below was considered by him to be highly indicative of hypothyroidism, especially when hypothyroid symptoms are present. A reading over {{convert|98.2|F|C}} was indicative of hyperthyroidism.<ref name="unsuspectill">{{cite book |last=Barnes |first=Broda |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Hypothyroidism: the Unsuspected Illness |year=1976 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |quote=Dr. Broda Barnes and Lawrence Galton tell what the thyroid gland is, how it works, the problems its dysfunction can induce. They detail case histories of patients, often thought hopeless, whose problems were discovered to be related to hypothyroidism and were cured by Dr. Barnes's simple effective techniques. And they discuss whether you too may be hypothyroid, affected by a condition even a physician may not recognize. ... |pages= | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=2sqMx5UdZbcC&dq=broda+barnes |isbn=069001029X }}</ref>


The details of the test were published in the [[Journal of the American Medical Association]] (JAMA) in August 1942 ("Basal Temperature vs. Basal Metabolism"), and again in [[The Lancet]] in 1945.<ref name="unsuspectill" /><ref name="thyroidhealthy"/> The test has never been adopted by the medical professional, however it is used by some medical doctors and [[alternative medicine|alternative]] practitioners.<ref name="livingwell"/>
The details of the test were published in the [[Journal of the American Medical Association]] (JAMA) in August 1942 ("Basal Temperature vs. Basal Metabolism"), and again in [[The Lancet]] in 1945.<ref name="unsuspectill" /><ref name="thyroidhealthy"/> The test has never been adopted by the medical professional, however it is used by some medical doctors and [[alternative medicine|alternative]] practitioners.<ref name="livingwell"/> Instead, in modern medical practice, thyroid function is assessed using specific biochemical methods that measure the level in the blood of the hormones that the thyroid gland produces.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Vanderpump MP, Ahlquist JA, Franklyn JA, Clayton RN |title=Consensus statement for good practice and audit measures in the management of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. The Research Unit of the Royal College of Physicians of London, the Endocrinology and Diabetes Committee of the Royal College of Physicians of London, and the Society for Endocrinology |journal=BMJ |volume=313 |issue=7056 |pages=539–44 |year=1996 |month=August |pmid=8789985 |pmc=2351923 |url=http://bmj.com/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=8789985}}</ref>


Barnes didn't consider his Basal Temperature Test to be 100% conclusive, and acknowledged there were other causes of lowered basal temperature. Nevertheless, he maintained that it was the most useful diagnostic test in the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, superior to [[thyroid function test|blood tests of thyroid function]].<ref name="barnesfound"/> In his books, Barnes argued that hypothyroidism affected more than 40% of the American population,<ref name="unsuspectill"/><ref name="barnesfound"/> significantly higher than the [[prevalence]] of approximately 5% reported in the [[peer review|peer-reviewed]] [[medical literature]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Hollowell JG, Staehling NW, Flanders WD, ''et al'' |title=Serum TSH, T(4), and thyroid antibodies in the United States population (1988 to 1994): National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) |journal=J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. |volume=87 |issue=2 |pages=489–99 |year=2002 |month=February |pmid=11836274 |doi= |url=http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=11836274}}</ref> Barnes attributed this difference to the failure of diagnostic tests to correlate with the clinical signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism in all cases<ref name="unsuspectill" />, a claim that remains controversial.
Barnes didn't consider his Basal Temperature Test to be 100% conclusive, and acknowledged there were other causes of lowered basal temperature. Nevertheless, he maintained that it was the most useful diagnostic test in the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, superior to [[thyroid function test|blood tests of thyroid function]].<ref name="barnesfound"/> In his books, Barnes argued that hypothyroidism affected more than 40% of the American population,<ref name="unsuspectill"/><ref name="barnesfound"/> significantly higher than the [[prevalence]] of approximately 5% reported in the [[peer review|peer-reviewed]] [[medical literature]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Hollowell JG, Staehling NW, Flanders WD, ''et al'' |title=Serum TSH, T(4), and thyroid antibodies in the United States population (1988 to 1994): National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) |journal=J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. |volume=87 |issue=2 |pages=489–99 |year=2002 |month=February |pmid=11836274 |doi= |url=http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=11836274}}</ref> Barnes attributed this difference to the failure of diagnostic tests to correlate with the clinical signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism in all cases<ref name="unsuspectill" />, a claim that remains controversial.

