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Comments on: Quacks to the left of me, dogmatists to the right of me http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/ Trying to make a point Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:21:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: DuncanRDW http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58692 Mon, 11 Jun 2007 18:26:46 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2007/05/25/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58692 Being at a bit of a block head I took the definition for ‘homoeopathy’ from The Sage’s English Dictionary and Thesaurus – cut and paste.

http://www.sequencepublishing.com/thesage.html

However, as I believe I intimated, I’m of the view that a little investment in alternative’s, in whatever field, is a wise move. Progress depends on people pushing the boundaries of our knowledge. All pushing in the same direction, no matter how popular, does not necessarily mean we produce the most successful evolution.
I suspect that in years to come ‘alternative’ therapies and the ‘Holistic’ view will become more intertwined into the social fabric of our culture. More focus on the causes rather than expensive remedies.

Ooops I feel a rant coming on, so I’ll sign off!

]]> By: merrick http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58665 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 23:59:27 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2007/05/25/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58665 Once again I feel the need to draw distinction between various ‘alternative’ therapies.

Ziz, whilst homeopathy may well be quackery, that doesn’t mean all ‘alternative’ medicines are. The efficacy of St John’s Wort (used in herbalism rather than homeopathy) is proven.

Regarding acupuncture, just because you found two people who report no benefit doesn’t prove anything. I know two people who get no effect off Ecstasy, but I’m sure we can agree that it is nonetheless a real drug.

it’s quite some time since studies showed it is effective for certain conditions. Hence the BMA – hardly a bunch of leftfield quacks – calling for it to be more widely available on the NHS

I know a GP who uses it quite a lot. She says around 10% of patients find it useless, about 10% find it amazing, around 80% find it some use.

She uses it frequently as it is cheap, less of a sledgehammer than most pharmaceuticals, and works on causes in areas (such as chronic pain) where other medicines treat only the symptom.

]]> By: ziz http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58660 Fri, 01 Jun 2007 22:47:54 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2007/05/25/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58660 I recently attended a lecture by an NHS pysiotherapist who was a qualified to perform acupuncture as part of standard treatments, principally for joint and muscular conditions.

IT was extremely difficult to obtain any evidence that the treatment was beneficial or effectively replaced other satisfactory treatments.

2 members of the audience had received such treatment and expressed no satisfaction at all.

I had been led to understand that the vogue for homoeopathy was as a result of the Royal family having a great belief in it in the 20th Century and it became thereby quite fashionable.

The first to be treated by this means was Queen Adelaide (Queen consort of William IV) in 1835.

The interest continued into the twentieth century: Sir John Weir, a royal physician, is reported to have prescribed homeopathic remedies for three Kings and four Queens attending the funeral of King George V in 1936.

King George VI, also a subscriber to homeopathy, even named one of his racehorses Hypericum (St John’s Wort) after a homeopathic remedy. He also granted the use of the title Royal to the London Homeopathic Hospital, of which The Queen is now Patron.

Today, The Duke of Gloucester is Patron of the Homeopathic Trust for Research and Education and The Prince of Wales is well known for his championship of complementary medicine.

The Homœopathic Trust for Research and Education
(linked to the Faculty of Homeopathy, Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital)
2 Powis Place
London WC1N 3HT (U.K.)
+44 (0)171 837 9469 Fax +44 (0)171 278 7900

It is quackery of the worst kind.

]]> By: Jamal http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58659 Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:53:39 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2007/05/25/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58659 As-Salaamu ‘alaikum

At the following link you will read about the 49,981 signatures have
now been received on a terrible petition against the London ‘Mega
mosque’ based on incorrect and inciteful information. This shows the
existence of the intolerance and Islamophobia in Britain.

http://radicalmuslim.blogsome.com/2007/05/30/the-mega-mosque/

The mosque would provide a place of worship and show Britains
tolerance and multiculturalism. It is now the duty of Muslims and evey
citizen to sign the counter-petition to BUILD the ‘Mega Mosque’.
Please sign at the link below, forward email it to your friends, post
it in forums you visit and promote this on your site/blog.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/buildmosque/

]]> By: Not Bald Now http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58658 Wed, 30 May 2007 13:23:21 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2007/05/25/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58658 In my early twenties I went to my GP because my hair was literally falling out in clumps. After briefly enquiring whether I was likely to have been poisoned at work by heavy metals, he diagnosed it as stress-related and said there was nothing else he could do.

