“facts”
How am I doing so far? My story more or less correct?
http://www.evernote.com/l/AOu0mIP7DV5ArKHex9sYd0c5pXFbr9aebh4/ I apologised for my stupid mistake. :-[
If it makes you feel better, I also just read the first couple of lines. Didn’t realize there was more.
If I read the situation correctly, Louwrens Du Plessis’s daughter’s tragic and probably unnecessary death is largely attributable to chiropractor Fanus Venter’s involvement, and partly to iridologist/SCIO-nut/snake-oil-peddler Louwene Mills’s advice.
Based only on his version of events, I think Louwrens has solid grounds for a malpractice suit. While it obviously could never bring his daughter back or indeed compensate for her death, it would go a long way towards preventing these specific sCAMsters from getting away with doing a similar thing to someone else.
'Luthon64
I agree, but a court case would, of course, open wounds that’s maybe best left closed.
Yes, there is always that. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking also works in the sCAMmers’ favour by shielding them. It’s a tricky situation. ???
'Luthon64
Well done, Tweefo. Your campaign has drawn out Louwrens du Plessis to tell his story and this should have the effect that you hoped for: to make people in Middelburg think twice before trusting those CAM practitioners. Of course, some people will never be swayed. Du Plessis does not draw a clear distinction between mainstream medical practice and CAM and you may wish to point out the main culprits. It is interesting to note that the University of Johannesburg, which dishes out degrees for quackery, does not have a medical school.
Hermes, thanks for vividly highlighting an important point of which I’d lost sight. Many people are wholly unaware that CAM and mainstream evidence-based medicine make up two quite distinct camps. To them, it only matters that there’s a diploma on the wall, not where it came from.
Moreover, it’s a profoundly flawed idea that caveat emptor should be a valid principle governing the offering and choosing of healthcare. If practitioners and specialists require so many years of study, how can it be expected that the ordinary person can decide intelligently between what’s good and what’s rot? It’s nothing short of a travesty that CAM enjoys a similar societal status to the real stuff — though understandable when one considers that much of the time CAM doesn’t result in overt or grievous harm being done.
And I agree: Well done, Tweefo.
'Luthon64
Hell I’ll applaud the sheer balls of going all out in a public forum over something that is actually really important, man alone against the world. Bravo!
But why would it take 5 years to learn how to shake a mixture? Maybe they have slow learners at UJ. I am no academic but whenever UJ came up in conversation it was, oh that university. Maybe that is just small town mentality. A lot of people out here see Joburg as “Sodom and Gamorra”.
Without seeing the actual textbooks, one can only guess. Looking at the curriculum there appears to be a number of subjects thrown into the mix that is probably scientifically legitimate. I don’t expect any difference between, say, the anatomy or basic chemistry/physics that medical students and homeopaths must learn, so they can easily share a classroom.
And then of course a lot of time can be spent on memorising the purported theory behind homeopathy, in the same way you could spend several years learning the subtleties of theology or astrology.
As Mefiante pointed out, Joe public could well be more impressed by the quantity rather than the quality of a practitioner’s studies. Maybe that is why some homeopaths so eagerly mention the number of years that they’ve spent obtaining their papers.
Rigil
There’s also this enlightening post from a few years ago.
'Luthon64
Let’s see if this gets them going
Ernst Marais Ek weet nie of ek te vinnig praat nie, maar ek dink die "Homopaat skeptici" wen hierdie debat. Kom ons recap: Karin Pelser of Meraai Dewet het nie, of kan nie, behoorlike bewyse vir hul standpunt bring nie. Ek het gewys, en hier is die defeniesie weer, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homeopathy wat Homopatie behels. Ek het ook gewys dat daardie metode onmoontlik nie kan werk nie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy Karin Pelser het dit beklemtoon dat sy by twee "rade" geregistreerd is. Sy noem nie die rade nie, maar ek neem aan dat dit medise rade is. Ek kan maar net daarop wys dat nie alle lande Homopatie toelaat nie. SA se standaarde is nie die hoogste in die wêreld nie. Meraai Dewet het ook gevra " dink jy ons glo aan fairies, voorvadergeeste?" Ek weet nie, maar as jy glo dat 'n Homopatiese mengsel jou gesond kan maak, dan glo jy dalk in ander nonsens ook. Michel Grace sê ek "is so dom soos grond". Nog nooit die vergelyking gehoor nie, so ek weet nie wat dit beteken nie. Sy sê ook ons voorvaders het "herbal" gebruik. Reg so, maar nie in belaglik verdunde mengsels nie. Nico Swart by https://www.facebook.com/nico.swart.186?fref=ufi en 'n paar andere, hierdie is dalk 'n goeie tyd om hieroor na te dink: Galeleo Galilei en Copernicus is ook dwase in hul tyd genoem (en voordat die kommentaar begin, ek stel myself geensins gelyk aan hierdie reuse nie.) Dit was mense wat vrae gevra het, en nie maar alles net aanvaar het nie. Ten laaste, ek dink Louwrens Du Plessis se verhaal wys hoe ding verkeerd kan loop. Medise wetenskap groei, nuwe kennis en metodes word gebruik. Homopatie is vasgevang in 'n 200 jaar oue idee van iemand wat wiskundig gestremd was.Homeopathy - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Definition of homeopathy from the Merriam-Webster…
MERRIAM-WEBSTER.COM
ek sou byvoeg dat die gebruik van “herbal” nie 'n bewys van effektiwiteit is nie en in elk geval die lewensverwagting van ons voorvaders was maar bitter kort vergeleke met vandag s’n. So-ook was die morbiditeits vlak van babas baie hoog want medies wetenskap was maar power.
As you can see, I’ve got way too much time on my hands.
Ernst Marais Ek het hiedie link ongelukkig nou eers gekry. Ek dink dit klaar die hele Dr. ding op. Volg dit asseblief. http://forum.skeptic.za.org/.../homeopath.../msg18563/...I had to cover myself a bit on that last one, would have liked to put it stronger.Homeopath rejected as expert by ASA
South African Skeptics Forum discussion: Homeopath rejected as expert by ASA
FORUM.SKEPTIC.ZA.ORG
1 hr · Like · Dislike · Remove PreviewMeraai Dewet Ernst Marais, ek het nie die heeldat tyd om op fb te lê nie om met jou te dabatteer nie. EK WERK VIR MY GELD.
46 mins · Like · DislikeErnst Marais In die lig van alles wat in hierbo geskryf is, is die woord MISLEI dalk 'n beter woord om te gebruik as die woord WERK. Ek glo dis 'n beter werk-beskrywing. Maar aangesien ek nie bekend is met al die take wat u moet verrig nie, is ek seker verkeerd.
Goeie punt. Sal dit gebruik as die persoon iets te sê het.
That was a very good write up. I wonder what happened to AntiOxidant after such a sterling opening letter.
Rigil
Probably needed a good long rust… ;D
'Luthon64