Letter to Bacteriality.com

The following is a letter that I submitted to the author of a great article on L-form bacteria on a very interesting Website, www.bacteriality.com. This is the home of the controversial but effective Marshall Protocol, an approach to the treatment of chronic illness that focuses on the role that L-form bacteria play is such diseases.

A very good article on L-form bacteria, authored by Amy Proal, can be found here: Understanding L-form Bacteria. It is as good of an explanation of these little guys as I have read. But, as my readers might imagine, I have a slightly different slant on the subject.

I would suggest that you read this article (http://bacteriality.com/2007/08/15/l-forms/) before you read my response, but if you don’t have the time or just aren’t that interested, then go right ahead and read the following letter. Hopefully you’ll still get something out of it.

Letter to Amy at Bacteriality.com
Posted as a response on 3-19-09

Hi Amy,

I am a veterinarian who is doing research on the origins of disease. This came about after my miraculous recovery from multiple ailments following my diagnosis of food intolerance, particularly celiac disease. I have chronicled my recovery and findings on my Website, www.dogtorj.com.

I’ve come to the conclusion that most of what we call “disease” are long-term symptoms arising from the “civil war” taking place in our body between its residents- our cells and those entities designed to help and protect those residents (e.g. viruses and bacteria) and the constant barrage of immune challenges that we throw at them (e.g. food lectins, carcinogens, chemicals/preservatives, trans fats, fluoride (an “antibiotic” and carcinogen), air pollution, etc. etc. These coupled with our horrific fast-food diets, lack of sleep/exercise/sunlight, and self-induced misery through alcohol/drug abuse and penchant for sugar has brought all of the plagues of Pandora’s Box on mankind.

And yet, we keep pointing the finger at microorganisms like viruses and bacteria, including L-forms and mollicutes, as the enemy.  Granted, most don’t know or fully understand the true nature of viruses and bacteria- that they are crucial for our survival, being important instruments in our adaptation to this ever-changing environment in which we live. But shouldn’t intelligent people be asking why these guys are so ubiquitous and a relative few people are suffering from the “diseases” caused by these “culprits?

The fact is that viruses and L forms do what they do because they NEED to survive because they are crucial to OUR survival. Would you disagree that if we could snap our fingers and make all viruses and bacteria disappear from the planet that the entire ecosystem would collapse? Certainly, we know- and you have stated- that the vast majority of these bacteria are not pathogenic? What really distinguishes a pathogen from a saprophyte- or a helper?

When huge numbers of the population are infected with various “pathogenic” bacteria and yet remain asymptomatic, shouldn’t it give us pause as to why they become such culprits of disease in the “unfortunate” few? Are they just unfortunate or have they done something- or lived somewhere, in the case of pollution- that has brought this plague onto themselves.  We know that the number one risk of developing Legionnaire’s Disease was/is cigarette smoking. Now there’s a surprise.

I believe down to my core that viruses and bacteria work in concert to help us all, especially when it comes to adaptation and survival. Bacteria form L-forms and viruses mutate because they NEED TO SURVIVE- they are critical to our survival and only become pathogens because we have forced them into doing so with the laundry list given above. Cancer is little more than a virus (and/or an intracellular bacteria) forcing that cell to duplicate out of control in a desperate attempt to protect itself- and the cell it was designed to protect- as well escape those noxious elements (we call them “carcinogens”) that have forced them into this final phase of adaptation.

Our immune system tried valiantly to deal with this during the preceding “autoimmune” phase, a term I no longer use because the thought of our immune system attacking itself for no reason is preposterous, especially in light of your research on L-forms. And we can’t say we weren’t warned by the broad array of symptoms we were given- the heartburn, IBS, allergies, hives, cough, migraines, seizures, fatigue/depression, etc, etc, etc.

Certainly, there are those who have become so afflicted and immune challenged that they need some pharmaceutical aid dealing with these helper-turned-“culprit” bacteria but to become dependent upon antibiotics for any significant length of time is both potentially dangerous and unnecessary. But if we stop the assault we are laying down on these misunderstood and reactionary residents, we can come off the drugs (like I did) and re-establish the status quo- and LONG before the two or three year mark in most cases, I believe.

People simply need to know that WE are the culprit, not these microorganisms at which we keep pointing our scientific finger. Why? Because these organisms- the viruses, bacteria, L-forms and mollicutes- are here to stay! It is we who are the transient visitors. And if we want to enjoy our stay, we’re going to have to learn how to treat ourselves- and those who reside within us- a whole lot better.

I do hope this helps,

John

John B. Symes, DVM