Revision as of 16:11, 7 May 2009

Broda Otto Barnes
Born(1906-04-14)April 14, 1906
Missouri
DiedNovember 1, 1988(1988-11-01) (aged 82)
Bend, Oregon
EducationUniversity of Denver B.S.
Western Reserve University M.S.
University of Chicago Ph.D. (1931)
Rush Medical College M.D. (1937)
OccupationPhysician
EmployerUniversity of Illinois Research Hospital[1]
Known forHypothyroidism
Spouse
Helen Tucker Morgan (1905-2002)
​
​
(m. 1981⁠–⁠1988)​
2nd wife[2][3]
Parent(s)Addie and Robert B. Barnes

Broda Otto Barnes (April 14, 1906 – November 1, 1988) was an American physician who studied hypothyroidism. Barnes spent more than fifty years researching endocrine dysfunctions, specializing in the thyroid gland.[4][5][6] Barnes' views on hypothyroidism were never widely adopted in mainstream medicine and run counter to the current medical understanding of thyroid function, but they have been embraced by some elements of the alternative medicine community.[5][7][8][9][10][11]

Career

Barnes was born on April 14, 1906 in a log cabin in Missouri,[5][12] the son of Addie and Robert B. Barnes.[13] Barnes studied chemistry at the University of Denver, and became an instructor of physiological chemistry at Western Reserve University for two years and received his MS in 1930 from there. Barnes received his PhD at University of Chicago in 1931 and taught physiology there from 1931 to 1936.[5][14] He completed his MD in 1937 at Rush Medical College, and for two years he was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois.[1] He was named chairman of the Health Education Department at the University of Denver. He became professor affiliate in the department of physiology at Colorado State University from 1963 to 1968.[5] On 13 September 1981 he married Helen Tucker Morgan (1905-2002) in California. She was his second wife.[2]

In 1984, Barnes established a not-for-profit foundation to continue the legacy of his research, The Broda O. Barnes Research MD, Research Foundation, Inc.[6][14] His papers are archived at the University of Chicago.[14]

Hypothyroidism perspective

File:Basaltemperaturetest.png
Barnes Basal Temperature Test
Diagnosis

Barnes developed a unique diagnostic test for thyroid function that became known as the "Barnes Basal Temperature Test". This test is performed by placing a thermometer in the armpit for 10 minutes immediately upon waking.[15] A measurement of 97.8 °F (36.6 °C) or below was considered by him to be highly indicative of hypothyroidism, especially when hypothyroid symptoms are present. A reading over 98.2 °F (36.8 °C) was indicative of hyperthyroidism.[3]

The details of the test were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in August 1942 ("Basal Temperature vs. Basal Metabolism"), and again in The Lancet in 1945.[3][7] The test has never been adopted by the medical professional, however it is used by some medical doctors and alternative practitioners.[9] Instead, in modern medical practice, thyroid function is assessed using specific biochemical methods that measure the level in the blood of the hormones that the thyroid gland produces.[16]

Barnes didn't consider his Basal Temperature Test to be 100% conclusive, and acknowledged there were other causes of lowered basal temperature. Nevertheless, he maintained that it was the most useful diagnostic test in the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, superior to blood tests of thyroid function.[6] In his books, Barnes argued that hypothyroidism affected more than 40% of the American population,[3][6] significantly higher than the prevalence of approximately 5% reported in the peer-reviewed medical literature.[17] Barnes attributed this difference to the failure of diagnostic tests to correlate with the clinical signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism in all cases[3], a claim that remains controversial.

Barnes also used a simple test for iodine deficiency. It tested iodine being absorbed through the skin.[18][unreliable source?]

