magnetism and beyond...

[Guest guest]

It was the late 1800's in North America, and over the last century an

organized system of alternative medicine arose to challenge the

supremacy of allopathic medicine. It was a movement that not unlike

today had broad public support. Although it had humble beginnings it

quickly developed a network of training institutes, clinics,

scholarly journals, and a coterie of established experts in the field

of pharmacognosy, pharmacy, and ethnobotany to support it. In

today's terms this emerging field of alternative medicine, referred

to in its time as physiomedical and eclectic medicine, was very much

evidence-based, with a strong core of science behind it, and yet also

maintained the Hippocratic maxim vis medicatrix naturae ('the healing

power of nature'). In many ways it was a model to what could be

achieved today, and is the aspiration of legitimate herbal and

naturopathic education.

 

Although it seemed to have a promising future, this entire system of

alternative medicine was essentially shut down in a few short years

after it had failed to measure up to the emerging paradigm of western

biomedicine. In large part this measure was skewed by a precipitous

change in the public's attitude towards alternative medicine, caused

by the emergence alternative health advocates that employed highly

questionable methods that had no empricial basis of practice, but

instead, inspired public attention and enthusiasm through personality

and showmanship.

 

A few decades earlier one such practitioner of the arts was Franz

Anton Mesmer, an Austrian who passionately pursued an investigation

of the healing power of magnets, eventually becoming convinced that

they could help restore or balance the body's " animal magnetism " .

His initial technique consisted of having a patient swallow a

solution of iron, followed by strapping magnets to their body. He

published his theories and case histories and became quite popular in

salons of Vienna and Paris. His treatments were usually public

affairs, with lots of theatre, perhaps more like a stage show or a

religious revival rather than a therapy session. The kind of highly

suggestive state he apparently created in his patients during these

sessions is where we get the term to " mesmerize " , which essentially

means to hypnotize.

 

Despite his popularity, Mesmer was eventually shut down after his

claims were assessed by the Royal Academy of Science in France.

Nonetheless, his invention and the spectacular techniques of

" mesmerism " later reincarnated in the American midwest, which was

also home of a burgeoning alternative medicine industry. With a

strong belief that industrial development and technology were the

answers to societal problems, people in the US optimistically

embraced anything that was new, and were especially fascinated with

new technology. Chief among these new alternative medical

technologies were magnetic and electromedical devices that were based

on the premise developed by Mesmer, which advocates suggested, would

send electromagnetic waves into the patient to " tune " their

frequency. During this time and into the end of the century such

devices were commonly found, sold everywhere from traveling road

shows to department store catalogues.

 

But they didn't work. People didn't get better. The public began to

get wise and their enthusiasm for alternative medicine waned. And

when the miracle breakthrough of penicillin was developed, people

gave up on their electromedical " dynamizers " and " oscilloclasts " .

But at the same time, the public similarly rejected all forms of

alternative medicine, giving up on herbs, good nutrition, and a

fundamental belief in the body's ability to heal itself. Now health

was contained in pill, a " magic bullet " , or if required, the

efficient and stinging jab of an inoculation. Within a few short

years modern medicine had become a very big business, and as it

dominated the scene it squeezed out and shut down every single

alternative medical college in the United States.

 

A sample of the alternative medicine industry today will demonstrate

a heterogenous and complex structure, much like the late 1800's.

Apart from the general failure of medicine to address chronic disease

and an aging boomer population that sees this failure all too

clearly, the pioneering spirit of internet is perhaps a major factor

in this explosion, and armed its networking power there is a brand

new cast of charlatans that peddle their " new age " supplements and

devices with all kinds of promise for minimum effort. A recent

example of this is " Quantum Biofeedback " , which is remarkably similar

to the electronic " medicine " of the late 1800's. The big difference

now of course is that the $8000 " biofeedback " devices that Quantum

Biofeedback practitioners peddle utilize the latest in computer

technology to " mesmerize " the people: the once fascinating dials and

quivering needles of yore have become too passé in our hyped-up

multimedia existence (note to Scientology: its time to upgrade your E-

meter!). Apparently with one such device, Quantum Biofeedback

practitioners claim that you can diagnose and zap a parasite, simply

by hooking yourself up to this device with electrodes. Currently, I

have heard of no plans to market a battery-powered device for

children in developing countries dying from infectious diarrhea.

