Dr. Feelgood: The Shocking Story of the Doctor Who May Have Changed History by Treating and Drugging JFK, Marilyn, Elvis, and Other Prominent Figures

by William J. Birnes, Richard A. Lertzman

Doctor Max Jacobson, whom the Secret Service under President John F. Kennedy code-named “Dr. Feelgood,” developed a unique “energy formula” that altered the paths of some of the twentieth century’s most iconic figures, including President and Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis. JFK received his first injection (a special mix of “vitamins and hormones,” according to Jacobson) just before his first debate with Vice President Richard Nixon. The shot into JFK’s throat not only cured his laryngitis, but also diminished the pain in his back, allowed him to stand up straighter, and invigorated the tired candidate. Kennedy demolished Nixon in that first debate and turned a tide of skepticism about Kennedy into an audience that appreciated his energy and crispness. What JFK didn’t know then was that the injections were actually powerful doses of a combination of highly addictive liquid methamphetamine and steroids.

Author and researcher Rick Lertzman and New York Times bestselling author Bill Birnes reveal heretofore unpublished material about the mysterious Dr. Feelgood. Through well-researched prose and interviews with celebrities including George Clooney, Jerry Lewis, Yogi Berra, and Sid Caesar, the authors reveal Jacobson’s vast influence on events such as the assassination of JFK, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Kennedy-Khrushchev Vienna Summit, the murder of Marilyn Monroe, the filming of the C. B. DeMille classic The Ten Commandments , and the work of many of the great artists of that era. Jacobson destroyed the lives of several famous patients in the entertainment industry and accidentally killed his own wife, Nina, with an overdose of his formula.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Biography, Medical, Audiobook, Crime

208 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I picked up at the library, expecting a light yet somewhat sleazy holiday read. Instead, I got a book that had been researched obviously over a period of years; many of the interviews were of people who had either been patients or otherwise directly involved in the events, as well as close family members of those involved.

Dr. Feelgood was the term that the Secret Service applied to Dr. Max Jacobson, a person who became involved with many celebrities and with the Kennedy White House after beginning to treat John F. Kennedy for back pain and fatigue. These treatments began after JFK's former roommate introduced the then candidate for President to Jacobson; all treatments were unnofficial and secret. Notably secret were the ingredients of the shots; Jacobson told everyone they were "vitamin shots" and at one point said "vitamins and hormones." Well not really. They were actually liquid methamphetamine in a fairly large dose (30-40 mg) combined with steroids. As Jacobson's huge ring of patients discovered, they needed more and more to maintain and some wound up self-destructing. How Jacobson kept going himself is unknown as he was also a meth addict for more than 30 years.

The book's strong points include a list of patients from Dr. Jacobson's records, with the ones who were personally interviewed for the book marked. The list of interviewees is extensive and lends authenticity to the claims of drug use and addiction. Footnotes also help clarify sources. Jacobson had many, many celebrity patients to whom he administered his miracle shots beyond JFK, including Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, Nelson Rockefeller, Winston Churchill, Jackie Kennedy, Lee Bouvier Radziwill (interviewed), Harry S. Truman, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor (interviewed), and Frank Sinatra. When you look at the list, it is shocking to think of all of these people doing meth...especially since most didn't know what they were really getting. Further bolstering the authors' claims was the interview of the two New York Times reporters who investigated Jacobson in 1972. Jacobson, apparently well into a meth induced delusion, thought he was going to be recognized and rewarded for his work and wound up telling them everything.

The background on Dr. Jacobson is fascinating, including his claim that it was his recipe for meth that the Nazis distributed in tablet form (35 million) to soldiers, sailors, and pilots of the Reich at the beginning of World War II. Jacobson was Jewish and when he fled Germany, he claimed he was forced to hand over the formula. There are some historical problems in this section, though. The authors link Kristallenacht (1938) with the Reichstag fire (1933). To link the two directly I think is faulty with the time passage between them. Also, it seems very fortuitous that Jacobson met Jung, Adler, Freud, and Albert Einstein. All in all, Jacobson's background seems so touched with celebrity as to be a product of his meth addiction and his imagination. Finally, the Kaiser was a member of the House of Hohenzollern, not Hapsburg.

