In a recent press release http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/54591417.html the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing announced that they had suspended chiropractor Judith Yager’s license for one year. Her transgressions? Practicing with a lapsed license Using a banned device to treat patients (device not named in press release) Hiring an unlicensed chiropractor to treat patients… read more "Diagnosis by Handwriting and Dreams"
Is Tylenol Safe?
Tylenol (acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol outside the US) has been in the news recently. Most of the stories I’ve seen have been accurate, but I’ve run across a couple of people who misunderstood what they read. I thought I’d try to put the record straight. An FDA advisory panel… read more "Is Tylenol Safe?"
Tactless About TACT: Critiques Without Substance Should Be Abandoned
In May 2008, the article “Why the NIH Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) Should Be Abandoned” was published online in the Medscape Journal of Medicine. The authors included two of our own SBM bloggers, Kimball Atwood and Wallace Sampson, along with Elizabeth Woeckner and Robert Baratz. It showed that… read more "Tactless About TACT: Critiques Without Substance Should Be Abandoned"
Involuntary Treatment – Civil Rights or Civil Wrongs?
In the 1950s, 558,000 people were in mental institutions in the U.S. Many were there against their will and were being warehoused or treated badly. Deinstitutionalization was intended to restore their civil rights and improve their lot. Did it? By 2006, there were only 40,000 people in institutions. What happened… read more "Involuntary Treatment – Civil Rights or Civil Wrongs?"
South Dakota’s Abortion Script: The Hijacking of Informed Consent
In a previous post, I suggested that informed consent could sometimes be misused. South Dakota has provided a clear example of such misuse and has set a frightening precedent reminiscent of Big Brother in George Orwell’s 1984. A law went into effect in July, 2008, requiring that any woman seeking… read more "South Dakota’s Abortion Script: The Hijacking of Informed Consent"
Science & Morality
Review of Render Unto Darwin: Philosophical Aspects of the Christian Right’s Crusade against Science, by James H. Fetzer. THIS BOOK STARTS OUT WELL BUT ENDS BADLY. It is an awkward compilation of three different subjects: evolution science, morality, and politics. The science is well done. Fetzer begins by explaining the difference between science… read more "Science & Morality"
Gulf War Syndrome or Gulf Lore Mythology?
One-fourth of the veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War complain of persistent memory and concentration problems, chronic headaches, widespread pain, gastrointestinal problems, and other chronic abnormalities not explained by well-established diagnoses. Treatments are ineffective and symptoms do not improve over time. Gulf War Syndrome or Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a… read more "Gulf War Syndrome or Gulf Lore Mythology?"
Chiropractic Strokes Again! A Landmark Lawsuit in Canada
Sandra Nette is a prisoner, condemned to spend the rest of her life in the cruelest form of solitary confinement. Her intact mind is trapped in a paralyzed body and she is unable to speak. She can move one arm just enough to type on a special keyboard. She cannot… read more "Chiropractic Strokes Again! A Landmark Lawsuit in Canada"
Mercury Must Be Bad – If Not in Vaccines, In Teeth
Those of us who are baby boomers or older can remember playing with mercury when we were young. The thermometer broke, and you pushed the little globules around. Or you fooled around with the stuff in science class. My husband says he used to get mercury to flow over the… read more "Mercury Must Be Bad – If Not in Vaccines, In Teeth"
No-Touch Chiropractic
Some time ago, I learned that a Seattle chiropractor, Johanna Hoeller, had been featured on a local TV newsmagazine show. She was so proud of the segment that she had it posted on her web page for all to see. Unfortunately it is no longer there, so I’ll have to… read more "No-Touch Chiropractic"