Posted on 07/03/2013 12:49:19 PM PDT by EveningStar
When Dr. Paul A. Offit published “Autism’s False Prophets” in 2008, he elected to skip the usual round of book signings. His defense of childhood vaccinations so enraged some people who consider them a cause of autism that he was getting credible death threats.
Others might have chosen to flee the public arena after that, but not Dr. Offit, the chief of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, whose appetite for the good fight seems only to have grown. Over the last decade he has become a leading debunker of mass misconceptions surrounding infections and vaccines, and now he is taking on the entire field of alternative medicine, from acupuncture to vitamins.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Reviews of Do You Believe in Magic?: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine at Amazon
So we’ve learned more in the last 200 years than was learned in the previous 5000?
Well, yeah.
I have tried many supplements that did not work. I have tried a few that do work. I take those daily.
I have seen some of these remedies work in infants, animals, and yougsters who did not know they were receiving them. It is not all self-suggestion.
Nice.
In many disciplines that is true. In fact, in many disciplines, we have learned more in the last 100 years than the previous 5000.
In most cases they’ve learned how to mask symptoms but cure few diseases. They also prevent very few and do nothing to prevent disease.
Is all alternative medicine valid? no
Is all of it useless? No
I’ve met many a western medical doctor who could do nothing but prescribe pills.
We’ve relied on Hyland’s teething tabs for years. Most of the time, as infants, my kids never even knew when they were getting them. They always calmed down within five minutes and rested so well. The bonus was they were a fraction of the price of even generic acetaminophen and ibuprofen. I type “were” because the FDA made Hyland’s start labeling them after 50 years of being on the market. Of course the company had no choice but to pass the price increase on to the customer.
Absolutely! Just a few hundred years ago, the majority of doctors thought that the idea that infections are caused by germs was ludicrous.
Agree and the short list changes from person to person so its validity is always is question.
The best alternative medicine is a healthy diet of fresh foods, regular vigorous exercise, no smoking and limited alcohol. Eat right, move, and don’t work at killing yourself.
My wife bought those Hyland’s teething tabs for our first son. In our experience, they made no difference at all.
And in the last ten years caffeine has been bad for you then no problem, and now it has health benefits. Cholesterol was thought to be the cause of blocked arteries, but now inflammation is the culprit.
You are the first person ever to tell me that. Usually when I say “teething tabs” near parents they comment about what a God send they are. I recommend them to everybody, and I’ve always received back a positive reaction.
While I agree that there is insufficient research to support vaccines as the cause of autism, throwing the baby out with the bathwater on all alternative medicine is not the solution.
I’ve been asked to publish a book on my research relating to psychological defense mechanisms and the resulting medical symptoms. It’s finally time. It’s not that hard to understand mysticism and how Jesus did his healings. While I would never compare myself or others to the “Greatest Teacher “ ever, He was a teacher and came to teach us “How to do the things that He did and more in His name.”
Too many Christians say Jesus is their savior and treat Him like a lifeguard who can pluck them from drowning. In the interim they fear water (death) and never learn to swim.
While Jesus can pluck us out after death, He would much sooner that we learn from His teachings and grow to heal ourselves.
The greatest healing of the body results from healing the soul.
Doctors bury their mistakes, both now and 200 years ago.
He considers vitamins to be a hoax too? Basically that is saying that nutrition is a hoax. Will his next project be to prove that fats, proteins, carbohydrates and water are a hoax?
Remember when eggs would kill you? The war on saturated fat is still ongoing, yet coconut oil is one of the healthiest for us.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.