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Assaulting alternative medicine: worthwhile or witch hunt?

BMJ 2012; 344 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e1075 (Published 15 February 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e1075

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Re: Assaulting alternative medicine: worthwhile or witch hunt?

Professor Colquhoun states correctly, "we now know that, when hidden negative trials are included, SSRIs are themselves essentially ineffective."

How paradoxical that this makes prozac and the like alternative medicines using his model, except they continue to reap billions of dollars for the pharmaceutical industry because pharmaceutical regulators do not have the fortitude to de-register them.

This battle of the paradigms has not just emerged recently; it has been alive and well for centuries.

Indeed, King Henry the VIIIth got involved in 1542. Known as the Herbalists’ Charter he permitted herbalists to practise their craft without interference from doctors of the day... mostly barbers and surgeons. The charter is still in existence to this day, allowing herbalists to help people by providing herbal remedies under English Common Law and more recently, Section 12 (1) of the Medicines Act of 1968.

Skeptics would do well to read it... it talks about minding only their own lucres and nothing the benefit or ease of the diseased or patient, have sued, troubled and vexed divers honest Persons...

The Herbalist Charter..

"An Act that Persons, Being No Common Surgeons, May Administer Outward Medicines

"Where in the parliament holden at Westminster in the third Year of the King's most gracious Reign, amongst other things, for the avoiding of Sorceries, Witchcrafts and other inconveniences, it was enacted, that no person within the City of London, nor within seven miles of the same, should take upon him to exercise and occupy as physician or surgeon, except he be first examined, approved, and admitted by the Bishop of London and other, under and upon certain pains and penalties in the same Act mentioned;

"Sithence the making of which said Act, the Company and Fellowship of Surgeons of London, minding only their own Lucres and nothing the Profit or ease of the Diseased or Patient, have sued, troubled and vexed divers honest Persons, as well as Men and Women, whom God hath endued with the Knowledge of the Nature, Kind and Operation of certain Herbs, Roots and Waters, and the using and ministring of them to such as been pained with customable Diseases, as Women's Breasts beings sore, a Pin and the Web in the Eye, Uncomis of Hands, Burnings, Scaldings, Sore Mouths, the Stone, Strangury, Saucelim and Morphew, and such other like Diseases; and yet the said Persons have not taken anything for their Pains or Cunning, but have ministered the same to poor People only for Neighborhood and God's sake, and of Pity and Charity:

"And it is now well known that the Surgeons admitted will do no Cure to any Person but where they shall be rewarded with a greater Sum or Reward that the Cure extendeth unto; for in the case they would minister the Cunning unto sore People unrewarded, there should not so many rot and perish to death for Lack or Help of Surgery as daily do; but the greatest part of Surgeons admitted been much more to be blamed than those Persons that they troubled, for although the most Part of the Persons of the said Craft of Surgeons have small Cunning yet they will take great sums of Money, and do little therefore, and by Reason thereof they do oftentimes impair and hurt their Patients, rather than do them good.

"In consideration whereof, and for the Ease, Comfort, Succour, Help, Relief and Health of the King's poor Subjects, Inhabitants of this Realm, now pained or diseased:

"Be it ordained, established and enacted, by Authority of this present Parliament, That at all Time from henceforth it shall be lawful to every Person being the King's subject, having Knowledge and Experience of the Nature of Herbs, Roots and Waters, or of the Operation of the same, by Speculation or Practice, within any part of the Realm of England, or within any other the King's Dominions, to practice, use and minister in and to any outward Sore, Uncome Wound, Aposelmations, outward Swelling or Disease, any Herb or Herbs, Ointments, Baths, Pultess, and Emplaisters, according to their Cunning, Experience and Knowledge in any of the Diseases, Sorea and Maladies beforesaid, and all other like to the same, or Drinks for the Stone, Strangury or Agues, without suit, vexation, trouble, penalty or loss of their goods;

"The foresaid Statute in the foresaid Third Year of the King's most gracious Reign, or any other Act, Ordinance or Statues the contrary heretofore made in anywise, not withstanding."

Competing interests: Consultant to many industries on safety and regulatory issues including the natural health product industry. Member of New Zealand Ministry of Health Expert Working Party that advised on the reporting and management of medical injury in the NZ health system. I have no commercial interest in NHPs and use them infrequently.

22 February 2012
Ron Law
Risk & Policy Adviser
Juderon Consultants
25 Mudgeways Road, Auckland, New Zealand