Where the book really falls down is the discussion of the assassination of JFK and the bullet entry and exit wounds. This, obviously, has been highly contested for years. But it just seemed that the book should not have strayed into conclusory territory about bullet exit and entry wounds as I don't believe either author, nor any contributor, is a forensic expert in this area. I think it undercut the book's authenticity in general. It is pretty clear that the CIA had motive to get rid of JFK. This book was published in 2013 but likely well before a documentary from PBS' NOVA was aired about the assassination ("Cold Case JFK," 11/13/2013). In that documentary, two forensic pathologists, a wound ballistics researcher, and a firearms expert (among others) speak to and show compelling evidence that it could indeed have only been Lee Harvey Oswald firing and using full-metal jacket bullets. The authors are definitely entitled to their opinions but that data may have been of interest. At any rate, the CIA definitely could have hired and set up Lee Harvey Oswald for just the reasons cited in this book. I just felt the foray into the argument about bullet wounds was not supported by the rest of the book.

There are also a few editorial errors that were annoying that did not alter my rating of the book but that indicate that the editors let the authors down. On one page the last name of Bob Cummings' second-wife-to-be is spelled both Fong and Font; on another, the German Chancellor's last name is spelled both Adenauer and Asenauer. There are a couple of puntuation goofs, a problem with a bibliography entry, and some run-on sentences that desperately needed to be hacked apart. That may be nit-picky but what those errors do is make the book look unprofessional and the story not as believeable.

This is a short but shocking slice of American history. I cannot believe that there hasn't been more press about JFK having a psychotic break at The Carlyle Hotel in New York due to methamphetamine. I do really wish that the book had lived up it's unspoken celebrity promise and had discovered other "prominent" figures such as Elizabeth Taylor, Roddy McDowell, Rex Harrison, Yul Brynner, etc who are all listed as patients. This is still a short but interesting read. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the darker part of American history.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was almost positive I had already marked this read and wrote some sort of whacked out ditty when I finished, but FB said nope. But what do they know right now? I’m ripping my hair out

[Carrie Poppy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book as a part of some in-depth research I am doing for a project, which has a tertiary connection to Max Jacobson, the unscrupulous doctor of midcentury America, who seemed to prescribe injectable amphetamine to any and every celebrity who asked for it.

Jacobson, of course, thought he was doing the world a service; his drugs made people feel better, and this was enough evidence for him. He touted the medicine as a treatment for Multiple Sclerosis (it is not) and a bevy of other complaints, serving an apparently endless stream of customers who would snaked out the door of his Manhattan office. His patients included JFK, Marilyn Monroe, Zero Mostel, Sharon Tate, Marlene Dietrich, and dozens of other recognizable names. His reach was clearly vast, and his stamp on American history is permanent.

I say the above having not known too much about the man, until I read this book. The authors sedulously reported and documented their steps, footnoting as they went. While the writing is short of inspiring, the footwork is tremendous, and the tracing of every step from official sources to interviews wherever possible, inspires confidence in the writers.

I would have given it four stars if that was all there was to it, but one chapter startled me in its appearance on the page: the authors suddenly proclaim that they know the real story behind the JFK assassination which, they say, was planned by a conspiracy between the CIA, LBJ, and others. While this is not an impossible theory, it is presented as fact, and here we don't get nearly the same level of assiduous documentation and resources, much less any acknowledgment that they are positing something incredibly controversial. During this chapter, I found myself stopping to ask if I still trusted the authors. I went back to look at the reputable footnotes of previous chapters, suddenly less sure I had seen them. I have certainly not fact-checked said footnotes (yet), but they do reference very valid sources, and so my proximate conclusion is that this CIA-JFK theory is simply one of the authors' blind spots about their own assumptions.

Nevertheless, the book is a great source, and anyone looking to learn more about this fascinating character who undoubtedly changed the American landscape won't be disappointed.

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book profiles the life of Dr. Max Jacobson - a man whose name may not ring a bell, but who may have had an enormous impact on some US History.

