23- “Cures” for sale: Reality vs distortion

Question 1

Traditional remedies for warts

Answer 1

• rub with radish, marigold juice, raw meat or potato (contact)
• count the warts, put same amount of stones in a bag and burry it (similarity)
• irl, 80% of warts leave spontaneously within 2y

Question 2

Conventional medicine vs alternative medicine

Answer 2

Conventional medicine: evidence based, scientifically proven, requires testing ($$ spent on research) + quality control
“Alternative” medicine: no reliable evidence that they work, marketing techniques use testimonials, folklore, tradition, belief system

Question 3

What affects the strength of a placebo

Answer 3

• time course of the disorder
• relationship to caregivers
• ritual of taking medicine
• strength of belief (= more placebo effect)

Question 4

Umary (product)

Answer 4

• “natural” product sold online for arthritis
• actually contained 4x recommended dose of prescription NSAID
• consumer hospitalized with heart, liver and kidney toxicity
• don’t know what’s in those products

Question 5

Herbal vs real remedies for fever blisters (herpes simplex virus)

Answer 5

• herbal remedies (eg lime juice) don’t work
• Acyclovir inhibits viral synthesis of dna in infected cells

Question 6

History of homeopathy

Answer 6

• belief system: “law of similars, or like cures like”
• remedy must produce same symptoms as disease to cure it
• use toxic plants, infected body fluids, venom…
• use special ritual to create/capture the “cure” through potentisation (dilute and bang (succussion)), transfer the magic properties into the water so that it retains the magic properties of the ingredient

Question 7

Homeopathic “vaccines”

Answer 7

• serious concerns about misinformation from anti-vaccination groups
• “vaccines” for covid, influenza, whooping cough, diphtheria, polio…. But contain nothing (don’t work)

Question 8

Herbal remedies: marketing

Answer 8

• enticing ads everywhere
• marketing claims that it will be safe because it’s from a plant
• prime targets: conditions that resolve anyways or that naturally cycle, that have high psyc components, attempts to improve appearance or reverse aging, or to “cure” terminal illness

Question 9

Herbal “remedy” for cataracts

Answer 9

Gingko Biloba (herb) supplements
- not possible, need surgery