Brilliant news from today's Eye:
Quote:
More on the "quacklash" by scientists and science writers against Mr Justice Eady's ruling in the action brought by the British Chiropractic Association against Simon Singh.
Furious that the judge appears to have made a fair examination of the chiropractors' claims impossible - including claims that spinal manipulations can treat all manner of childhood illness - the anorak brigade retaliated.
It started with a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority about Dr Carl Irwin & Associates of Edgware. The alternative therapy practice claimed it could treat colic, learning difficulties and IBS. The ASA looked at the evidence and decided last month that the chiropractors had no right to call themselves doctors.
"Whilst some of the studies indicated that further research was worth pursuing, in particular in relation to the relief of colic, we have not seen robust clinical evidence to support the claim that chiropractics could treat IBS, colic and learning difficulties" it said.
Meanwhile Singh's supporters, are using the inter-nerd to confound the judge. Simon Perry, who organises the Sceptics in a Pub" lectures, went through the BCA's 1,029 online members. He wrote a computer program to download their websites and search for the word "colic". He found 500 chiropractors claiming they could treat childhood illnesses. He cross-referred these with a list of local authority trading standards offices, and produced scores of letters of complaint quoting the ASA ruling.
The results have been impressive. Trading standards officers in Poole and Hounslow have started moving against local chiropractors and panic is spreading through the alternative health movement.
The McTimoney Chiropractic Association emailed members on 8 June warning of a "witch hunt". If "you have a website, take it down NOW" it cried. Members were told to remove leaflets claiming "that you treat whiplash, colic or other childhood problems in your clinic or at any other site where they might be displayed with your contact details on them DO NOT USE until further notice."
Chiropractors should also stop calling themselves "doctor" on business cards and be wary of calls from "mystery shoppers" asking about treatments for children. "IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE, YOU MAY BE AT RISK FROM [sic] PROSECUTION" the association concluded. A case of the biter bit?
I'm not one to use internet-isms with any seriousness, but FUCKING
PWNED. This is one bandwagon I'm going to jump on. A chuffing
genius idea from Mr Perry there.
So, chaps – it costs nothing to make a complaint to the ASA about something, and that can then be used to get trading standards on the case of other quacks. The sooner these ridiculous people are out of business the better.
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