Claiming to have developed a miraculous formula which provided not only pain relief, but allowed his patients to be able to go long periods of time without needing sleep, possess the stamina to get through stressful situations, and make them feel they were invincible. He touted the secret formula as having various ingredients, depending on who was asking - anything from multiple vitamins to animal testicles or brain tissue, and anything else imaginable.

What he was actually pushing was methamphetamine.

A visit to his office should have set of alarm bells - it was filthy, he wore a blood-stained filthy white jacket, and his fingernails were always dirty.

However, this formula brought them back again and again - some of the biggest names in politics and Hollywood fell victim to his "formula". Basically, he was a drug pusher extraordinaire.

One of his biggest clients was John F. Kennedy, who relied on the injections so much that Max Jacobson was required to travel with him to important occasions, not the least of which was his meeting with Soviet leadership after the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Dealing with sever back pain from his days on the PT-109, Kennedy became heavily addicted, as did Rod Serling and many, many others. One of the saddest victims was actor Bob Cummings. Many of these "patients" eventually succumbed following years of addiction which led to severe depression and other potentially fatal side effects.

In the end, Dr. Jacobson fell victim to his own formula after he began using it himself.

A look inside the mind of a person who is basically a pusher and a drug dealer whose name became linked with big names and who thrived on being surrounded by such well-known celebrities, this book not only exposes Jacobson's egotistical personality, but the ease of getting people who are seeking medical help addicted to a formula which needed him untold fortune. Most victims met Jacobson through recommendations of his other patients.

The book includes photos of Jacobson with many well known celebrities.

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Once again I have paid the price for ordering a book on line. In hindsight, I guess I should have expected this “exciting tell all” would be an overwritten, under-sourced thicket of hearsay and unconfirmed rumor. Of course, if I had seen the hard copy first, a brief look at the end notes would have brought this home. Because the main sources for the information in this little book are the self-important diary of the crazy doctor himself and a bunch of “private interviews” with persons unnamed. No doubt some, perhaps many, of the episodes in here actually happened in some form or another. But one cannot tell where the confirmed factual events end and the breathless, third party, after-the-fact, rumor mongering begins. And that is the problem. Somewhere in this volume, JFK confirms the existence of Area 51 to Marylin Monroe and that is why the President is taken out by some combination of the CIA, the FBI, LBJ and the US Customs Office! But don’t stop with this book. There is more! Other books are marketed in the end papers of this thin volume which would be appropriate in any QAnoner’s essential library. (One is born every minute!)

But I have to admit, some of this writing was hilarious. Just listen to this, describing the final years of “world famous” [sic] actor Bob Cummings:

“[Milton Berle] went through the fan mail that Bob received and told him he would select a new wife from his list of fans—someone who could take care of Bob. … ‘I picked some girl from Tennessee who was a cashier at a Piggly Wiggly store.’ … Thus Martha “Jayne” Burzynski became the fifth and final Mrs. Robert Cummings, having flown out to Los Angeles and married the aged Cummings. She had had stars in her eyes and believed her dream of living the Hollywood life had come true. However, she had not married the suave Bob Cummings of television and movies. Instead, she wound up with “Grandpa Collins,” [a character he had once played] a semi-invalid drug addict who had been forced into a twilight retirement by his addiction. It was not a match made in heaven. Instead, the angry Janie Cummings tormented her aged husband who, when he realized the intensity of her distress at the marriage and began to suffer the physical abuse she inflicted on him, lived in constant terror of this cashier from the Piggly Wiggly.”

Or rather, the first time I read that, on a lazy weekend morning, I laughed. Retyping it now, however, it sounds steeped in melancholy.

Addiction is a sad thing, for everyone.

[Elliot Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting information and engaging, but 2 major flaws that keep it from a higher rating. First, even though much is revealed, many potential lines of investigation are ignored completely. For instance, while Elvis is in the subtitle, he is only briefly named with no elaboration. The relationship of JFK and RFK with Marilyn Monroe is probed very superficially. The second flaw is that while many conclusions about Dr Jacobson may be valid, the authors go on to speculate and conclude well beyond the evidence given such as LBJs involvement in the Kennedy assassination.

