Andy L – Page 17 – The Quackometer Blog

The Advertising Regulator Struggles with Homeopaths

5th October, 2011 10

Last year, the homeopathic lobby group H:MC21, spent a significant sum of money by placing a full page advert in New Statesman magazine. The advert appeared to be calling for more NHS funding for homeopath whilst giving misleading information and denigrating critics of this quackery. In the Telegraph, Christine Odone wrote about her old magazine sinking to plugging nonsense, The pages once graced by George Orwell and George Bernard Shaw [read more…]

McTimoney Chiropractic College in Deep Trouble

3rd October, 2011 48

Today, the University of Wales announced that it is to cease accrediting degrees at all but two colleges. The University has made a business in education by accrediting degrees from private colleges both here in the UK and across the world. But in doing so, it has been criticised for letting standards drop and allowing bogus institutions to award degrees in their name. The BBC have been on the case [read more…]

MHRA accused of “clothing naked quackery”

23rd September, 2011 16

Last Wednesday, I gave a talk at the newly formed Coventry Skeptics in the Pub on the ‘Persistence of Delusion’ – why some alternative medicines appear to thrive. One of the techniques that ensures a healthy quackery is to obtain official endorsement from statutory and regulatory organisations. Chiropractic and Osteopathy have benefited greatly in the UK by becoming a protected ‘health profession’. Homeopathy is also helped by some regulations that [read more…]

Dana Ullman Begs for Money from Homeopaths

14th September, 2011 9

You know, I write my blog posts for nothing. I quite enjoy the act of writing and exploring the issues involved. Dana Ullman is though a shill for homeopaths. He does not practice homeopathy – he just wants to spread homeopathic propaganda in retu… [read more…]

The British Homeopathic Association Undermine Public Confidence in Medicine

1st September, 2011 63

You know, having asked David Bellamy earlier in the week to use his influence as Patron of the British Homeopathic Association, to urge them to unequivocally condemn those lay homeopaths who travel to Africa to treat HIV, malaria and TB with sugar pills, you might be surprised to learn that I am not expecting any sort of answer. Then again, you might not. I used to think that medical doctors [read more…]

Didi Ananda Ruchira of Abha Light tells homeopaths how to cheat online polls

31st August, 2011 9

Currently, the Guardian is holding one of those daft online polls to see which side of the homeopathy debate can muster the most clickers…http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/poll/2011/aug/30/homeopathy-nhs Here is how one notorious AIDS and … [read more…]

A Letter to David Bellamy

30th August, 2011 14

Dear Professor Bellamy, I am writing to you to ask for your help as Patron of the British Homeopathic Association. But first I must say that I am somewhat surprised that you have taken this position. You were one of the people that inspired me to be interested in the natural world and to take a career in science. Your enthusiasm for botany, wildlife and the environment will be remembered [read more…]

Ed Vaizey does not think there is a problem after reviewing 38 Degrees NHS Legal Review

30th August, 2011 0

I wrote to my MP about the findings of a legal review of the NHS reforms. http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/content/NHS-legal-advice/ This is a summary of their findingshttp://38degrees.3cdn.net/8f198acad5d3ae0363_8gm6iv7se.pdf You can email your M… [read more…]

Help With Quackometer: Geek needed

27th August, 2011 3

At present, the ‘Am I a Quack?’ function is not working.http://www.quackometer.net/?page=quackometerPart of how this function works is by using a Yahoo Pipe. You can see the pipe here… http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=a77fae13005513c4a… [read more…]

Jeremy Sherr: Daktari wa mchawi na dawa yake mbaya

24th August, 2011 32

The Society of Homeopaths in the UK has constantly refused to engage in any meaningful way about how western homeopaths are travelling to Africa and setting up clinics that use homeopathic sugar pills to treat and prevent dangerous diseases, such as TB, malaria and HIV. This is a murderous practice. People will die if they are told that homeopathy is a ‘side-effect free’ way of treating or preventing these diseases. [read more…]