Comments on: What a week for alt-med smackdowns

By: Tuesday Share for June 23, 2009 « Di Mortui Sunt

Tuesday Share for June 23, 2009 « Di Mortui Sunt — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:04:02 +0000

[...] Anyway this short article is a quick summary by Phil Plait, of Bad Astronomy, of all the recent news stories that’ve been critical of alternative medicine and medical quackery claims and those who support them. From Oprah to British Chiropractors, alt-medicine is taking a [...]

By: Todd W.

Todd W. — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:58:13 +0000

@Jefferson

Interesting study. I don’t think it would be quite as cheap or easy to produce as you might think. As long as it is dependent on being created by bees, there is a risk for hive-death to have a significant impact on the supply. If it can be synthesized, then that risk is not a factor, but you have other production costs associated with it. It’s like anything that is derived from natural sources.

A promising alternative for those who are not allergic. It’ll be nice to see where the research leads.

By: Jefferson

Jefferson — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:18:20 +0000

Here’s an interesting study about the antipathogenic properties of Manuka Honey, as published in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/7607jn7q1817018p/fulltext.html

This could be an interesting alternative to antibiotics, more so since it would appear bacteria can not develop a resistance to honey, as is often the case with antibiotics. And I bet you it can be produced and sold at a fraction of the price of regular antibiotics.

Jefferson

By: Patricia

Patricia — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:38:37 +0000

Hi, I know it’s been a couple of days since this post, but I wanted to draw attention to FDA vs. homeopathy, sort of, where the FDA has warned that homeopathic “medications” from Zicam can cause users to lose their sense of smell:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/16/zicam.fda.warning/index.html

By: Diko

Diko — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:51:35 +0000

Rogue Medic

“A healthy diet is something that conventional medicine does recommend. Doctors should do more to encourage healthy eating habits. There are alternative diets, discouraged by conventional medicine, that should be considered as part of alternative medicine.”

Unfortunately doctors aren’t educated (very little) in nutrition at medical school. They then recommend the food pyramid.

By: Todd W.

Todd W. — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:24:27 +0000

@Cairnos

Nice idea. Unfortunately, there may be a number of “inactive” ingredients in it, as well, that would be left behind by evaporation.

By: Cairnos

Cairnos — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:14:44 +0000

@ Brian M re Dog spray medicine

I can’t belive this didn’t leap immediately to mind and it’s now probably too late but just because my seventh form chem teacher would hunt me down and look disappointed at me if I didn’t suggest it, try this”

Spray a squirt onto a white plate. The solution (if actually hmeopathic rather than herbal Pharmaceutical) should be either water or alcohol so make the following observations:

Is it entirely clear?

Does it smell entirely of either nothing (water) or pure alcohol? (anyone got any suggestions for how to describe the scent of pure alcohol? The closest I can come up with is is ‘kinda like slightly fruity but not quite)

Now let it evaporate and heat the plate.

Has the sample turned brown (or any other colour for that matter? If so there was definately something other than alcohol/water and perhaps a molecule or so of the active ingredient.

This still leaves lots of other options but will quickly eliminate a whole bundle of possibilities