The web of connections and deceit that Dr Jacobson created and maintained with so many well known figures of the 20th century is nothing short of astonishing. It clearly shows the vulnerability of the elite to guard their veneer of power, influence and popularity. We are all susceptible to that sort of insecurity and Dr Jacobson exploited it to the fullest.

[Bon Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, so it turns out history would look very different if it wasn't for drugs. Hitler, JFK... and so many other that are not even accounted for. Would it be different for good or bad though? Impossible to tell.

But I have to say, all the fuss around Max Jacobson smells like bucketload of hypocrisy. He was all fine and dandy when he was needed to boost JFK to the top - JFK probably wouldn't win some elections, would screw up some meetings, would look like wet mop in some public occasions, but as soon Max was not needed any more, they cut him off.

His biggest sin was unsanitary conditions in his lab and everything related to the concoctions he prepared, so there was good likelihood of infections. But how many times do regular doctors screw up. and it's nobody's fault? And Max, doctor with unorthodox approach, gets crucified just because it's obvious he's different, so why not.

It's almost like they did in on purpose just as an excuse to establish DEA, which to this day probably does more in the way of boosting rate of overdose and drug-related deaths than in the way of prevention.

With all objectivity, sounds like Max was just giving his patients what they wanted (and even needed in many occasions to succeed in what they did), when they wanted. I'm really not sure how's that different from opiates and oxycontin situation in US today. Or enforcing any other drug with shitload of side effects down the throat of general population, some of which are even mandatory.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

A name-dropping spectacular of a book, listing dozens of celebrities whose lives were enhanced, ruined, or ended by the "vitamin shots" of a doctor the FBI code-named "Dr. Feelgood." Makes some audacious claims about where this man's activities led the nation, including some I find very hard to believe...but it sure is food for thought. If you wonder why the Controlled Substances Act and the DEA exist, read this book. Even if you don't believe a word of it you won't be sorry.

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hesitated on 4 stars. It was more 3 1/2 stars. Very easy read but packed with many details from the 60s which I appreciated. There seemed to be a bit of repetition within chapters. However the chapter on JFK's tragic day in Dallas was very enlightening.

There was a lot of research prior to writing the book and I commend Mr. Lertzman for that effort. So many well known names were found somewhat surprising.

I enjoyed reading it and it does make one stop and think about what was actually happening in history during Dr. Feelgood's heyday. The correlation of Hitler's physician Dr. Theodore Morell and Max Jacobson was very interesting. Also learning there were other amphetamine doctors practicing namely Dr. Robert Freymann who also escaped Nazi Germany along with Jacobson makes you wonder if it was really about medicine or power for these two men.

I recommend this book if you are somewhat of a history buff, celebrity crazed, or just interested in addiction.

[Helen Robare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I thought there would be at least one chapter telling the details of all his "patients" but other than JFK (and a little bit about Marilyn Monroe) there was very little about the people whose lives he ruined.

There was quite a bit of information about his personal life but there again, the author fell short. Parts of his life that were meaningful (like when he left his wife and son to go live in Paris and did not take them with him) but for the most part, it seemed like the author was trying to make excuses for him and what he was doing. Apparently, he was very involved in the death of one of his wives (Nina) but very little information was given about that.

All in all, this was a very disappointing book about what could have been a terrific topic in the hands of some other author.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book to be interesting and a quick read, but it also seemed superficial and filled with gossip, speculations, and unsupported conclusions. It also seemed to be a summary of Oliver Stone's JFK with drugs thrown into the mix.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter, but very poorly written and edited. Read like a series of magazine articles strung together.

[no elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Jacobson believed that his methamphetamine injections could help heroin addicts free themselves from the drug. Unfortunately, that freedom came at the expense of addiction to meth."

screaming at whoever listed the "characters" for this book... goodreads users are CLINICALLY INSANE! i'm so happy for them!

[Elizabeth Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd known this guy injected Kennedy and some in his circle with some kind of upper, and it turns out to be meth. The research presented here suggests JFK was a heavy meth addict, along with tons of other celebrities. I hadn't known before how many people this doctor had his hooks in.

[Samantha wickedshizuku Tolleson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Know these guys?