In my desperation, I turned to a homeopath who lived nearby. But before she could ‘prescribe” anything she said she needed to talk to me in order to understand my problem. During this hour long session of question and answer, I broke down and years worth of emotional vomit came out. My hair stopped falling out almost immediately, and within days had started to grow back. I never went back for the second session where I was to receive my dilute potion.

I think my point is this; a doctor can be surrounded by fantastic drugs and technology but if (s)he doesn’t have the time or inclination to use them with care, then give me a new age quack who’s prepared to listen every time.

]]> By: Merrick http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58655 Mon, 28 May 2007 14:11:10 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2007/05/25/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58655 it had probably been founded by Victorian herbalists

That would be rather unlikely, as herbalism is quite different to homeopathy.

One difference, to keep with your theme, is that herbalism has proven efficacy whereas homeopathy does not.

]]> By: Phil E http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58654 Sat, 26 May 2007 09:42:43 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2007/05/25/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58654 Duncan – homoeopathy isn’t a method of treating disease with small amounts of remedies that, in large amounts in healthy people, produce symptoms similar to those being treated. (That’s vaccination.) It’s a method of treating disease with chemicals in vanishingly tiny amounts – “add a teaspoonful of the remedy to the Atlantic Ocean and stir well”, in the words of Martin Gardner. (You don’t need a poisons licence to sell homeopathic arsenic.)

John’s right to say that all this would be moot if clinical trials showed that homeopathy worked. I only mention it because the idea that homeopathy has some vague family resemblance to conventional medicine seems quite widespread, and it’s really not the case.

]]> By: john b http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58653 Fri, 25 May 2007 18:24:32 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2007/05/25/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58653 actually, i’d vaguely intended in the close of the post to get back to the non-homeopathic things that the hospital does, in the context of ‘alt therapies’ that do appear to work.

but I forgot, and i’m a non-stealth-editing purist, so your comment will have to serve as the correction…

jb

]]> By: DuncanRDW http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58652 Fri, 25 May 2007 16:39:30 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2007/05/25/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58652 John B

Never heard of the hospital in question, so I followed your link.

Very interesting.

However I didn’t see much reference to homoeopathy, other than in the hospitals name (…….. while keeping the name for historic reasons….as you noted) and in one department, the Pharmacy.
I agree that in general the case for homoeopathy ( a method of treating disease with small amounts of remedies that, in large amounts in healthy people, produce symptoms similar to those being treated.) has not been proven.

Although there are established treatments based on similar principles.

The other ten departments in the hospital, appear to practise well established holistic and alternative procedures.

I like you am wary of quack remedies, particularly when their practitioners prey on the vulnerable. I think it less likely to occur in an establishment like this than in some back street clinic.

It seems that, this hospital is providing valid treatment, to many people, many of whom, had not received it from the mainstream system.

I am not technical, so I take your word for it, that modern science, the pharmaceutical companies and medical academics, are set to make untold advances in medical therapies and treatments. That is of course if we can afford the price!

Personally I like to keep my options open. I like diverse thinking and alternatives.
For a country as wealthy as ours, the price tag on this hospital is as nothing compared to millions paid out by the health service on over priced pharmaceuticals.

Just this one hospital….. let it be, who knows you might need it one day!

]]> By: Banditry » Blog Archive » Indians and drugs http://sharpener.johnband.org/2007/05/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58651 Fri, 25 May 2007 16:21:41 +0000 http://www.thesharpener.net/2007/05/25/quacks-to-the-left-of-me-dogmatists-to-the-right-of-me/#comment-58651 […] other bloggish news, I’ve got a new article up at the Sharpener on why, even though homeopathy is nonsense, the reason for this is not because we have no idea how […]

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