Treatment

Barnes treated hypothyroidism by prescribing patients a daily dose of thyroid hormone. He recommended starting with a small dose (1 grain for a healthy adult, 1/4 grain for children), then slowly increasing the dosage in monthly intervals until symptoms resolved. For most patients, he recommended continuing thyroid medication for life at that optimal dose, though some could be slowly weened off. He advised patients to take the thyroid medication first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, at least 20 minutes before food.[6]

Barnes used a desiccated thyroid extract from Armour Thyroid, almost exclusively, stating that patients experienced much better improvement of symptoms with the natural extract, rather than synthetic drugs. [6] He claimed that the even with synthetic combination drugs containing T4 and T3, patients were left with symptoms (dry skin & fluid retention), that upon switching to desiccated thyroid extract would resolve. This observation lead Barnes to speculate that there are additional undiscovered active components in the natural extract besides T4 and T3.[8]

During his years of practice, Barnes also began to conclude that virtually all his hypothyroid patients had a concomitant adrenal insufficiency. Following this speculation, he routinely gave an accompanying physiological dose of adrenal steroid Prednisone together with desiccated thyroid extract. Barnes wrote that this was mandatory in patients showing more severe adrenal insufficiency exhibited by systolic blood pressure below 100. [3][6]

Diseases attributed to hypothyroidism

Barnes believed that many of major diseases, including heart disease, cancer, depression, arthritis, diabetes, the common cold, tonsillitis, ear infections, apparent laziness in children, various menstrual disorders, and skin disorders, could be caused or exacerbated by hypothyroidism.[3][6]

Pregnancy testing

The bitterling was shown to respond to hormones in a pregnant woman's urine, but the work was later discredited. [19][20]

Publications

Books

  • Barnes, Broda Otto (1976). Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness. HarperCollins. ISBN 069001029X. And they discuss whether you too may be hypothyroid, affected by a condition even a physician may not recognize. Included is a simple test you can make at home to discover if hypothyroidism may be the real, previously unsuspected cause of your ill health. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Peer-reviewed journal articles