Hard to not know a few of them. Honestly, I will never ever be able to see these iconic figures the same way. I seriously couldn't believe what I was reading, and for a while I was in some serious denial. Though now really thinking about it, doing some homework, and even more readings; I'm convinced that Dr. Max Jacobson was probably most evil fu(k3r to walk the Earth. His career spans even to authors, composers, actors, actresses, singers, poloticians, and top athletes.
You wonder why drugs are so demonized?
Well it was due to the man in the top right hand corner! I hope he roasts in hell!

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful! Incredible pictures of President Kennedy getting a meth injection! This book will Change History! I recommend this book with Five Big Stars!

I love historical biographies. "Dr. Feelgood" has shook me to the core. This incredible book details how one doctor in New York City, Dr. Max Jacobson, drugged our President (Kennedy) while he was making major decisions such as the Vienna Summit, the Cuban Missle Crisis, the Bay of Pigs . Kennedy was a meth addict.I read facts I never even had heard of (I'm a huge fan of Kennedy conspiracy books) such as JFK , as our President running naked through the halls of the Carlyle Hotel while high on meth while the secret service tried to catch him. Secret Service agent Paul Landis called Jacobson "Dr. Frankenstein. JFK on LSD was a real eye opener.

The stories about Dr. Jacobson possibly killing Marilyn Monroe were terrific. There is a list of over 200 celebrity patients which included Elizabeth Taylor, Johnny Mathis, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, President Harry S. Truman ,J. Edgar Hoover, Richard M. Nixon, Rod Serling,President John F. Kennedy ,Jacqueline Kennedy, Sir Winston Churchill, Prince and Lee Radziwill, Cecil B DeMille , Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor,Eddie Fisher, Truman Capote, Bette Davis, Mike Nichols,Burt Bacharach, Frank Sinatra, Tennessee Williams, Paul Lynde, Alan Jay Lerner, Howard Cosell ,Henry & June Miller,Andy Warhol, Yul Brynner,Johnny Mathis,, Rosemary Clooney, Nelson Rockefeller, Marilyn Monroe, Edward G. Robinson,Billy Wilder,
Cary Grant, Bob Cummings,Van Cliburn,Sam “MoMo” Giancanna, Mickey Mantle, Leonard Bernstein, Ingrid Bergman, Tony Curtis, Richard Burton, Andy Williams, Anthony Quinn, and countless others who Max Jacobson injected with his methamphetamine cocktail.

Don't miss this book that will shock you and change history. "Dr. Feelgood" is a classic, must have book for all readers. The exclusive pictures of JFK getting injections are amazing!

Diana McGarvey
Canton, Ohio

[Tim Jin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really had high hopes for "Dr. Feelgood" and how Max Jacobson discovered methamphetamine and was the doctor to JFK, but it became a tabloid article that you would find at a grocery store. The cover up on JFK assassination and how he was high at the time is just too far fetch to believe. Yet another conspiracy theory on this tragic event. I don't doubt that the president had a problem with drugs and Dr. Jacobson was the pusher, but this book is total garbage. It was written in a way to shock you rather than inform you. Jacobson was the dealer to the Stars and the White House and also a heavy user of his own product.

[Yrjo Ojasaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating glimpse into the life of the Dr. Max Jacobson. A successful jewish doctor that escaped Berlin and the holocaust on the eve of WWII to establish a medical lab/practice in New York.

Dr. Jacobson came to be the personal doctor prescribing a cocktail of vitamins and amphetamines to Anais Nin, Henry Miller, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lewis, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Leonard Bernstein, Humphrey Bogart, Yul Brynner, Maria Callas, Truman Capote, Charlton Heston and many others. Aretha Franklin memorialized Dr. Jacobson in her song forever as "Dr. Feelgood." Dr. Jacobson claimed that as a pre-condition for emigration from Germany, he had to disclose to the National Socialists the exact formula for his shots and that this recipe later was manufactured by Temmler and given to German pilots and soldiers under the name of Pervatin. This was allegedly the same recipe that Hitler became addicted to.

