--- Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> >As for the "witchcraft" of alternative medicine: I
> have not found it
> >to be witchcraft. And the reason people drift in
> that direction is
> >that they wish to be treated as whole beings--not
> as isolated organs.
>
> So that's why they take colon cleansers and eat
> shark cartilage?
This isn't really fair -- as there's no real "they" to be the object of your jab. One of the problems with "alternative medicine" is that it's a category that simply tosses together everything that's not a part of the standard allopathic toolbox. As a result, proponents of acupuncture or homeopathy (systems for which there is some legitimate evidence of efficacy), are lumped with people who make and/or believe amazing claims about psychic healing or magnets (for which there is no compelling evidence of efficacy).
On a related note -- I attended an Alternative Medicine conference organized by Harvard Medical School last year. Among the sessions, there was a panel which discussed ways in which alternative practitioners could get insurance companies to reimburse for their fees. The panel included heavy hitters like Weil and Eisenberg -- what was interesting was that a large number of the audience were dead set against the involvement of insurance companies. They made a case that if insurance companies got involved they would no longer be able to make a living.
Also, at that conference, I was mistaken for Andrew Weil. I have a big white beard. An absolute gorgeous woman walked excitedly up to me and said "Dr. Weil!?" What could I say but . . . "Yes?" :-)
I'm thinking of going to more of these meetings.
Steve
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