Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 12:37:12 -0500 (EST)
From: Felix Lemm <felix@noel.pd.org
To: bettym19@mindspring.com
Subject: Another record from Dr. Morgan Raiford, methanol toxicity
specialist , regarding aspartame and optic nerve (fwd)

From time to time I have posted regarding aspartame and vision loss/
blindness to warn healthy people they can go blind from it, and warn
people with vision problems like macular degeneration and RP that using
this product would worsen their condition.  The late Dr. Morgan Raiford
was "the specialist" in methanol toxicity in the US and many aspartame
victims who went blind were sent to him for diagnosis.  We have one of
his fact sheets on aspartame on our auto-responder and web.  I have just
found in the records of Joyce Wilson who went blind and died from
NutraSweet another letter from Dr. Raiford that explains the problem. 
This was written to Shannon Roth in l986, another victim who lost sight
in one eye from aspartame.  Also today I have received an update from
Dr. John Olney who made world news with his report on aspartame and
brain tumors.  It is a 3 part series I posted today, and I will be glad
to send it by private email to those interested. 

Here is the letter to Shannon Roth dated 10/10/86 which further explains
vision problems due to aspartame:

"Dear Shannon:  The first time that I had the opportunity to see the
effects of methyl alcohol toxicity was in the years 1952-1953 that
resulted visual damage to the optic nerves and retina in over 300 cases
and death of over 30 persons. 

In the cases of the use of Aspartame the loss of vision varied, first
affection to the optic nerve fibers from loss of vision and atrophy of
the optic nerve fibers.  The central fibers (225,000) of the total (137
,000,000) optic nerve fibers resulted in partial the extent of total
blindness.   (see enclosed paper on the Macula physiology, a paper that
I presented in Houston, Texas, and Outline of the Macula function.)  The
macula area of the retina and optic nerve fibers are highly reactive to
the toxicity of methyl alcohol because of these fibers and nerve cells
require from four to six times as much oxygen and nutrition and the
visual pathways peripheral nerves.  These fibers and nerves (Tods and
Cones) can not go without oxygen for mor ethan 90 seconds without some
visual loss.  Aspartame is broken down by the upper portion of the
digestive tract and methyl alcohol is then absorbed into the blood
vessels of the region which travels through the bodies entire vascular
system.  This toxic effect causes extensive damage to the highly
demanding metabolic requirements of the human visual pathway, ending
with optic nerve atrophy as well as retinal starvation and visual loss. 
The intensity of these toxic effects from the methyl alcohol spin=off
causes impaired nerve damage that varies with intensity as to the amount
of methyl alcohol the individual absorbs.

Beyond the extensive visual damage that aspartame can and does create,
other organ systems are affected.  Nerve damage to the arms, legs,
central nerve impairment, resulting in impaired nerve function as well
as neurosis and learning difficulties in school work as well as behavior
(metabolic shrot circits of the nerve/brain/visual cells)  (Writers
note: shrot circits may be a typo by his secretary - maybe shot
circuits?)

The pressure put upon the Federal Drug Administration are well known.
The Searle people are more interested in their greed factor of profits. 
I have been told that this toxic methyl alcohol of aspartame has a
market value of over $45,000,000.  The human factor is being ignored and
the moral is not presented. 

This product Aspartame should be withdrawn from the market place and not
for human use until the TOXIC METHYL ALCOHOL radical has been
eliminated. Methyl alcohol has no place in a product, whole or in part,
to be allowed to be produced by any manufactor for human usage.

Sincerely, Morgan B. Raiford, M.D., D.Sc. (Med) Ophth

This letter is important because it was written in l986 when aspartame
was only in a few hundred products.  Today the patent has expired and in
June the FDA gave blanket approval of NutraSweet without public
notification. It is now said to be in over 9000 products and over 90
countries of the world.  Dr. Roberts position paper on aspartame and the
eye can be read at:  http://www.dorway,com/possible.html    or our auto-
responder

Aspartame is causing retinal detachments, floaters, blurred
vision,blindness, etc., etc.  Public be warned.  Mission Possible has
asked for the recall.  Press release on request.  Monsanto bought Searle
in l985. 

Betty Martini, Founder
Mission Possible Worldwide
(warning the world NutraSweet is a neurotoxin)