Terrible review of homeopathy book in the Washington Post

roger · 25th February 2005, 11:08 AM

The Washington Post published a book review of COPELAND'S CURE : Homeopathy and the War Between Conventional and Alternative Medicine today.

There's lots of yada yada yada in the review about the AMA, how the reviewer used to write for one of their publications, all seemingly there for the purpose of casting the AMA in a bad light (it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the book). She then casts the fight of the AMA against homeopaths as a battle of wills, rather than a battle of evidence.

For example, she notes medicines stunning advances in the 20th century, but immediately undercuts it with

Quote:

For decades, they prescribed an awful lot of estrogen to an awful lot of women. Then came Vioxx -- oh, well! -- and earlier this month, the Los Angeles Times ran a front-page story reporting that the president of the vaccine division of Merck & Co. had been warned in 1991 that his company's vaccinations were giving infants a dangerously "elevated dose of mercury" -- that old standby poison

Then she ends with a personal anecdote of her going to a homeopath and getting cured. Of course she never mentions what her treatment was - it's entirely conceivable that what she received had an active ingredient.

In short, she entirely misses the point that medicine proceeds via the scientific method, and is thus correctable. There was, is, and will continue to be mistakes made, bad treatments given, etc., in medicine. However, as we know, this process allows for correction. Heck, she cites it herself: the LA times story. Compare this to the homeopaths, who have not advanced the state of their craft since it was invented, and ignore all data proving ineffectiveness of their treatments.

It's really depressing. I wonder how many people she prompted to give up their conventional treatment for shaken water or sugar pills. It's just outrageous.

IIRichard · 26th February 2005, 08:19 AM

Well, it's not surprising really. The only things reporters and reviewers seem to be skeptical of are politicians and even then, they let their biases lead them around. Think of Dan Rather. Every Holloween the local paper has a story on soemone who does exorcisims, finds ghosts, communicates with the dead, etc.

Gavinimurthy · 27th February 2005, 04:46 AM

So, the right message is spreading, though slowly, even in U.S.A. Glad to hear that.

Murthy

geni · 27th February 2005, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gavinimurthy
So, the right message is spreading, though slowly, even in U.S.A. Glad to hear that.

Murthy

You don't know much history do you. Homeopathy was quite polular in the late 19th century in the US. It lost a lot of ground because the students really wanted to help people so they switched over to real medicine.

Chris Haynes · 27th February 2005, 10:25 AM

There is an interesting mention of Copeland in John Barry's book The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague In History --- it seems he undermined some of the work of the New York City's Public Health department. He was protrayed as being medically incompetent, at least that is my recollection (library book).

25th February 2005, 11:08 AM	#1
roger Penultimate Amazing Join Date: May 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 11,021	Terrible review of homeopathy book in the Washington Post The Washington Post published a book review of COPELAND'S CURE : Homeopathy and the War Between Conventional and Alternative Medicine today. There's lots of yada yada yada in the review about the AMA, how the reviewer used to write for one of their publications, all seemingly there for the purpose of casting the AMA in a bad light (it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the book). She then casts the fight of the AMA against homeopaths as a battle of wills, rather than a battle of evidence. For example, she notes medicines stunning advances in the 20th century, but immediately undercuts it with Quote: For decades, they prescribed an awful lot of estrogen to an awful lot of women. Then came Vioxx -- oh, well! -- and earlier this month, the Los Angeles Times ran a front-page story reporting that the president of the vaccine division of Merck & Co. had been warned in 1991 that his company's vaccinations were giving infants a dangerously "elevated dose of mercury" -- that old standby poison Then she ends with a personal anecdote of her going to a homeopath and getting cured. Of course she never mentions what her treatment was - it's entirely conceivable that what she received had an active ingredient. In short, she entirely misses the point that medicine proceeds via the scientific method, and is thus correctable. There was, is, and will continue to be mistakes made, bad treatments given, etc., in medicine. However, as we know, this process allows for correction. Heck, she cites it herself: the LA times story. Compare this to the homeopaths, who have not advanced the state of their craft since it was invented, and ignore all data proving ineffectiveness of their treatments. It's really depressing. I wonder how many people she prompted to give up their conventional treatment for shaken water or sugar pills. It's just outrageous.

26th February 2005, 08:19 AM	#2
IIRichard Critical Thinker Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: CT/NJ Posts: 290	Well, it's not surprising really. The only things reporters and reviewers seem to be skeptical of are politicians and even then, they let their biases lead them around. Think of Dan Rather. Every Holloween the local paper has a story on soemone who does exorcisims, finds ghosts, communicates with the dead, etc.
	__________________ People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell

27th February 2005, 04:46 AM	#3
Gavinimurthy Thinker Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 193	So, the right message is spreading, though slowly, even in U.S.A. Glad to hear that. Murthy
Gavinimurthy Thinker Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 193

27th February 2005, 10:25 AM	#5
Chris Haynes Perfectly Poisonous Person Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Wacky Washington Way Out West Posts: 4,205	There is an interesting mention of Copeland in John Barry's book The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague In History --- it seems he undermined some of the work of the New York City's Public Health department. He was protrayed as being medically incompetent, at least that is my recollection (library book).
	__________________ I used to be intelligent... but then I had kids "HCN, I hate you!" ( so sayeth Deetee at http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=1077344 )... What I get for linking to http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/

27th February 2005, 04:50 AM	#4
geni Anti-homeopathy illuminati member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: UK Posts: 26,564	Quote: Originally posted by Gavinimurthy So, the right message is spreading, though slowly, even in U.S.A. Glad to hear that. Murthy You don't know much history do you. Homeopathy was quite polular in the late 19th century in the US. It lost a lot of ground because the students really wanted to help people so they switched over to real medicine.