While John F. Kennedy was a popular president and a leader for racial integration in the United States, he also had many secrets behind closed doors. Contrary to how he was portrayed in the public eye, John F. Kennedy actually had many struggles with his physical health. From chronic back pain to Addison’s disease, a disorder involving hormone deficiencies, the former president had a mess of unknown health problems.1 While these were mostly hidden to the public, Kennedy was getting help from a well-known doctor of the stars, Dr. Feelgood.
Who Was Dr. Feelgood?
Dr. Feelgood, or Dr. Max Jacobson, was a German-born doctor who was famous for crafting strange concoctions used to help people feel happier and healthier. He fled Nazi German for America and quickly made a name for himself in New York. His love of experimenting led him to create some mind-altering and dangerous drug combinations, but also helped him rise to fame. Dr. Max Jacobson earned the nickname Dr. Feelgood from his patients who swore by his trippy injections that gave them renewed energy and made them happier.
Eventually John F. Kennedy and his staff got wind of Dr. Max Jacobson’s work, and Dr. Feelgood became a regular doctor to the frequently sick president.
What Were In Dr. Feelgood’s Injections?
Dr. Max Jacobson rose in fame in part because his drug cocktails were so unique. Unbeknownst to most of his patients, his injections featured a mix of unusual and questionable products.
While the doctor made several different concoctions over the years and only he knew their full list of ingredients, it is believed that Dr. Feelgood’s injections included ingredients like:
- Vitamins
- Tranquilizers
- Enzymes
- Animal blood
- Bone marrow
- Hormones
- Placenta
- Amphetamines like methamphetamine
Amphetamines in particular were Dr. Feelgood’s secret ingredients and likely the reason that his patients kept coming back for more. Dr. Max Jacobson was getting his patients high on methamphetamine without their knowledge, and his regular patients were getting hooked. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive substance, and most people need treatment at a standard or luxury rehab facility to kick this bad habit for good. Because his patients were not privy to this secret ingredient, they kept returning and as a result, Dr. Feelgood kept rising in fame and popularity.
Dr. Feelgood’s Celebrity Patients
JFK was just one of many of Dr. Feelgood’s patients who fell victim to his mysterious miracle injection.
Some of Dr. Feelgood’s other celebrity patients were thought to include:
- Jackie Kennedy
- Marilyn Monroe
- Truman Capote
- Mickey Mantle
- Eddie Fisher
Although many of his patients initially praised the doctor’s medicinal treats, these meth injections ended up doing a lot of harm. There are tales of JFK dancing naked through the halls of the Carlyle Hotel in New York City, high on meth from one of Dr. Jacobson’s magic IVs. Although this may be a comical tale of our nation’s former president, not all of the consequences were so harmless. According the Mantle’s biographer, an injection gone wrong from Dr. Feelgood cost the baseball player a record-breaking season. More than anything, many of Dr. Feelgood’s patients became addicted to amphetamines and struggled to quit. Truman Capote claimed to have collapsed after he stopped getting injections. Others suggested that the drug led to long-term health problems. People who thought they were taking a miracle drug were now hooked and needed a medical detox and treatment to safely wean themselves off of these drugs.
At Seaside Palm Beach, we help people quit their addictions for good. Our luxury PHP program provides patients with a more comfortable environment to overcome their addiction so they do not need to sacrifice their usual standard of living.
If you or someone you care about has an addiction to drugs or alcohol, do not wait any longer to get help. Prolonged drug abuse can be dangerous. Call us today at 561-677-9374 to get started.
Sources & References:
- New York Magazine – The Strange Saga of JFK and the Original ‘Dr. Feelgood’
