From this week's update to The Millenium Project

http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles/

Fifteen good ones (28/7/2007)

The British Medical Journal was first published in 1840. Recently, the
magazine conducted a reader poll to find the fifteen most important
advances, discoveries or breakthroughs in medicine since then. I don't
know if it's happening anywhere else, but the medical school at the
University of Sydney is holding series of public lectures based on the
list. You can see the timetable here
(http://dev.health.usyd.edu.au/news/events/bmjlectures/), and I would
encourage anyone who can attend to do so. If you aren't in Sydney you
could contact the BMJ to see if there is something similar in your
area. Here is the list:

Anaesthesia
Antibiotics
Chlorpromazine
Computers
Discovery of DNA structure
Evidence Based Medicine
Germ Theory
Imaging
Immunology
Oral Rehydration Therapy
The Pill
Risks of Smoking
Sanitation
Tissue Culture
Vaccines

Alternative medicine supporters will be especially horrified at the
list, because not only does it contradict much of quackery by
including germ theory and antibiotics, admit to the reality of mental
illness by including the first anti-psychotic drug, highlight the
value of evidence and recognise the value of vaccines, but one of
altmed's most demonised villains (Louis Pasteur) was associated with
two of the things in the list.

I therefore invite representative of alternative medicine to provide
their own list of the fifteen greatest discoveries in Supplementary,
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (or SCAM, for short). Here are
my suggestions, in no particular order:

The freedom to "cure" cancer in Tijuana, out of the reach of US health
authorities.

EDTA chelation, as a method of extracting money from the parents of
autistic children.

Expert witness fees.

The opportunity to be paid to find what you want to find when doing
research. (cf Dr Andrew Wakefield)

The power of the word "natural" to imply "safe" and "healthy".

The axiom of organic chemistry that the dangers of an "ethyl-"
compound can be assumed to be the same as for a "methyl-" compound,
because the names rhyme. (cf Dr Boyd Haley)

The profitability of selling water and calling it "homeopathic
remedy".

The power of religion to deflect criticism, engender fear and provide
credibility.

The gullibility of the general public, coming from ignorance of
science.

The variability of conditions like MS, where natural fluctuations in
symptoms and regression to the mean can look like "cures".

The use of trade practices and intellectual property laws to stifle
criticism.

The fact that the causes of SIDS and autism are as yet unknown,
allowing vaccines to be blamed.

The public's fear of being labelled as mentally ill, thus providing a
fertile field for the treatment of psychosomatic illnesses such as
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

The public's fear of mental illness itself, allowing its existence to
be denied and its signs to be blamed on inadequate nutrition, poor
parenting or some other external cause.

The reluctance of politicians, health bureaucrats, insurance
executives and doctors to stand up and loudly declare "That's
bullshit!".