Thursday 16 August 2018

Peter Fisher Dies

Dr Peter Fisher is one of the Queen's doctors, but he is also one of the world's most famous proponents of homeopathy and was the clinical director and director of research at the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine. He has debated Richard Dawkins, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0-NalmRSl8, and Dr Ben Goldacre, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKEtHtl97D0. Homeopathy is the ultimate in low hanging fruit for the skeppers and they love picking it! I've seen all the memes, like: "I overdosed on my homeopathic medicine today... I forgot to take it!" And all the other old and recycled jokes like that still raise a laugh at skeptic meetings every single time you tell them. I'm not a proponent of homeopathy and I've never used it. I don't deny the facts; that the dilution of the strongest homeopathic medicine is so high that to ingest one molecule of the active ingredient you would have to drink a glass of water 0.15 light years across. The mechanism of it, if it works, is clearly very different to that of other drugs, probably something related to the "memory of water", see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2014/10/masaru-emoto-dies.html. I don't consider this implausible at all.

What I do consider implausible is the cry of "coincidence!" when I point out that Dr Fisher is just the latest of a string of untimely deaths that have befallen alternative medics across the world, see: https://www.healthnutnews.com/recap-on-my-unintended-series-the-holistic-doctor-deaths/. At the moment, being a holistic doctor is almost as dangerous as being a Marconi scientist in the 1980's. Of course this could be a statistical blip, but then so could the Sistine Chapel, as I point out here: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2014/10/bbc-on-evp.html. To suggest we should not be suspicious defies all common sense. According to the first reports, Dr Peter Fisher was cycling to work through London when he collided with a lorry, sadly a common occurrence in London. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was sixty-seven years old. Ironically this happened on High Holborn, not far from the Penderels Oak pub, venue for the original London Skeptics in the Pub. Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/16/queens-physician-dr-peter-fisher-killed-crash-lorry-cycling/?li_source=LI&li_medium=li-recommendation-widget. I'm very sorry to hear this; deepest condolences to his loved ones. However if it turns out there are suspicious elements to what happened to him it would not be respectful to his memory nor sensitive to the grief of his relatives to keep quiet about it; see here for details: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-show-respect-to-victims-of-911.html. It is too soon to be sure; however there is overwhelming circumstantial evidence that somebody is currently arranging the demise of as many naturopaths as possible. The motives are there, whether it is the profits of Big Pharma or simply social and cultural demoralization. Maybe it is something else nobody has thought of. You can be sure I will produce an update if any more information comes to light. RIP Dr Peter Fisher.
And: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2016/11/conspiracy-theories-mathematically.html.

8 comments:

Adrian said...

Hi Ben, interesting stuff but double blind studies have confirmed that homeopathy does not work. Big pharma is however part of capitalism the system that you uphold and you can't attack big pharma without looking at how big transnational corporations dominate public life. Big pharma has certainly influenced public health and led to the banning of proven efficacious herbal remedies (eg Kava Kava a proven anxiolytic) in the EU. If you agree with capitalism you agree with big pharma. Thanks. Ade

Ben Emlyn-Jones said...

Hi Adrian. I don't see how that should follow. Big Pharma is not the private ownership of the pharmaceutical industry. It is a state corporate regulatory collaboration. As for homeopathy. Despite what was said on BBC's Horizon, there is some positive evidence for it. See Dr Fisher's debate with Ben Goldacre.

Adrian said...

Hi Ben. Yes there is some positive evidence for homeopathy, it's called the placebo effect or faith healing if you prefer. Not too long ago a major well designed double blind study found that homeopathic remedies are only as good as the placebo control. That is to say there is no scientific evidence that they do anything. On big pharma, if you don't agree that capitalism should be regulated then you end up with unelected corporations having more power than elected government and therefore dictating to the state. That is how the military-industrial complex works which obviously includes big pharma. Big pharma is the logical conclusion of neoliberalism which I think Ben is something that you've said you support. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Cheers. Ade

Kathy said...

Dearest Ben, well done in the lard thing. I cum across a video of dogma Dawkins that really annoyed me. How dare he talk to a religious person like that. What do you think of this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmHDiJHxEic

Kathy from Bicester

Ben Emlyn-Jones said...

Adrian, no. The placebo effect was controlled for by providing both homeo and non homeo drugs. As for your views on capitalism. I used to agree with you, however I've more recently come across information that capitalism in its pure form is self-stabilizing.

Ben Emlyn-Jones said...

Kathy. Thanks. Dawkins is a fool.

Adrian said...

"capitalism in its pure form is self stabilising". By "pure form" I take it you mean unregulated? Please give me examples of successful and happy societies as per the World Happiness Survey where this has been achieved. Markets are rigged by "pure capitalist" economics and we find this causes problems with poverty, employment, housing, and crime. Basically "pure capitalism" with concomitant consumerism makes people miserable and leads to very extreme levels of Inequality which fuels crime. Please though do tell me more about success stories of pure capitalism. Cheers. Ade

Adrian said...

On homeopathy Ben please cite the study you refer as there have been over 1000 major ones. No randomised double blind study has ever found any efficacy for homeopathy beyond a placebo improvement. Please refer to this interesting Independent article which cites findings from 176 studies:

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/homeopathy-therapeutic-dead-end-systematic-review-no-evidence-it-works-a6884356.html