  • Thyroid supplements and breast cancer" Barnes BO JAMA 236 Issue: 24 Pages: 2743-2744  : 1976
  • "Thyroid-adrenocortical relationships in the safe treatment of arthritis, allergy, and skin disorders with prednisone." Barnes BO.J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 1975 Dec;23(12):548-50. PMID: 1206190
  • "Hypertension and the thyroid gland." Barnes BO. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 1975;Suppl 2:167-70. PMID: 1183088
  • "The role of natural consequences in the changing death patterns". Barnes BO, Ratzenhofer M, Gisi R. [[J Am Geriatr Soc. 1974 Apr;22(4):176-9. PMID: 4594123
  • "On the genesis of atherosclerosis." Barnes BO. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1973 Aug;21(8):350-4. PMID: 4720848
  • "One factor in increase of bronchial carcinoma." Barnes BO. JAMA. 1960 Dec 31;174:2229-30. PMID: 13687094
  • "Prophylaxis of ischaemic heart-disease by thyroid therapy." by Barnes BO. Lancet. 1959 Aug 22;2(7095):149-52. PMID: 1379687
  • "The early diagnosis and treatment of pertusis." by Barnes BO, Mason P. Ariz Med. 1950 Jan;7(1):34. PMID: 15408931
  • The treatment of menstrual disorders in general practice. Barnes BO. Ariz Med. 1949 Jan;6(1):33. PMID: 18106263
  • "On the origin of the substance in urine which produces elongation of the bitterling ovipositor" Kanter AE, Klawans AH, Barnes BO Amer. J. Obstetrics & Gyn. 35 Pages: 984-989 1938
  • "Bitterling ovipositor lengthening produced by adrenal extracts." Barnes BO, Kanter AE, Klawans AH. Science. 1936 Oct 2;84(2179):310. PMID: 17837041
  • "The relation of the parathyroid hormone to the state of calcium in the blood" McLean FC, Barnes BO, Hastings AB Amer J Physiol Volume: 113 Issue: 1 Pages: 141-149 (1935)
  • "The relation of the hypophysis to experimental diabetes" Regan JF, Barnes BO. Science 1933 Feb 24;77(1991):214. PMID: 17814070
  • "The excretion of iodine in experimental hyperthyroidism" Barnes BO Amer J Physiol Volume: 103 Issue: 3 Pages: 699-703 1933
  • "The effects of theelin and theelol in latent tetany" Mathieu F, Barnes BO Amer J Physiol Volume: 105 Issue: 1 Pages: 172-176 (1933)
  • "Studies on thyroglobulin II. Absorption of thyroglobulin and related substances from the alimentary canal." Barnes BO, Bueno JG Amer J Physiol Volume: 103 Issue: 3 Pages: 570-573 1933
  • "Is there a specific diuretic hormone in the anterior pituitary?" Barnes BO, Regan JF, Bueno JG Amer J Physiol 105 Issue: 3 Pages: 559-561 1933
  • "Studies on thyroglobulin III. The thyroglobulin content of the thyroid gland." Barnes BO, Jones M Amer J Physiol Volume: 105 Issue: 3 Pages: 556-558 1933
  • "Improvement in experimental diabetes following the administration of amniotin." Barnes BO, Regan JF, Nelson WO :JAMA 101: 926-927 1933
  • "The physiological activity of iodine in thyroglobulin" Barnes BO Amer J Physiol Volume: 101 Issue: 4 Pages: 583-590 1932
  • "Variations in blood sugar values of normal and vagotomized dogs following glucose administration" Quigley JP, Hallaran WR, Barnes BO J. Nutrition 5 Issue: 1 Pages: 77-80 1932
  • "Studies on thyroglobulin I. The digestibility of thyroglobulin" Barnes BO, Carlson AJ, Riskin AM Amer J Physiol 98 Issue: 1 Pages: 86-92 1931
  • " Does insulin antagonize the action of atropine on the cardiac vagus endings?" : Barlow OW, Barnes BO J. Pharmacol. & Exper. Therapeutics 41 Issue: 2 Pages: 209-215 1931
  • "Action of insulin on the motility of the gastrointestinal tract VI. Antagonistic action of posterior pituitary lobe preparations" Quigley JP, Barnes BO Amer J Physiol: 95 Issue: 1 Pages: 7-12 1930

