Max Jacobson (July 3, 1900 – December 1, 1979) was a German and American physician and medical researcher who treated numerous high-profile patients in the United States, including President John F. Kennedy.
Jacobson came to be known as "Miracle Max" and "Dr. Feelgood" because he administered highly addictive "vitamin shots" laced with various substances that included amphetamine and methamphetamine.
Jacobson treated dozens of famous clients, including: John F. Kennedy, Mel Allen, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Leonard Bernstein, Humphrey Bogart, Yul Brynner, Maria Callas, Truman Capote, Van Cliburn, Montgomery Clift, Rosemary Clooney, Bob Cummings, Maya Deren, Cecil B. DeMille (who brought Jacobson to Egypt as his personal physician during the filming of The Ten Commandments[4]), Marlene Dietrich, Eddie Fisher, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, Alan Jay Lerner, Oscar Levant, Mickey Mantle, Hugh Martin, Liza Minnelli, Thelonious Monk, Marilyn Monroe, Zero Mostel, Elvis Presley, Anthony Quinn, Paul Robeson, Nelson Rockefeller, David O. Selznick, Elizabeth Taylor, Kay Thompson, Grace Lee Whitney, Billy Wilder, and Tennessee Williams.
[5][6][7] Dubbed "Dr. Feelgood," Jacobson was known for his "miracle tissue regenerator" shots, which consisted of amphetamines, animal hormones, bone marrow, enzymes, human placenta, painkillers, steroids, and multivitamins.
Kennedy, however, was untroubled by Food and Drug Administration reports on the contents of Jacobson’s injections, and proclaimed: “I don’t care if it’s horse piss.
[16] It was later observed that President Kennedy's leadership, specifically during the Cuban Missile Crisis and other events during 1963, improved once Jacobson's treatments were discontinued and replaced by a medically appropriate regimen.
"[4] The Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs seized Jacobson's supply, and his medical license was revoked on 25 April 1975, by the New York State Board of Regents.