Perhaps someone should. Or perhaps there is a reason why this will

never happen.

 

One day soon modern medicine will invent another magic bullet,

perhaps a bio-engineered vaccine for cancer, diabetes, or heart

disease. And it will probably " work " . It will revolutionize the

health care industry, and once again the public will drop its latest

fascination in search of something novel. But as our experience has

shown, these great breakthroughs will likely have a lot of

undesirable consequences. As the number three cause of death in the

United States (at the least), many people have felt the bite of

pharmaceutical drugs, even when they are used properly. As we

embrace the confusion of newly emerging medical technologies will we

again forget the importance of proper nutrition, exercise and the use

of time-honored and highly effective natural remedies that encourages

the body to heal itself? What will we chose? Fantasy over

intelligence? Novelty over tradition? Easy solutions instead of

self-discipline? Will we again risk losing our right to health

freedom by squandering it on an illusion of health?

 

Not on my watch.

 

Sources:

1. On magnetic medicine: http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/

118/5/376

2. On Quantum biofeedback: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/

localnews/2004020583_miracle18m2.html

3. On Big pharma: http://silver.neep.wisc.edu/%7Elakes/iatrogenic.pdf

4. On Physiomedicalism: http://www.toddcaldecott.com/

publications_physio.html

Caldecott, Dip. Cl.H, RH(AHG)

Ayurvedic practitioner, Medical Herbalist

203 - 1750 East 10th Ave

Vancouver, BC V5N 5K4 CANADA

web: http//:www.toddcaldecott.com

email: todd

tel: (1)778.896.8894

fax: (1)866.703.2792

[Guest guest]

Todd

 

Are you against any electrical devices? What about some like Rife

invented? I agree that there are a lot of dubious devices but it

would seem to me that some are worthwhile. It would seem like some

could undergo strict scientific testing.

 

GB

________________________

 

The big difference

now of course is that the $8000 " biofeedback " devices that Quantum

Biofeedback practitioners peddle utilize the latest in computer

technology to " mesmerize " the people: the once fascinating dials and

quivering needles of yore have become too passé in our hyped-up

multimedia existence (note to Scientology: its time to upgrade your E-

meter!)

[Guest guest]

Hi GB

 

I am against them in the sense the people who manufacturer and market

these products, as well as the untrained " practitioners " and

" patients " that buy into these products, make all manner of

unverifiable claims for these devices, and give the entire field of

alternative medicine a bad name. I resent the fact that such

charlatans were the fuel to the fire of the Big Medicine when they

consumed the alternative medical establishment in the early 1900s.

Through their greed they put legitimate alternative medicine back 100

years in North America.

 

There may be some legit products out there, but because they don't

have the traditional and empirical practice to back it up they should

be rigorously investigated before they can be sold to consumers. The

Quantum Biofeedback " Xrroid Consciousness Interface (QXCI) System " is

only one such device, and from my estimation, this whole phenomena

that appears to be sweeping North America is more of a cult than

anything else, offering false hope for false conditions (compare with

Scientology's use of the E-meter here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-

meter ). Whether one goes and sees a Quantum Biofeedback

practitioner or a Scientology auditor, you can be 100% guaranteed

that you are messed up in some way and NEED the proprietary treatment

that has been developed by fraudulent " luminaries " like William C.

Nelson and Ron L. Hubbard.

 

Of course some may cry conspiracy, but in reality its the way things

(should) go when it comes to introducing new technologies. And I

think this should also apply to things like microwaves and cell

phones, as well as all the devices and wiring in our homes that

generate strong electromagnetic fields (EMFs) as the safety data is

very weak and we are being treated like rats in cage.

 

Caldecott, Dip. Cl.H, RH(AHG)

Ayurvedic practitioner, Medical Herbalist

203 - 1750 East 10th Ave

Vancouver, BC V5N 5K4 CANADA

web: http//:www.toddcaldecott.com

email: todd

tel: (1)778.896.8894

fax: (1)866.703.2792

 

________________________________

Are you against any electrical devices? What about some like Rife

invented? I agree that there are a lot of dubious devices but it

would seem to me that some are worthwhile. It would seem like some

could undergo strict scientific testing.