Anyone who harbours any inclination towards Chinese medicine should read this thorough demolition on DC Science: “Why degrees in Chinese medicine are a danger to patients“.
Having had three Asian girlfriends I’ve fought this battle many times. Chinese medicine is total cock. Unless a drug has been double blind tested on a significant number of people and found to make a statistically significant improvement, then it’s no better than voodoo. Or placebo.
Oh, and don’t even mention the quality control issues. Or stuff made from endangered species.
#1 by James Cranch at August 14th, 2009
That’s a very rosy picture you paint there, mate.
Until any particular nugget of alternative medicine has been properly tested, it’s worse than a placebo. Placebos are guaranteed to be harmless, but I don’t see that you can be so sure about big lumps of strange plant matter.
#2 by Craig Cummings at October 5th, 2009
Does this make sense to you: “Robert has fathered
10 children. If I kill Robert and eat his penis and
testicles then I will cure my impotence.”
No, this makes no sense.
So why does this make sense to so many people: “If
I kill an animal that is just a symbol of virility – I
have no knowledge of how many offspring it has -
and eat parts of it, then I will cure my impotence.”
Animism is wrong.
Besides, if you are impotent and a true believer in
an organized superstition, then isn’t the impotence
all part of your imaginary super being’s plan? Why
are you meddling with it? Hmm? Why?