SOUTHEAST SUSPENDS HEAD TRAINER

Southeast Missouri State University's head athletic trainer has been placed on suspension after an investigation by the school revealed that he illegally used medication on five athletes.

The university, through a statement released Tuesday, said trainer David Grossman was suspended for using "animal DMSO" -- an unapproved topical medication -- on five Southeast football players in the fall of 1995. DMSO was neither prescribed nor approved by university physicians, the school said.

Grossman, Southeast's head athletic trainer for almost three years, deferred questions to attorney John Oliver.

"I'm not in a position to say anything at this point," Grossman said. "It's too early to talk."

Oliver, a Cape Girardeau attorney, said Grossman will immediately take steps toward filing a grievance with the university.

"We'll have a request to begin the process, as well as some questions we'd like to have addressed, on Dr. (Richard) McDuffie's desk Wednesday," Oliver said.

McDuffie, Southeast's athletic director, is out of town until Saturday.

"Until we discover exactly what's going on in this process," Oliver said, "the best we can do is say we're confused. We don't know enough about what's going on at this point to even comment as to whether or not there's been an investigation and whether or not it's still ongoing."

According to university spokesman Art Wallhausen, the investigation is complete, and took "a couple of weeks, maybe three. Some of the people involved were out of town, so it took a little longer than it normally would."

Another source with the university said the investigation began four weeks ago.

The names of the players involved, as well as the incident that prompted the investigation, were not available Tuesday.

Dr. Kenneth Dobbins, an executive vice president at the university, reportedly ordered the investigation. Calls to his residence were not returned Tuesday.

DMSO, according to the school, was topically applied as a solvent or gel to five student athletes -- all football players -- during the 1995 season, although the drug is not approved for that use by the FDA. Despite research in support of DMSO's effectiveness in the treatment of soft tissue damage, the FDA has restricted its application to the treatment of bladder wall inflammation.

When applied topically, DMSO -- described as a "carrier chemical" -- rapidly penetrates the skin and provides almost immediate pain relief, decreases swelling and improves flexibility. Side effects, according to the FDA, include nausea, headache and skin rash.

But because DMSO is a carrier chemical, an FDA report says, it can deliver harmful substances into the bloodstream, if they are present in impure DMSO, through use on the skin.

DMSO is widely -- and legally -- available, including by mail order, but for medically-approved usage only.

How the product was obtained by Grossman remained unclear Tuesday.

Further disciplinary action will be taken in the next two weeks, according to the university's statement, while Oliver said he and his client may hold a formal press conference later this week.

"We're still unclear as to the exact nature or the basis of the suspension," said Oliver, adding that he and Dobbins have not yet discussed the suspension.