Bogus Doctors
Elvira Brunt is a mysterious figure, born in Backa Palanka on the banks of the Danube in 1957. She allegedly claims to be able to cure cancer by redirecting blood flow through massage. People have told of the eerie power she holds over people, convincing them to believe in her work.
To tell Elvira’s story, you don’t have to back to Backa Palanka, but you do have to go back to a day in 2009. It was one of the strangest days I’ve ever had in a newsroom – and trust me, they can be pretty bloody bizarre places.
This day, though, stands out. I was covering an inquiry into Bogus, Unregistered and Deregistered Health Practitioners. It was mostly about quacks offering dodgy cures for cancer, and people poured out their tales of loved ones frittering away their savings in vain hope.
Continue reading "A tragic tale from a mysterious massage clinic" »
The world is full of quacks. Legislation won’t work. Time for MyQuack.
Sorry, scrap that, bad connotations.
Time for a one-stop easy-access online information source where you can click on the name of the healer you’re visiting and see where they sit on a bullshit-barometer. This week the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission lawyers allege a man has claimed he can cure cancer with diet and exercise. The court has heard he claimed this treatment was more effective than surgery, chemotherapy and pharmaceutical drugs.
Continue reading "Crack down on quacks and make them pay the bill" »
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St. Michael says:
I don’t need to or want to look up Google. The burden of proof is on you. Cite some sources or verifiable studies ... for the third time. Third strike, dear. Your Latin also gets a D minus. “Ad hominem” is shorthand for “argumentum ad hominem”, which is an attempt… Read more »
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Michelle says:
St Michael. OK, I admit it, you’re right: my self-esteem is wrapped up in free-thinking. Call it a crime, if that’s what it is from your padded cell of “controlled studies is all there is, la la la I can’t hear anything else”. Ad hominem = appealing to personal considerations… Read more »
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