On Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:07:06 -0700, Michael Smith wrote: >Just a comment.
Just a response. >Although I surmise scientific types Scientific "types"? Are you being Jungian or merely stereotypical? >in general don't condone "alternative medicine", I believe the proper phrasing might be that people who realize that knowledge is tentative and subject to revision as new facts are obtained are unwilling to accept claims that have little objective evidence obtained by standard methods (e.g., double-blind plecebo-control experimental designs) behind them but which promise results that are too good to be true, will be skeptical of the claims of "alternative medicine" unless they have be shown, through standard methods, to actually produce an benefit over and beyond that produced by placebo. >being that we live in a country with personal freedoms I think >that people are allowed to choose 'questionable', 'useless', or even >'dangerous' treatments if they wish. If the decisions that a person only affects that person, then maybe, I emphasize maybe, your position is tenable. The problem is that unless a person is a hermit and has no contact other people, their medical decisions will affect others. The hermit would also have to be rich, so that foolish medical choices which result in increased illness do not affect either health insurance premiums and the costs of running hospitals and other components of the health system. Of course, the best example of why one needs to be wise with their medical treatment is because a number of illnesses are transmittable. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) affect about 19 million people in the U.S. each year (that is, new cases) and most people have no clue about how to deal them. See: http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/std/std.asp Even HIV/AIDS which has garnered so much attention over the past few decades is subject to misunderstanding and claims for "cures" for AIDS are still promoted, for example see: http://naturalcuresforhiv.com/ A person who goes for a "natural cure" for AIDS and continues to be sexually active is a risk not only to themselves but to others as well. >If more and more people want 'alternative medicine' then they will have it, >one >way or another. I think then that hospitals etc., may be responding to that >desire, >especially if it just makes the patient 'feel better' with no other adverse >effects. If "alternative medicine" provides benefits equivalent to placebo, wouldn't it be better to determine what makes for the most effective and cheapest placebo? That is, if we're not really serious about understanding the disease process, how to best treat it, and related issues. -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
