historical quackery – The Quackometer Blog

Of the Imagination, as a Cause and as a Cure of Disorders of the Body

3rd June, 2011 9

The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry at Exeter and Plymouth Universities have issued an excited press release about how their researchers have demonstrated the benefits of acupuncture and how it would save resources for the NHS. They claim that ‘5 element acupuncture’ has been shown to be effective with people suffering from ‘unexplained symptoms’. A paper was published in the British Journal of General Practice that concluded that “acupuncture [read more…]

On the The Reckless Physicking of Amateur Females.

16th November, 2010 35

It would appear to be important for homeopaths to show how the rich, blue blooded and famous are supporters of homeopathy. One might suggest that in lieu of meaningful scientific evidence for homeopathy, appeals to the beliefs of the influential and celebrities are all that are left. Dana Ullman, America’s chief propagandist for homeopathy, takes this approach to its zenith with his book, The Homeopathic Revolution: Famous People and Cultural [read more…]

The Magnetic Therapy Water Wand: A Debunking from History

8th June, 2010 19

The recent rain has ensured the last sniffles of hayfever have subsided. It has been a bad few days and the antihistamines may have made things a little more comfortable – but it is the natural cure of a downpour that has really done the trick. I know that many people have been suffering over the past week. The pollen levels must have been particularly high. And, helpful as ever, [read more…]

John Wesley and The Origins of the Natural Health Movement

14th November, 2009 41

Examine the discourse of any alternative medicine and you will encounter a surprisingly homogenous set of themes: that their methods are natural, simple, available to all, and are based on ancient and traditional knowledge. Cures for disease are freely available from nature and we do not need the intermediation of a medical elite to provide us with them. These cures have been known for generations and we have lost sight [read more…]