However, the most intriguing part of history is how Dr. Jacobson helped John F. Kennedy beat Nixon in the 1960 presidential debates, and cap his come-from-behind victory for the presidency. Dr. Jacobson also gave numerous shots to JFK to provide extra energy and confidence for the meetings with Nikita Khrushchev. KGB knew that JFK was addicted to amphetamines, and had raided Dr. Jacobson’s office to get the exact formula of his shots. Khrushchev seemed to be using this addiction to gain a serious advantage in negotiations, showing up late and dragging out the meetings with JFK. Dr. Jacobson did not want to give him more shots, but JFK begged for another shot saying "I need the edge."

Dr. Jacobson gave JFK shots of a cocktail that included: methamphetamines, sheep sperm, monkey gonads, placenta, enzymes, painkillers, steroids, and B vitamins. Although doctors cautioned JFK about the contents, but Kennedy was hooked from the first shot saying: “I don’t care if it’s horse piss. It works.”

White house records show 34 separate visits in 1962, not counting all of the shots Dr. Jacobson gave JFK on Airforce One, at Jacobsons office or in various hotels. JFK’s meth addiction quickly got out of control, leading to hyper-grandiose paranoia, psychotic reactions and hypersexuality. In 1962 Kennedy almost outed himself, when after getting the latest shot at the Carlyle Hotel in New York , he started running stark naked down the corridors of the hotel looking for women to have sex with, while the photographers and reporters were crowded in the hotel lobby downstairs.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book that answers the question, What did Adolf Hitler and John F. Kennedy have in common? They were both wired on Dr. Max Jacobson's methamphetamine shots, like cocaine once considered a miracle cure for instilling pep, vim and vigor for all. He's probably the doctor that inspired Burrough's infamous character Dr. Benway.

Celebrities as diverse as Jerry Lewis and Maya Deren all took advantage of Miracle Max and his blood-stained hypodermic wonder drug, the best case example being the already sleazy Robert Cummings, becoming more progressively psychotic with each speed dosage. Jacobson was a star-tripper, it seems, as he often didn't charge for his services.

The chapter about Marilyn Monroe isn't very informative and the writers have such a negative opinion about President Kennedy that a lot of the book is fairly dispensable, and there's nothing about Elvis in here, either. Dr. Feelgood comes up short in hardcore gossip, and one gets the impression that a lot of things said by celebrity interviews were off the record.

The irony of it is that it's written as if the writers were addicts themselves, the quality of the writing veering wildly between New York Post-style tabloid sensationalism to highly articulate medical journal reportage. A very looney POV from them both.

[Paul Hyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting story about a fairly unknown character who influenced numerous people in the 60’s and especially his relationship with JFK. Kinda hard to believe but sounds true

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revealing book about a different era before the Controlled Substances Act when a doctor (and he wasn't the only one I'm sure) who was the personal "Dr. Feelgood" physician for JFK and many other luminaries. In that era barbituates were prescribed in a freewheeling way. This guy concocted his own drug cocktails with a lot of methamphetamines. Even an episode of "Mad Men" had a Dr. Feelgood come to the office and gave everyone "Vitamin B-12" shots (with a little mixture). It's been revealed Hitler was taking methamphetamines, well guess what? so was beloved JFK who arguably was an addict. People think they're clever claiming Hitler was on dope well look no further than JFK whose drug dependency potentially could have been an embarrassment. Who knows? It could have led to the conspiracy behind his assasination. Hugh Hefner (not mentioned in the book) readily admits he took "dexadrine" for marathon work sessions. I'm sure nobody was aware of the side effects of the drugs then and the magical injections seemed to be the fountain of youth. Insightful look into a 'slightly' different era and the way things work behind some important scenes.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Feelgood: The Shocking Story of the Doctor Who May Have Changed History by Treating and Drugging JFK, Marilyn, Elvis, and Other Prominent Figures by Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes (Skyhorse Publishing 2013) (610) (3444).

Max Jacobson was a WWII Jewish refugee from Europe who fled to the USA to escape Nazi atrocities. In the 1950's and 1960's through personal family connections, Jacobson insinuated himself into the highest levels of show business, US Presidential politics, and organized crime. What attracted such powerful people to Dr. Jacobson? His “vitamin injections” were the draw, for without exception these shots caused the chronically ailing and the infirm to miraculously feel much better, more energetic, and pain-free. His patients felt so much better that word-of-mouth reports of his special shots caused the powerful to flock to his office at all hours.