References

  1. ^ a b "Lake Forest Academy 83 Years Old Today". Chicago Tribune. September 18, 1940. Retrieved 2009-04-28. Dr. Broda O. Barnes of the University of Illinois Research hospital, will address members of the Chicago Dietetic association at 8 o clock tonight ... {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ a b California Marriage Index; Helen T Morgan; Broda O Barnes; 13 Sep 1981; Tuolumne
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Barnes, Broda (1976). Hypothyroidism: the Unsuspected Illness. HarperCollins. ISBN 069001029X. Dr. Broda Barnes and Lawrence Galton tell what the thyroid gland is, how it works, the problems its dysfunction can induce. They detail case histories of patients, often thought hopeless, whose problems were discovered to be related to hypothyroidism and were cured by Dr. Barnes's simple effective techniques. And they discuss whether you too may be hypothyroid, affected by a condition even a physician may not recognize. ... {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ "The Thyroid Gland: Cures, Fallacies and Fixes". Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients. Retrieved 2008-04-16. Several decades ago, one of the dedicated thyroid experts, Broda Barnes, MD, was the first to advocate the administration of glandular thyroid extract ... {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e Langer, Stephan (2000). Solved: The Riddle of Illness. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0658002937. He was born on April 14, 1904 [sic], ... A prime mover in clinical research on the thyroid gland for half a century, the late Broda O. Barnes, MD, Ph.D., was also a prime mover behind the writing of ... {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Broda O. Barnes". Broda O. Barnes MD Research Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 2008-04-16. Broda O. Barnes, M.D., Ph.D. dedicated more than 50 years of his life to researching, teaching and treating thyroid and related endocrine dysfunctions in this country and abroad.
  7. ^ a b Durrant-Peatfield, Barry (2006). Your Thyroid and how to keep it healthy. Hammersmith Press. We owe an enormous debt to the life's work of the great American Physician Dr. Broda Barnes. He began work in the early 1930's where he studied the thyroid for his doctorate. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ a b Starr, Mark (2005). Hypothyroidism Type 2. New Voice Publications. p. 174. ISBN 0975262408. One of the twentieth century's most prolific researchers with regard to hypothyroidism was Broda O. Barnes, M.D., Ph.D. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ a b Shomon, Mary (2005). Living Well with Hypothyroidism. HarperCollins. The late Broda Barnes, MD, made the public more widely aware of the use of axillary (underarm) basal body temperature (BBT) as a symptom and diagnostic tool ... This method was initially promoted by Dr. Broda Barnes. Basal body temperature is the temperature after awaking and before rising from bed and before any ... {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ Alan Gaby (2004). ""Sub-laboratory" Hypothyroidism and the Empirical use of Armour Thyroid" (PDF). Alternative Medicine Review. 9 (2): 157–179. The empirical use of thyroid hormone was based initially on the work of Broda Barnes, MD, who pioneered and popularized the use of the basal body temperature test... as a tool for diagnosing hypothyroidism {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
  11. ^ Brownstein, David (2002). Overcoming Thyroid Disorders. Medical Alternatives Press. ISBN 0966088220. I was intrigued by the ideas of Dr. Broda O. Barnes, M.D. in his book 'Hypothyroidism the Unsuspected Illness'... I believe Dr. Barnes' ideas written over 35 years ago are still true today. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ Social Security Death Index; 14 Apr 1906 – 01 Nov 1988
  13. ^ 1920 US Census for Douglas County, Colorado
  14. ^ a b c "Guide to the Broda Otto Barnes Papers". University of Chicago. Retrieved 2009-04-29. Broda Otto Barnes (1904-1988), a University of Chicago alumnus, specialized in hypothyroidism and related endocrine dysfunctions. This collection consists of memorabilia, primarily photographs, from Barnes' time at the University of Chicago.
  15. ^ "Silent epidemic - the underactive thyroid". Jamaica Gleaner. December 4, 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-28. It is called a Barnes Test, in honour of Dr. Broda Barnes, the doctor who created this test. This involves taking your resting body temperature, {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  16. ^ Vanderpump MP, Ahlquist JA, Franklyn JA, Clayton RN (1996). "Consensus statement for good practice and audit measures in the management of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. The Research Unit of the Royal College of Physicians of London, the Endocrinology and Diabetes Committee of the Royal College of Physicians of London, and the Society for Endocrinology". BMJ. 313 (7056): 539–44. PMC 2351923. PMID 8789985. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Hollowell JG, Staehling NW, Flanders WD; et al. (2002). "Serum TSH, T(4), and thyroid antibodies in the United States population (1988 to 1994): National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III)". J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 87 (2): 489–99. PMID 11836274. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Iodine Deficiency". Charlotte Observer. January 30, 2005. Retrieved 2009-04-28. Dr. Broda Barnes uses a simple method of determining if you need iodine. It uses the concept of iodine being absorbed through the skin. ... {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  19. ^ "Deceptive Bitterling". Time (magazine). October 12, 1936. Retrieved 2008-04-16. Not quite two years ago physicians and prospective parents welcomed the news that a small, carp-like fish could tell whether or not a woman was going to have a baby ... The bitterling lost her standing and the doe rabbit and mouse were reinstated as nature's best indicators of human pregnancy. But Obstetricians Kanter and Klawans pursued the matter with another research mate, Physiologist Broda Otto Barnes, secured further results which they detailed in Science last week. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  20. ^ "Bitterling Ovipositor Lengthening Produced By Adrenal Extracts". Science. AAAS. 1936. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |laydate=, |laysource=, |laysummary=, |month=, |quotes=, and |coauthors= (help)
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