It is commonly taught that Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a hereditary disease and that there is no cure. When young, the victim of RP usually has normal vision. This fact suggests that the primary cause of RP is a pathogen or a nutritional deficit and not inheritance. This idea is supported by he difficulty of doing RP research, and by ªur success with two patients treated with nutrients and with 200 microamperes electricity. Neither of these unrelated patients have any known relatives with retinitis pigmentosa.

That researchers have had difficulty with the genetic concept of RP is summarized as follows: " In order to pursue laboratory studies into inherited photoreceptor abnormalities, it is essential to have well defined groups of patients with a common defect. This has rarely been achieved, the only sure way to ensure it until now being the investigation of persons with linked ancestry. Inheritance of RP can be autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant or X- linked, and there is heterogeneity within the categories. In addition, spontaneous (simplex) cases occur without there being affected siblings or evidence of parental consanguinity. These snay be inherited or acquired and meaningful studies will only be possible when the relationship to known diseases has been investigated."