It is devestating to hear stories of people deluded into believing that alternative medicine can cure ails.
It's even worse when the one who suffers never had a choice in the matter.
In England, a homeopath is on trial for gross criminal negligence after his daughter died of a skin infection. She could have easily been treated by a dermatologist, but instead, the father, a homeopath, provided only homeopathic treatment, the jury was told.
"The court heard that by the time Gloria was six months old, the eczema had begun weeping and her clothing and nappies would stick to her skin and tear it whenever her parents changed her.
"Crown prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC said the baby girl's skin began to peel off, allowing infections to enter her bloodstream."
Her body couldn't handle the repeated infections, and she died from septicemia in May 2002.
Had homeopathy been explained to Gloria, I bet even she could have seen the folly of using mere diluted water to treat her raging skin condition and ensuing secondary infections...
3 comments:
How exactly does one "dilute water?"
I appreciate that the new regulations re: naturopaths getting prescribing powers is making people in the medical community wary. As a med student myself, I'm striving to be better-informed, because I'm not entirely sure about all the issues involved.
However, it seems to me that the most productive approach to the situation might be to work on educating the public about using naturopathic treatments as a compliment to (rather than replacement for) physician-delivered care, rather than planting one's feet firmly on one "side" of the issue and making this about "quackery" vs "real medicine."
*compliment -> complement.
I beg to differ. There should be a degree of common sense. The way that I look at it is that homeopaths and naturopaths can treat healthy people as long as they leave the sick people to the doctors.
it is a shame that this homeopath could not see reason -- just take your kid to a doctor! Ego and pride got in the way of the obvious choice.
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