A few days ago the world lost an eminent research scientist and many of us lost a wonderful friend. I first met Dr. Bill, as many knew him, over twenty-five years ago. But, my interest in him and his research went further back than that.
In the 1970s I owned an herbal products production laboratory and one of the products we used in our production processes was Aloe Vera. We purchased Aloe from a Texas company 5- 10 barrels at a time in gel form. That gel was always extremely unstable and hard to work with. In the mid1980s I became aware of research being done at Carrington Laboratories (a pharmaceutical company) and Dr. McAnalley and his team on the Aloe Vera plant. By about 1990 this team of researchers had isolated the healing characteristic of Aloe (acemannan) and managed to preserve it without hindering its healing processes.
Over his lifetime Dr. Bill authored books, wrote specialized chapters for research books, participated in preparing 66 peer reviewed manuscripts and made numerous presentations at international meetings. He received 25 US Patents and over 300 International Patents. I personally was privileged to hear him speak at many conventions ranging across major US cities and from London to Seoul. It was always a pleasure to hear him present on foods and herbs beneficial to human health.
As a Doctor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dr. McAnalley was recognized as a leading researcher and product developer in many areas that reached into the uses of foods and herbs to support the immune system and other bodily functions. His original research on the Aloe plant for Carrington Laboratories was intended to allow Carrington to develop pharmaceutical drugs from acemannan. The FDA requires that to go into pharmaceutical drug trials with humans it is necessary to pass an LD-50 (Lethal Dose, 50%) Test. Because they could not kill rats or mice in the trials it was impossible to proceed to the human test to develop pharmaceutical drugs. Dr. Bill hence developed many food supplement items.
Sitting on a bus to go to Heathrow Airport in London one night Dr. Bill and I had a conversation about his Acemannan discovery and I asked him if they would ever be able to use it as an accepted way of treating human ailments. His response was, “Phil, it will only be used that way if someday it becomes accepted as Standard of Care by medical institutions.”
It was a true pleasure and honor to know this fine Christian gentleman who had a true interest in doing all he could to be of service to humankind.
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I did not know about Dr. Bill McAna until I read your article. However, I have been using aloe verra products for years for everything from minor burns to bug bites. It can be purchased in topical form. We have also used it by breaking leaves off of the plant and rubbing it on affected areas. Some people, because of the insight and drive, change the world. It seems that Dr. Bill was one of those people. Thank you for this article. I am sorry to hear about his loss.
Jim
I want to extend my condolences for the loss of your friend. Your tribute to him is informative and heartwarming. It is novel that you have managed to tell us about advances with aloe vera and eulogize your friend simultaneously. We use aloe vera all the time never thinking of what it has taken for us to do so.
You should assign a category to this post rather than leave it uncategorized. You have posted a nice photo of him. I think if it were smaller, it may be crisper. Rather than write “a few days ago”, you may want to give a date as people will be reading this for a long time. Also, there are places where you capitalize acemannan and other places where you do not. You should make it consistent.
I hope these comments help. You have honored his memory respectably.
Hazel, Thanks a lot for your comments. I agree about the size of the photo—I don’t know how to make it smaller. I see what you mean about a “few days ago.”
I’m sorry for the loss of your friend. Dr. Bill seems like a wonderful man and a great researcher. I have used Aloe in products for many years, but didn’t really know the extent of the research until now. I think it was my wife that first showed me Aloe plants back in the mid ’70s when we got married. I burn easily and she showed me how the plant could help the healing and pain. I hope there is someone that can continue to carry the “research” torch for Dr. Bill!
Thank you for your comments. Many people actually keep an Aloe plant for their personal use.
Aloes are actually mentioned in the Book of Numbers in the Bible.
I did not know about Dr. Bill and his research and the development of acemannan. I have grown and used Aloe vera for years. I use it in lotions and creams that I make. It is a wonderful plant with so many benefits. I found your article very interesting and will be searching out some of Dr. Bills books to add to my collection of herbal books.
Aloe is used by many people. It has amazed me, over the years, how many are familiar with it.
I had not heard of Dr. Bill and his research into Aloe Vera, I use the aloe vera gel in soaps and lotion that I make. I found your article to be very interesting. I’m impressed with how many patents Dr. Bill had over the years, and I’m really looking forward to searching out and reading some of his books. Thanks for such an informative article.
He was a truly amazing gentleman!
No I do not know this guy one of the things that you mentioned that he was a Christian scientist, and one of the things that I know is that a lot of times we tend to separate the two, I truly believe that science and biblical principles were meant to work hand in hand. Meaning, that I believe that science is designed to show evidence that there is a God and we are vessels that he uses to prove that he exists.
Thank you for your comments.