A brief historical outline on the medical applications of Ozone
- Ozone was first discovered and named by German scientist Christian Frederick Schonbein in 1840.
- The first ozone generators were developed by von Siemens in Germany in 1857.
- The first report of ozone being used to purify blood in test tubes was by the German Doctor C. in 1870. Dr. Kleinmann experimented with ozone for bacterial infections before 1880.
- The first American therapeutic use of ozone was by Dr. John H. Kellogg in ozone steam saunas at his Battle Creek, Michigan sanitarium from 1880, as he wrote in his book, “Diphtheria: Its Nature, Causes, Prevention and Treatment”.
- In September 1896, the electrical genius Nikola Tesla patented his first ozone generator, and in 1900 he formed the Tesla Ozone Co. Tesla sold ozone machines and ozonated olive oil to doctors for medical use.
- During World War I, (1914-1918 ) ozone was used to treat wounds, trench foot, gangrene and the effects of poison gas.
- In 1920, Dr. Charles Neiswanger, MD, President of the Chicago Hospital College of Medicine published “Electro Therapeutical Practice”. Chapter 32 was entitle “Ozone as a Therapeutic Agent”.
- In 1929, a book called “Ozone and Its Therapeutic Action” was published in the US listing 114 diseases and how to treat them with ozone. Its 40 authors were the heads of all the leading American hospitals.
- Dr. Aubourg and Dr. Lacoste were French physicians using ozone insufflation 1934-1938. Aubourg wrote “Medical Ozone: Production, Dosage and Methods of Clinical Application” in 1938. He gave ozone rectally, vaginally, injected into wounds and by breathing. In 8000 applications, there were no harmful side effects.
- In 1957, Dr. J. Hansler patented an ozone generator which has formed the basis of the expansion in German ozone therapy over the last 40 years. Today, over 8000 German doctors use ozone therapy daily.
- In 1972, The International Association for Oxygen Therapy was founded by Dr. George Freibott as the successor to the Eastern Association for Oxygen Therapy of 1913.
- In 1987, Dr. Siegfried Rilling and Dr. Renate Viebahn collaborated on the publication of “The Use of Ozone in Medicine”, now the standard medical text on ozone application.