The prince and the professor: With respect, professor, the Prince of Wales is not so wrong

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7470.858-b

BMJ 2004;329:858-859 (9 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7470.858-b

Letter

The prince and the professor

With respect, professor, the Prince of Wales is not so wrong

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Baum's open letter criticised the unproved alternativetherapies that Prince Charles was endorsing.¹

Why is food seen as alternative? Although 13 glasses of carrotjuice and coffee enemas may be yet scientifically unproved,food as a remedy for chronic disease is not. My father is workingon a product that involves fruit on the basis of his own theoriesof carcinogenesis. But of course he can't claim that it killscancer cells because it is a food supplement and therefore notregarded as medicinal.

Baum thinks that high profile figures making sweeping statementson matters they are not qualified in is not helpful, but peopleare dying, so isn't the sharing of thoughts beneficial, howeverunfounded? Baum himself has criticised orthodox medicine, somaybe he would agree that the so called alternative therapiesworking in conjunction with so called orthodox treatments shouldbe given a chance? The body . . . [Full text of this article]

Bobby K Potter, student in politics, University of Nottingham

Asda Hulme, South Manchester M15 ldyxrkp@nottingham.ac.uk

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