He became one of JFK's doctors on call. Kennedy for a time moved Jacobson into the White House so that Jacobson would always be at the ready when the President needed a burst of energy. He and his services were such an open secret that the Presidential Secret Service code name for Dr. Max was “Dr. Feelgood.”

So what was in these miraculous injections? From the remove of 2020, anyone can guess that Dr. Max Jacobson was either injecting his patients with a powerful amphetamine or with cocaine. Jacobson himself claimed that the medicine was simply a healthy combination of vitamins, steroids, and plant-and-animal extractions (“sheep sperm and monkey gonads”, in the words of Dr. Jacobson) which served to stimulate the patients own metabolism.

The active ingredient that made Dr. Jacobson's patients feel wonderful was actually methamphetamine – as in “crystal meth,” which is the drug featured in the television series “Breaking Bad” and which has long been the drug of choice for bikers and for use by the military.

But one must realize that at the time in history when Dr. Jacobson was injecting JFK with methamphetamine, the drug was not illegal. Indeed there were no restrictions against its use, synthesis, or delivery.

Authors Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes include a list of Dr. Jacobson's patients during the heyday of his influence. And the list, if true, is astonishing: JFK, Elvis Presley, Cary Grant, Howard Cosell, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Tennessee Williams,Spiro Agnew, Frank Sinatra, Anais Nin, Andy Warhol, and Mickey Mantle, to name a few.

Dr. Feelgood was a one-trick pony if ever there was one. He had a single one-size-fits-all treatment for any and all ailments, and the treatment always made his patients feel better.

Eventually the medical and legal communities came to realize that much more comprehensive oversight was necessary to stop such quacks as Max Jacobson from dispensing dangerous chemicals indiscriminately. Jacobson eventually had his medical license stripped by the AMA and died shortly thereafter in obscurity.

This little volume / expose should be taken with a grain of salt. The list of materials used in the authors' research and the list of interviews conducted seem a little sketchy to me at best.

My rating: 7/10, finished 6/7/20 (3444). I purchased a PB copy on Amazon on 5/20/20 for $7.oo.

