LITHIUM CONTROVERSY

Samuel Gershon’s reply to Thomas A. Ban’s question about Charles Noack

I met Noack a number of times and know that with the exception of one other study on the effect of lithium on ionic balance in man, he was not involved in any other research. I do not have a clear picture of what the problem was, but based on second hand information, it seems that the Department harassed him, as they did me, by moving me out of Melbourne. I gather that Noack had a “nervous breakdown”. I don’t know when he died, but I got a letter several years ago from his daughter after I had some interviews with an Australian paper. She wrote to thank me on praising Charlie’s work and its importance and that he had this subsequent sad history.

Samuel Gershon

July 9, 2015