The Florida Connection - A Really Old and New Naturopathy Science Claim - St. Petersburg Independent 1910-10-22, NUHS 2009-12-29:

here, I cite from the St. Petersburg [Florida] Independent concerning naturopathy as "science" [see 001, below].  And then, I cite from the National University of Health Sciences recent press release [see 002., below].  Then, I make 'the Florida connection' [see 003., below]:

001. in their local news, per "A Modern Method of Practice Without the Use of Medicine", we are told in the St. Petersburg Independent:

"among our late arrivals is Dr. J.H. McGilvary, naturopathic physician, a graduate of the Texas College of Science [...] naturopathy is not a faith cure, nor a suggestion cure, nor a hypnotic cure.  It is a practical and scientific treatment of all curable diseases [...] although the Dr. has lost his eyesight, it does not handicap him in the least, but rather adds to his senses of touch and hearing, and makes them more acute, which enables him to diagnose more correctly [!]."

Note: this is accessible through books.google.com.  What interests me most is the claim of "science" placed over the naturopathic at both the subject-matter and institutional levels.

002. chiroeco.com tells us in "NUHS Awards First ND Diplomas Since 1952" [2009-12-29]:

"in historic commencement ceremonies on Dec. 17, National University of Health Sciences awarded three graduates the institution’s first doctor of naturopathic medicine degree (ND) since 1952 [...] National’s current ND program opened its doors for the first class of students in the Fall of 2006 [...] NUHS is the only naturopathic medical school in the Midwest and one of only two universities in the country to offer degrees in naturopathic medicine, chiropractic medicine, acupuncture, and oriental medicine on the same campus [UB is the other...] source: National University of Health Sciences, www.nuhs.edu."

Note: again, what interests me is the label "science" placed over the naturopathic.  The institution claims to be a "science" institution.

003. the Florida connection:

003.a. at NUHS's web site, "DC in St. Petersburg, Florida", we are told:

"National is now part of the University Partnership Center of St. Petersburg College (SPC). This [...] allows NUHS to offer its doctor of chiropractic (DC) degree on site at the St. Petersburg college campus. When you earn your DC degree from National University of Health Sciences St. Petersburg Campus [etc....this is] primary care chiropractic medicine. We prepare you to become a first contact physician with a strong foundation in basic sciences [...] National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) offers a doctor of chiropractic degree program in Lombard, Illinois, which has been accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) since 1971 and by its predecessor, the American Chiropractic Association Committee on Accreditation since 1966. [...] on April 20, 2009, National University of Health Sciences (NUHS), Lombard, Illinois, received approval from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to offer the Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine degree at the University Partnership Center at St. Petersburg College in Florida. The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools may be contacted at 30 N. LaSalle, Suite 2400, Chicago, Illinois, 60602-2504, or 1-800-621-7440."

Note: science, science, science.  Coincidentally, 001. and 003. above are all about St. Petersburg, Florida.  And what happened the last time a DC program was attempted in Florida, you may ask?  Nice skeptical activism: a public university wouldn't do it, due to the backlash.

NYU's Scienceline: Science is Pseudoscience (Aka Reporting the Latter As If It Is The Former) 2009:

here, I reflect on something rather odd: a well-known University's science journalism outlet -- New York University's Scienceline [NYUS] -- reporting on naturopathic medicine and falsely labeling it science [see 001., below] , without any warning concerning the 'actually naturopathic pseudoscientific'. Wow!!!:

001. NYUS states in "Healing the Body Naturally" (2009-01-24) as reported by Bond, A. (? ?):

"Profiles in Science [Really, science!]. Health. 'Healing the Body Naturally'[...e.g.] naturopathy, or treating many ailments of the body with acupuncture, homeopathy and medicinal herbs [...] naturopathic medicine [is] a field that focuses on enhancing the body’s ability to heal itself [{this is a coding for their vitalistic premise, folks! That typical ND nontransparency!}...it] 'support[s] your body’s chemistry' [...he studied] at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut [...where] he learned the basics of the herbal medicine, acupuncture and homeopathy now central to his practice [...] Hanson remains dedicated to the benefits of naturopathy, which includes practices like acupuncture, homeopathy and herbal medicine [...] instead of taking the standard antibiotic treatment for strep throat, for example, he [Hanson] battled the condition with homeopathy that healed him overnight [...] the homeopathic, herbal and other treatments Hanson prescribes."

Note: so, Scienceline explicitly labels naturopathy a "science", including its vitalism-based homeopathy [vital force, dynamis] and acupuncture [chi / qi], while both are quite placebo!!!.

002. NYUS's mission is described in "Scienceline, The Next Generation" (2007-01-22) by editor in chief Knight, M. (? ?):

"Scienceline. The shortest distance between you and science. A project of NYU's Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program [...] novel stories you won’t find on other science websites [...] this is a valuable opportunity for us, the 25th class of NYU’s Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program."

003. the nonscientific 'essentially naturopathic'. It is not too difficult -- if a journalist or an editor made a modicum of effort -- to discover 'the essentially naturopathic' and the status of such in terms of science:

003.a. the two central / essential premises of naturopathy, vitalism and supernaturalism;

003.b. the profound nonscientific status of such vitalism and supernaturalism [I won't even link to such for supernaturalism!];

003.c. and yet, naturopathy calls itself science, still and obviously, is considered such by NYUS.

Note: claiming as science what profoundly isn't science places naturopathy squarely in the category of pseudoscience.

004. Scienceline is obviously unable to demarcate something so incredibly obvious via today's internet as naturopathy's nonsensical claim that the scientific and the nonscientific are actually the same thing, "science." Absurd! Scienceline is actually promoting such junk thought as if it where legitimate science!

[I must admit to having been a graduate student at both UB and NYU].

Susan Jacoby on Pseudoscience - ISBN 0375423745, 2008:

Susan Jacoby writes in "The Age of American Unreason" (ISBN 0375423745; 2008):

"all real scientific research must be and is subjected to rigorous scrutiny by peers. That is what separates science from pseudoscience and junk thought. Without a basic understanding of what constitutes good science neither ordinary citizens nor the politicians who represent them can hope to make thoughtful judgments separating quacks, con men, and practitioners of bad science from thoughtful experts whose advice ought to be taken seriously. Intellectual quackery extends throughout the landscape of academia [p.250]."

Note: for an example of "intellectual quackery" in 'regionally-accredited, .gov-sanctioned, mainstream academia', naturopathy -- with its scientific labeling of the profoundly nonscientific -- does nicely.