Friday, May 7, 2010

SBM on Naturopathy This NMW 2010

here, I cite from a post by Dr. Crislip at Science-Based Medicine in response to the anti-vaxx. rant of a self-described ND:

001. Mark Crislip, M.D. states in "Nine Questions: Nine Answers"(2010-05-07):

"David Mihalovic, ND [...has written] '9 Questions That Stump Every Pro-Vaccine Advocate and Their Claims' [...] the vaccine questions are grounded in misinformation, ignorance or laziness [...] Mr. Mihalovic [hear, hear per 'Mr.'] identifies himself as 'a naturopathic medical doctor who specializes in vaccine research.' However, just where the research is published is uncertain as his name yields no publications on Pubmed.  BTW, I specialize in  beer research.  Same credentials [hear, hear (my credentials sit in front of my rectus abdominis!)...] as long as we are on the topic, since he evidently places great store in science, could Mihalovic please provide one double-blind, placebo-controlled study that can prove the safety and effectiveness of naturopathy? [...] could you please provide scientific evidence on ANY study which can confirm the long-term safety and effectiveness of naturopathy? [...] Milhalovic,  could you please provide scientific evidence which can prove that disease reduction in any part of the world, at any point in history was attributable to naturopathy? [...] Milhalovic, could you please explain how the safety and mechanism of naturopathic nostrums in the human body are scientifically proven if their pharmacokinetics (the study of bodily absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of ingredients) are never examined or analyzed in any naturopathic nostrum study? [...] could you please provide scientific justification as to how applying naturopathy to a human being is beneficial to human health and prevents disease? [...] I am neither stumped not defeated. I know how to search Pubmed for medical information. My response directed specifically to the questions. My arguments are based on modern studies that a 12 year old can find in less than a minute, none of which have been disproved once, much less over and over. SBM is an open mainstream venue. I do feel like I just had won Jeopardy playing against Prof. R.J. Gumby; where is the honor in that? And people wonder why I question the wisdom of allowing naturopaths to function as primary care providers."

Note: well, I can't place this ND in terms of credentials.  But, I'll keep my eyes open.  The posture is ridiculous, because the science behind vaccination is quite robust. Naturopathy itself is hugely misinforming, ignorant, and lazy can be a great umbrella for their overall lack of rigor.  My basic position is that since the naturopathic is the science-ejected vitalistic and supernatural, Dr. Crislip's 'science support' cannot occur.  Whatever naturopathy can generate regarding actual science legitimacy does not concern the 'essentially naturopathic,' it concerns items borrowed from stand-alone areas of inquiry that naturopathy has subsumed and gerrymandered.

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