pyrotherapy is a real thing, and has been used very successfully in the treatment of the later stages of syphillis. of course, it only works because syphillis is really temperature sensitive, which isn't the case of the pathogens concerned.

reminds me of Linus Pauling's later work

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Pauling#Medical_research...

I'd go a bit further than 'crackpot' in describing someone who literally gave Malaria to people with AIDS on purpose.