Category: Naturopathy

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Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Naturopathy Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

The Supreme Court of Canada grants a new trial to the parents who let Ezekiel Stephan die

Crown appeals Justice Terry Clackson's decision
Ezekiel Stephan: A victim of his parents' antivaccine and pro-quackery ideology.

David and Collet Stephan were convicted in 2016 for failure to provide the necessities of life for their son Ezekiel Stephan, who died of bacterial meningitis after his parents treated him with natural remedies, supplements, and naturopathy. Unfortunately, as a result of their appeal, the Canadian Supreme Court has granted them a new trial. Predictably, they are claiming vindication. The verdict is nothing of the sort. The Stephans got off on a technicality, but this ruling will serve as propaganda for quacks for years to come.

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Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy Pseudoscience Quackery

Only a homeopath has a belief system bizarre enough to defend a remedy based on spit from a rabid dog

Anke Zimmermann and her rabid dog remedy
Anke Zimmermann and her rabid dog remedy

Last week, naturopath and homeopath Anke Zimmermann made the news for using lyssinum, a homeopathic remedy based on saliva from a rabid dog, to treat a four year old boy with behavioral problems. This week, Zimmermann strikes back against her critics. Hilarity ensues.

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Clinical trials Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy

Integrating homeopathy with medicine: Not the “best of both worlds”

Homeopathy
The editorial staff at The BMJ contemplate their next systematic review.

Advocates of “integrative medicine” argue that integrating alternative medicine with real medicine represents the “best of both worlds.” A recent study by Ben Goldacre suggests that, in reality, integrating quackery with medicine infects medicine with pseudoscience and poor practice.

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Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy Pseudoscience Quackery

Naturopathy: Using homeopathic saliva from a rabid dog to cure growling, aggression, and a fear of werewolves

Werewolf
Werewolf

Whenever I think I’ve seen the most ridiculous quackery ever in homeopathy or naturopathy, homeopaths and naturopaths go above and beyond to prove me wrong. This time around, I learn of Lyssinum, a homeopathic remedy claimed to have been made from the saliva of a rabid dog, and how it “cured” a child of his fear of werewolves.

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Bad science Cancer Medicine Naturopathy Quackery

The quackademic avalanche: Is it too late for the pebbles to vote?

Kosh and the quackademic avalanche
Kosh and the quackademic avalanche

I’ve documented the infiltration of quackery into academic medicine through the “integration” of mystical and prescientific treatment modalities into medicine. Here, I look at a seemingly small incident, a veritable pebble in the quackademic avalanche. Is it too late for the pebbles to vote?