The Fight Against Alternative Medicine
What’s the Latest Development?
The international organization known as Friends of Science in Medicine is fighting to remove alternative medicine curriculum from universities, beginning in Australia. The group lists among its members Ian Frazer, inventor of the cervical cancer vaccine, and Sir Gustav Nossal, a renowned immunologist. “A university is supposed to be a bastion of good science, but their reputation is let down by teaching something like homeopathy,” said a founding member of FSM. Other practices they question include iridology, aromatherapy and chiropractic.
What’s the Big Idea?
FSM insists there is no competition between modern and alternative medicine. Rather, there is good medicine and bad medicine, good medicine being supported by evidence. Proponents of alternative medicine believe its varied practices should be institutionalized to maintain a standard of care and keep the public safe. The current rise of alternative therapy is due in part to the great success modern medicine has had over infectious disease. However, it has struggled to contain ailments like heart disease and Alzheimer’s, causing people to look elsewhere for solutions.
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