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

[Bill reilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Feelgood was Max Jacobson, a Jewish refugee from Germany who established a medical practice on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in the 1930’s. The client list was an array of the rich and famous. The book begins in 1960 with a young senator running for president. JFK suffered from severe back pain. A WWII PT boat accident was the cause. Jack’s good friend and family photographer, Mark Shaw, had recommended the “miracle doctor.” The source of that magic was methamphetamine. Another patient, Truman Capote, described a feeling of instant euphoria which lasted for 72 hours. A crash was next, and more visits to the good doctor. JFK was given a shot only hours before his TV debate with Richard Nixon. No wonder the audience believed that Kennedy looked more youthful and energetic than Tricky Dicky. He was wired. Dr. Jacobson earned his medical degree in Berlin and fled the brown shirts in 1932. Prague was his first stop, and Paris was next. Four years later, Max made it to New York and set up an office on East 72nd Street. The practice grew quickly. Patients were given shots of amphetamine mixed with vitamins and steroids. Benzedrine became available over the counter in pill form in the 1940’s. On the set of The Ten Commandments, Moses (Charlton Heston), received the tablets while high as a kite. The director, Cecille B DeMille, was also stoned. Tennessee Williams, Paddy Chayevsky, and Rod Serling were among Dr. Feelgoods patients. Bob Cummings might be the most tragic story in the book. Bob was a major TV and movie star in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Dr. Jacobson’s treatments eventually changed the mild mannered star into a raving lunatic. Cummings was banned from Hollywood due to his erratic behavior on set. In 1961, Khrushchev had a meeting in Vienna with JFK. Dr. Jacobson injected the president three times on the day of the summit. The KGB raided the doctor’s NYC office and he suspected that the Russians had his patients’ records. The Soviets were aware of Kennedy’s amphetamine problem years before the American press. NY Yankees announcer Mel Allen introduced Mickey Mantle to Dr Feelgood. The Mick was in constant pain from a torn ACL. Besides cortisone and amphetamine, the authors suspect that Mantle was given steroids which prolonged the slugger’s career for another eight years. Marilyn Monroe sang “Happy Birthday” to the president shortly after a shot from Dr. Max. Her death remains a mystery. 11/23/63 is also analyzed and I concur with the CIA conspiracy conclusion. The doctor’s license was revoked in 1975. An investigation found that over 1,900 needles and syringes were used per week. Patients were also shooting themselves up at home. Jacobson died in 1979 in obscurity.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty scary expose on the doctor who pushed drugs on people in the highest places in government. It's no secret that drugs have infested the entertainment industries, why not politics? How much did the population even know about the drug lifestyle back in the sixties? We hadn't lost our innocence yet. I don't know how much of the facts are proven, but it was a compelling and an oddly believable read. Watching Michael Jackson's, Elvis's or Marilyn Monroe's public drug disasters, it raises the question- was the idea of a trusted doctor on retainer disguising opiates as vitamins so unbelievable? Even more compelling was the suggestion that Kennedy's obsessive sex drive and political "brinkmanship" style can be placed at the doctors door based on the vials of drugs he was given. Read the book for yourself and consider the final suggestion- I will not give it away. It makes for some interesting reading.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty scary expose on the doctor who pushed drugs on people in the highest places in government. It's no secret that drugs have infested the entertainment industries, why not politics. How much did the population even know about the drug lifestyle back in the sixties? We hadn't lost our innocence yet. I don't know how much of the facts are proven, but it was a compelling and an oddly believable read. Watching Michael Jackson's , Elvis's or Marilyn Monroe's public drug disasters, it raises the question- was the idea of a trusted doctor on retainer disguising opiates as vitamins so unbelievable? Even more compelling was the suggestion that Kennedy's obsessive sex drive and political "brinkmanship" style can be placed at the doctors door based on the vials of drugs he was given. Read the book for yourself and consider the final suggestion- I will not give it away. It makes for some interesting reading.

[Sean Halpin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting story but filled with too much gossipy conjecture to receive more than three stars. Max Jacobson, aka Miracle Max, aka Dr. Feelgood, was a meth dealer to the stars. That in itself could make for a interesting story. Jacobson lured powerful figures into addiction, and thus reliance on his concoctions. But the author takes it a step further when he makes wild accusations about JFK's assassination (pages are devoted to where a bullet entered JFK's head), whether Marilyn Monroe was murdered because she might have known too many classified secrets...

Also the Spanish flu took place from 1918-1919...not 1917 as the author reported. There are several places where this book seems sloppily arranged--causing concern for how accurate the reporting is.

[Patricia Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a bit unnerving since it details how many people in the entertainment and political fields were under the sway of this amphetamine-dispensing physician. If we can believe everything here (and he does support it with references), JFK was incredibly addicted to these shots and JFK, Jr. blamed his mother's illness and ultimate death on the shots she received.

Dark references, too, to the death of Marilyn Monroe and JFK as it relates to the CIA and their increasing concerns about both of them vis-à-vis national security.

[Anthony Ambruso · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typical Hollywood Expose

It was my own fault buying this junk. Hollywood exposes typically fill the pages with an unending stream of famous names. So many names that you can't tell a victim from an informant. These books all suffer the same malady. There was a lot of repetition. The name Kennedy appears on almost every page. I had it all after reading the Forward. I have heard reference of the subject of this book; so I wanted to get some additional information. Not much here. No surprises.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real page turner of a book. The title of Chapter 10 should be changed from, "Dallas" to "Mind Blowing". Also MLB has a problem with PEDs today but Mickey Mantle was ahead of the game. Amazing how many famous people were in the "care of" Dr. Max Jacobson and his "magic shot." It is interesting to think how many high profile deaths this man caused and how, as the author points out, history might of changed, for better or worse we'll never know, because of one person.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focuses on the purported relationship with JFK. Posits a successful conspiracy to assassinate JFK, led by the CIA due to the president's drug addiction. I don't really buy into the premise.