Fw: 'The Worst in Medicine'

[Guest guest]

WELLCOME TRUST

'The Worst in Medicine'

17th July 2008 - 7 - 9 p.m.

(Opinion)

by Louise Mclean (Editor - www.zeusinfoservice.com )

 

On entering the Wellcome Trust Centre at 183 Euston Road, London at

approximately 6.45 p.m, passing underneath the masonic 'all seeing eye' above

and accompanied by a friend, we found a number of people in the lobby area

having light refreshments, browsing the Blackwell bookstore and getting ready

for the Debate.

 

Preparing to do battle after a fortifying coffee, we made our way downstairs to

the Henry Wellcome Auditorium.  Downstairs there was a contingent of homeopaths,

among them Melanie Oxley, ex director of the Society of Homeopaths, who appeared

on BBC2 Newsnight after the undercover operation about advice on malaria from

homeopaths; Pamela Stevens, Society of Homeopaths; Lyndsey Booth; David

Needleman, ex-pharmacist who runs the Homeopathic Helpline, as well as myself.

 

Also there were medical doctors and pro Pharma types, medical students, members

of the public and other CAM therapists present.

 

To my delight and relief, homeopathy had been taken off the 'Worst of Medicine'

debate due to other topics being outvoted (thanks folks, you did a great job!)

 

There then followed the four nominated arguments under discussion, with Fiona

Fox, a Director of the Science Media Centre chairing the panel.

 

First came Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, a GP working in Hackney, London and author

of MMR and Autism: What Parents Need to Know which is staunchly pro vaccine and

MMR, though he admitted to having an autistic child.  He is also a trustee of

Sense about Science.

 

He believed healthy living is a sickness!  He spoke about there being no need

for a nutritional diet and comparing humans to cars - his idea of preventative

medicine was to have a yearly 'MOT' health check, which the Department of Health

is recommending for the over 40s, with all likelihood of furthering the sales of

statins, beta blockers, etc. Most of the rest of his viewpoint was not very

noteworthy. 

 

Second to speak was William Schabas, professor of Human Rights law at the

National University of Ireland, Galway and director of the Irish Centre for

Human Rights.  He believed draining Africa of Healthcare professionals was a bad

thing and he spoke of how third world countries need more medical care and more

vaccines.

 

Third came David Wootton, Professor of History of Medicine, York University

who made some rather good points.  He has written a book called Bad Medicine:

Doctors Doing Harm Since Hippocrates. He spoke of the global medical

dictatorship whereby CHOICE is being eradicated.  He even spoke of how people

should be able to have homeopathy, herbal and alternative medicine as a medical

choice, though he was uninformed about the benefits of homeopathic medicine,

calling it placebo.

 

The last speaker was a GP, Dr. Richard Halvorsen, whose son I happened to

be sitting next to.  Dr. Halvorsen spoke of the ingredients of vaccines,

mentioning mercury, aluminium, formaldehyde and indicating they were not very

healthy substances to inject into the body.  He offers parents single vaccines

from his clinic in London.

 

There then ensued questions from the audience where only about 6 people were

allowed to speak.  Some of the questions were a bit lukewarm but one person

asked why Dr. Halvorsen, who is the author of the Truth About Vaccines,

dispensed vaccines when he thought them unsafe (whereupon he wriggled in his

chair)..

 

The panelists then proceeded to answer the questions and another set of comments

from the audience was taken and 'answered'.

 

David Needleman spoke up well on behalf of homeopathy citing the fact that he

treats alot of vaccine damaged children (at least one a week).

 

I was surprised that Halvorsen could get away with speaking against vaccines in

a conference room at the Wellcome Trust when Dr. Wakefield sits in the dock at a

GMC trial that has lasted for a year with no verdict.  Anyone who speaks against

this sacred cash cow, especially a medical doctor should know they are treading

on shakey ground!

 

At the very end there was a show of hands holding up our cards for the vote on

the 'Worst in Medicine'. 

 

This was won by Michael Fitzpatrick for his argument that being super-fit and

super-healthy is ruining our quality of life.  Probably the reason for its

popularity was that people are tired of the State nannying them and telling them

what to do/think.

 

The Canadian William Schabas made little impression upon the ALTMED component of

the audience but the medical people liked his call for more doctors in

Africa and he had quite a few votes.

 

Richard Halvorsen got a good show of hands from the alternative

practitioners for vaccines being the Worst in Medicine.

 

David Wootton's arguments about Hippocrates being blamed for all the ills

of allopathy was the least understood and I felt his showing a poor knowledge of

alternative medicine, despite advocating it regarding more choice in

medicine, left holes in his argument.

 

The overall impression was one of a weakening of the defence for orthodoxy and

alot of unanswered questions about the state of medicine/health in the world

today.

 

The whole thing was rather flat and if it is the best this hallowed body at the

altar of 'Science' and Big Pharma can muster, then perhaps we are at last

beginning to see the death throes of modern medicine. 

 

 

Zeus Information Service

Alternative Views on Health

www.zeusinfoservice.com 

Louise Mclean 2008

 

Zeus Homoeopathy News

http://www.zeusinfoservice.com/Homeopathy.html

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