Historical Highlights of Ozone Therapy

ABSTRACT

Ozone therapy evolved from a chemically intriguing 18^th-century observation to an increasingly standardized medical modality globally. Initially recognized for its powerful antimicrobial function, ozone was introduced into industrial water treatment and subsequently into many clinical uses, including wound healing, infections, and adjuvant cancer therapy. Early innovators Christian Friedrich Schönbein, Nikola Tesla, and Dr. Joachim Hänsler opened up the way for therapeutic applications, which led to inventions like ozone generators and autohemotherapy. Formal attempts at 20^th-century development of ozone therapy as associations, academic publications, and research work followed. Major highlights include wartime application, dental and surgical procedure integration, and publication of landmark works. For the 21^st century, establishment of the International Scientific Committee of Ozone Therapy (ISCO3) and the Madrid Declaration have marked progress in global standardization and ethical regulation. India’s latest steps, like including ozone therapy in the education and government-sanctioned training programs of naturopathy, are in line with its increasing legitimacy. The known antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects of the therapy have widened its scope in integrative and complementary medicine. A background check on ozone therapy shows a transition from experimental fringes to evidence-based, internationally used modality with sustainable use in modern healthcare.

BACKGROUND

In Indian Naturopathy, wellness is understood as a dynamic harmony of the five elemental forces earth, water, fire, air, and ether called the Panchamahabhootas.[1] Ozone therapy, with its spirit in oxygen, resonates very deeply with Vayu (air), the doctrine of movement and life force.[2] Based on the doctrine of Vis Medicatrix Naturae (the healing power of nature), ozone therapy reflects the naturopathic paradigm of restoring balance using nonpharmacological methods.[3] Frequently abbreviated as Oxy-Ozone therapy, the modality entails the therapeutic delivery of medical-grade oxygen-ozone gas mixtures in regulated concentrations, conventionally between 0.5% and 5% ozone.[4,5] It is being more commonly applied for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. Established across several complementary medicine systems globally, ozone therapy is being re-examined in contemporary settings for its clinical adaptability and incorporation into legally framed healthcare systems.[6,7] The aim of this review is to follow the key historical milestones, scientific corroboration, and international standardization of ozone therapy, with specific reference to its recent institutional acceptance in India. The story is one of how an experimentally regarded therapy has come to be a formalized add-on in evidence-based integrative medicine.

Historical highlights of ozone therapy (18^th–19^th century)

The first time ozone was mentioned was in 1785 when Dutch physicist Martin Van Marum noticed a characteristic smell while electrifying oxygen. Christian Friedrich Schönbein named the gas “ozone” in 1840, borrowing the term from the Greek word ozein, describing its oxidative nature.[8] In 1857, Werner von Siemens developed an ozonization device for water purification. By 1859, Theophilus Thompson documented ozone’s medical use in treating respiratory conditions using ozonized oils.[9] In the United States, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg employed ozone steam saunas at his sanitarium from 1880 and recognized its disinfectant potential. In 1896, Nikola Tesla patented an ozone generator and later established the Tesla Ozone Company to produce ozonated products. That same era saw Dr. Benedict Lust, founder of naturopathy in the U.S., advocate for ozone’s therapeutic benefits. In 1898, the Institute for Oxygen Therapy was established in Berlin, conducting early ozone injection experiments.[10]

Early to mid-20^th century

By 1902, J.H. Clarke’s Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica referenced ozonated water (Oxygenium) for treating diverse ailments. Charles Marchand’s 1904 publication detailed uses of ozonated olive oil and water.[11] In France, Marius-Paul Otto established the first company using ozone for municipal water sterilization in 1907. Ozone therapy continued to gain traction, with Dr. Eugene Blass founding Germany’s first ozone therapy organization in 1913. During World War I, ozone was applied to treat gangrene, trench foot, and infected wounds. In 1920, Dr. Charles Neiswanger’s textbook featured ozone’s medical uses.[12] Dr. Otto Warburg, who later won the Nobel Prize, postulated in 1926 that cancer stems from cellular oxygen deficiency a theory that shaped future ozone research. In dentistry, Dr. E.A. Fisch used ozone therapeutically in the 1930s, influencing Dr. Edwin Payr’s surgical applications. In 1933, the American Medical Association opposed unregulated therapies, leading to a decline in ozone use in the U.S. Meanwhile, in 1936, French physician Dr. Paul Aubourg pioneered rectal insufflation of ozone, a method still in practice.[13]

Mid to late 20^th century

The post-war period saw renewed interest. In 1953, Dr. Hans Wolff established the first ozone therapy training school. By 1961, he introduced major and minor autohemotherapy techniques. Collaborating with Dr. Joachim Hänsler, who developed a precise ozone generator in 1957–58, they cofounded the German Ozone Therapy Association in 1972.[14] The 1970s brought experimental breakthroughs. Soviet researchers applied ozone in burns and respiratory conditions, while innovations like ozonated cardioplegic solutions and blood ozonation were developed in Nizhny Novgorod. In 1979, Dr. George Freibott pioneered ozone treatment in an AIDS patient, and that same year, Ozone in Medicine by Dr. Hans Wolff advanced academic discourse.[15] Peer-reviewed literature followed, including a 1980 Science article on ozone’s selective inhibition of cancer cell growth. The International Ozone Association (IOA) was formed in 1973, later publishing Ozone: Science and Engineering. In the 1980s, research expanded across Europe and Cuba. Drs. Viebahn and Rilling published key works, and Cuba’s national ozone research center was established in 1990. Notable applications emerged in ophthalmology, wound care, and HIV/AIDS, building on 1991 findings showing ozone’s inactivation of HIV-1.[16]

21^st century milestones

In 2002, Prof. Velio Bocci’s Ozone: A New Drug laid a scientific foundation for modern ozone therapy. Russia became the first country to formally recognize ozone therapy in 2005, initially for dermatology and later for multiple specialties including gynecology and neonatology.[17] Spain witnessed regulatory shifts: Ozone therapy was banned in outpatient clinics in 2006 but reauthorized by 2009 following advocacy by AEPROMO. In 2010, the Madrid Declaration on Ozone Therapy unified global protocols, and ISCO3 (International Scientific Committee of Ozone Therapy) was founded as an independent scientific body. The Declaration has since been updated every 5 years.[18] Recent years saw India institutionalizing ozone therapy through the National Institute of Naturopathy (NIN), Pune. In 2018, ozone therapy was added to the modern naturopathy curriculum, and by 2021, the Ministry of Ayush launched a certificate course, India’s only government-recognized training program in this domain. Today, nearly more than 40 international organizations endorse ozone therapy by means of research, education, and clinical guidelines. Indexed journals, meetings, and continuing education courses further support its organized inclusion into complementary medicine.[19]

CONCLUSION

Ozone therapy has evolved from a 19^th-century observation into an organized therapeutic modality with international importance. Pivotal advancements such as standardized protocols like the Madrid Declaration and ISCO3 have tightened its scientific and ethical base. In India, its incorporation in naturopathic courses and certified training is a sign of increasing institutional support. Supported by scientific evidence of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities, ozone therapy remains in demand for integrative healthcare, deserving further clinical confirmation and appropriate use.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Funding Statement

Nil.