Trick or Treatment
Encyclopedia
Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial (North American title: Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine) is a 2008 book about alternative medicine
by Simon Singh
and Edzard Ernst
. Singh is a physicist and the writer of several popular science books. Ernst is a professor of complementary medicine.
, homeopathy
, herbal medicine, and chiropractic
, and briefly covers 36 other treatments. It finds that the scientific evidence
for these alternative treatments is generally lacking. Homeopathy is concluded to be completely ineffective: "It's nothing but a placebo, despite what homeopaths say".
Although the book presents evidence that acupuncture, chiropractic and herbal remedies have limited efficacy for certain ailments, the authors conclude that the dangers of these treatments outweigh any potential benefits. Such potential risks outlined by the authors are contamination or unexpected interactions between components in the case of herbal medicine, risk of infection in the case of acupuncture and the potential for chiropractic manipulation of the neck to cause delayed stroke.
The book is very critical of Prince Charles
' advocacy of alternative medicine and the actions of his now-defunct Foundation for Integrated Health. The book is dedicated, in an ironic
fashion, to the Prince.
reviewed the book and said this about the authors: "Simon Singh is a physicist and science journalist, and his coauthor, