Current Affairs
Science Committee ignores Health Minister’s advice
I guess it was predictable. Despite the strong words of Health Minister, Mike O’Brien in favour of liberty and democracy, the crew of MPs on the Science and Technology Committee announced this morning that “the NHS should cease funding homeopathy. It also concludes that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) should not allow [...] Read more »
Big Day for NHS Homeopathy, Liberty and Democracy
Today is a red letter for NHS homeopathy, democracy and liberty in the UK. At 10.00 am this morning the MPs of the Science and Technology Committee will issue their report on their view of the provision of homeopathy on the NHS. Much was said at the hearings of the committee in December but the [...] Read more »
The ‘English Disease’ is no joke
Giving diseases a national identity, an inanely xenophobic practice at best, is now regarded as politically incorrect. Referring to rubella as ‘German measles’ might still be considered merely naïve, but any mention of ‘mongolism’ (once a widely used synonym for Down’s Syndrome) is likely to be met with severe censure. The term ‘French letters’ has [...] Read more »
Surprise! Surprise! Stress can cause heart attacks!
In a discovery of cosmic significance, it has just been proved scientifically that men are more likely to suffer heart attacks and strokes after enduring great stress. Didn’t we already know this? Apparently not. Let me explain… Organisations such as the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have until now claimed that ‘there is no evidence to [...] Read more »
The Disappearance of the G-spot
In the history of anatomy, it is an extremely rare occurrence for a part of the body to be declared not to exist. Yet this week the Journal of Sexual Medicine will publish an article that claims that the ‘idea of a G-spot is subjective’ – which means that the much written and chattered about [...] Read more »
NHS Medicine, Liberty, Money and 2009
So what can we say about the year that was? There is a curse that says: ‘May you live in interesting times!’ and for those of us who support whole-person medicine, 2009 was an interesting year indeed. For the loud and aggressive espousers of the school of fundamentalist naïve realism in medicine, 2009 started well [...] Read more »
Breaking News! Government backs NHS Homeopathy!
Dec 1, 2009: A wonderful day for British Homeopathy Here follow the immortal words of Health Minister, Mike O’Brien: ‘We take the view that it is not our job to stop clinicians prescribing these medications if they feel they are appropriate.’ See more here. Striking a blow for liberty worthy of John Stuart Mill, the [...] Read more »
Homeopathy goes to the Houses of Parliament!
This week the ‘homeopathic question’ was asked by a House of Commons Science & Technology Committee. A mixture of experts and alleged ‘experts’ were apparently ‘grilled’ in order to ascertain whether there is any evidence that homeopathy works. You can see a transcript of the proceedings here: Dr Peter Fisher, chief physician at the Royal [...] Read more »
Of Rats and Junk Food Junkies
It’s official. Junk food is almost as addictive as heroin! And no I’m not being provocative just for the hell of it. (Provocative therapists should never be gratuitously provocative.) No, the men in the white coats with bad news this time are neurobiologists, Dr Paul Johnson and Dr Paul Kenny. The Daily Telegraph reports today [...] Read more »
Childbirth, Studs and Horses for Courses
For many years husbands or partners of women giving birth have been commended for and even expected to be present during the process of labour. It was considered the modern norm even though holistic obstetricians such as Michel Odent warned against this. The results of multiple recent studies in different countries seriously questions the wisdom [...] Read more »
