On 22 Mar 2009 at 11:14, [email protected] wrote: > The article is here: > http://shop.snyderhealth.com/article_info.php?articles_id=6
The claim that distilled water is dangerous to drink makes no sense on theoretical grounds, and my PubMed search in my previous post showed that the claim has not the slightest empirical support either. As I noted, I am offended that Dr. Rona should be peddling such outrageous scaremongering while advertising his M.D. degree from McGill University, the same internationally-respected university where I received my undergraduate degree. But help is at hand. There is a Ph.D. chemist who has a well-deserved reputation and awards for debunking health claims, especially those relating to the supposed dangerous effects of chemicals and chemical additives. In a way, he is the Amazing Randi of chemistry. Around these parts he is known for his newspaper columns and radio and TV commentaries, which provide refreshingly good common-sense and scientifically-accurate advice on all things chemical. This man is Dr. Joseph Schwarcz. By some amazing cosmic coincidence Dr. Schwarcz is both a Ph.D. graduate of McGill and currently holds a position there as professor of chemistry. He is also Director of McGill University´s Office for Science and Society "which is dedicated to demystifying science for the public, the media and students." Who better to provide an opinion on the deadly distilled water claims of McGillian Zoltan Rona than Dr. Schwarcz? So I wrote him. No more than an hour later I had my response. Bearing in mind that I didn't ask for permission to repost his letter, I won't say what's in it. But I think I am safe in relaying his statement that he is aware of Dr. Rona's activities, and he believes the distilled water claim to be "ridiculous nonsense". I think he just might write a column about it. I hope so. More on Dr. Schwarcz: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Schwarcz Office for Science and Society: http://oss.mcgill.ca/schwarcz.php Stephen ----------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Bishop's University e-mail: [email protected] 2600 College St. Sherbrooke QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Subscribe to discussion list (TIPS) for the teaching of psychology at http://flightline.highline.edu/sfrantz/tips/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
