Watch Hoxsey: How Healing Becomes a Crime

Hoxsey: How Healing Becomes a Crime is a 1988 documentary film that delves into the story of Harry Hoxsey, a controversial figure who claimed to have discovered a cure for cancer. Directed by Ken Ausubel, the film features interviews with Hoxsey's supporters, patients, and family members, as well as medical professionals who criticized his methods.

The film begins by describing Hoxsey's background, including the history of his family's folk medicine practice. It then goes on to detail Hoxsey's rise to prominence in the 1920s and 30s, when he opened a network of cancer clinics across the United States. The clinics offered an alternative to mainstream medical treatment, which Hoxsey claimed was ineffective and dangerous.

The film explores the various components of Hoxsey's treatment, which included herbal remedies and topical applications. Despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting his methods, many of Hoxsey's patients reported feeling better after receiving his treatment. The film features interviews with several of these patients, who describe their experiences and defend Hoxsey's methods.

However, the medical establishment was quick to voice its objections to Hoxsey's clinics. The American Medical Association and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) both criticized Hoxsey, and the latter eventually shut down several of his clinics. The film features interviews with medical professionals who argue that Hoxsey's methods were unproven and potentially harmful.

The film also details the legal battles that Hoxsey faced throughout his career. He was repeatedly sued by the FDA and other medical organizations, and his clinics were frequently raided and shut down. Despite these setbacks, Hoxsey continued to attract supporters and patients, many of whom saw him as a heroic figure fighting against a medical establishment that was more interested in profits than patient care.

In addition to exploring the controversy surrounding Hoxsey's methods, the film also raises important questions about the role of government and the medical establishment in regulating alternative treatments. Some of the patients interviewed in the film argue that they should have the freedom to choose their own medical treatments, even if those treatments are not backed by scientific evidence. Others argue that the government has a responsibility to protect people from potentially harmful treatments.

Overall, Hoxsey: How Healing Becomes a Crime is a thought-provoking documentary that explores some of the most contentious issues in modern medicine. Whether or not one agrees with Hoxsey's methods, the film raises important questions about the nature of medical research, the role of government in regulating alternative treatments, and the rights of patients to make their own medical decisions.