In 1967, Hoffer found it increasingly difficult to publish reports on his studies of
megavitamin therapies and claimed that his studies were rejected in a conspiracy of mainstream medicine, prompted by what he alleged to be extended conflicts of interest on the part of the
American Psychiatric Association. The
Journal of Schizophrenia followed the formation of the
Canadian Schizophrenia Foundation and the
American Schizophrenia Association. Hoffer and
Humphry Osmond, who developed the
hypothesis that
schizophrenia is caused by the endogenous production of an
epinephrine (adrenaline)-based
hallucinogen, were called before the Committee of Ethics of the American Psychiatric Association to explain why they were publicizing a treatment, called xenobiotic psychiatry by
Bernard Rimland, which was considered outside of standard psychiatric practice. Hoffer claims that one of the assistant editors of the
American Journal of Psychiatry announced that he would never allow any article from Hoffer's group to appear in his journal. Several name changes occurred: to
Schizophrenia; then to
Orthomolecular Psychiatry, ostensibly to reflect the increased application of this type of therapy to other mental illnesses; then to
Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine. == Controversial status ==