Comments on: Defending Science-Based Medicine

By: gargoyle

gargoyle — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:14:43 +0000

thurgood,

I agree with everything you said and can at least understand a smidgen of your frustration (my friend’s mother died from breast cancer after the “crystal therapy” failed, and my mother’s into reiki).

But in regards to circumcision as a preventive measure against HIV infection, there is truth to that. The foreskin is rather fragile, and sex can create small tears through which the HIV virus can pass. Circumcision (removal of the foreskin) can obviously alleviate this particular danger. Obviously this doesn’t apply to the mutilation known euphemistically as “female circumcision”.

Here’s a link to the CDC’s fact sheet on circumcision:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/circumcision.htm

By: Mjhavok

Mjhavok — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:32:00 +0000

It is amazing that someone can be so educated that they become a neurosurgeon but still write such an illogical hodgepodge of a essay.

Reminds me of Islamic extremists who can be so educated that they become doctors but still crash planes into buildings or cars into airplanes.

Irrational and illogical believes to hurt and sometimes kill.

By: Galloping Gaucho

Galloping Gaucho — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:16:03 +0000

Nicely done. If only Dr. Egnor could think and write as coherently. It makes me wonder what deciphering his patient chart notes must be like.

Thanks for mentioning the quality assurance activities that many (including alt med advocates) seem to be unaware that physicians are heavily involved in as part of our everyday work. I average a good ten hours a week in mandated and non-required quality assurance (QA) activities (including those aimed at minimizing mistakes in medical care). I don’t see any reason why I can’t scrutinize non-evidence based therapies in my free time.

By: eiskrystal

eiskrystal — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:25:11 +0000

When he admits his own mistakes as you do on air and on record, then he may be worth listening to. If only for that apology.

I fear however that we will be waiting a long time.

By: Gated Clock

Gated Clock — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:24:29 +0000

Watch out, Dr. N.
Egnor thinks that you weigh the same as a duck….

By: tooth fairy

tooth fairy — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:16:55 +0000

i really honestly am worried someone like Dr. Egnor could be someone i would have to trust with surgery. He totally misrepresents the data i couldn’t believe it when he went for the SBM has killed more-like dude just stop and think why that is for one second! then think, what the benefit has been, he just needed to read SBM the other day and his intelligence would have doubled i fear. I’m quite glad the the DI has chosen someone who doesn’t do their homework before writing a post to be praised on their site-it’s a great testament to them!!! Good Post Steve

By: thurgood

thurgood — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:32:48 +0000

If anecdotes count for anything, tally one against pseudo scientific cranks and their credentialed defenders. My father was a lifelong practitioner of CAM and became more obstinate after my uncle – a doctor at a prestigious hospital – died of a galloping cancer in months flat. It’s several years since my Dad passed away, so I am willing to forget that acupuncturist who riddled my father’s skin with 100s of pinpricks from crudely sterilised needles dipped in alcohol, provoking sepsis and toxic shock. And chiropractors do kill – softly. One of them delivered the coup de grace to my long suffering mother-in-law who lived for years with rheumatoid arthritis. And if you want t osee vaccination denialists visit the state of Uttar Pradesh in India where mad mullahs have convinced large masses of Muslims that the polio vaccine will render their children impotent, or else we could visit South Africa where circumcision is peddled as a preventive measure against HIV infection. Idiots, cranks, crackpots, misanthropes…I can’t be harsh enough

By: Michael Meadon

Michael Meadon — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:00:15 +0000

Excellent post Steve.

It’s now more obvious than ever that Egnor is nothing less than an anti-reason and anti-science ideologue. That he’s a neurosurgeon to boot never ceases to amaze me. Oh the power of compartmentalization.