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The recent Filler(1) entitled One hundred years ago: The war against quackery in Germany cites a BMJ article from 1903 that heralds the foundation of a Society that aims "to enlighten the public mind as to the harm done by quackery to the public health."
Where are such societies these days? Such 'enlightening' of the public mind may have prevented the death of Eliana Diskin(2), who was severely malnourished when she died at age five months after her parents fed her only on rice milk.
A hundred years on, quackery is still very much alive and well.
Quackery is Alive and Well - Parents Charged Over Killing Their Baby in Melbourne
The recent Filler(1) entitled One hundred years ago: The war against quackery in Germany cites a BMJ article from 1903 that heralds the foundation of a Society that aims "to enlighten the public mind as to the harm done by quackery to the public health."
Where are such societies these days? Such 'enlightening' of the public mind may have prevented the death of Eliana Diskin(2), who was severely malnourished when she died at age five months after her parents fed her only on rice milk.
A hundred years on, quackery is still very much alive and well.
References:
(1) The war against quackery in Germany. Filler. One Hundred Years Ago. BMJ 2003;326:365 ( 15 February )
(2) Butcher C. Parents fed baby 'only on rice milk'. The Age. Fairfax Press. May 14 2002
Parents fed baby 'only on rice milk'.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests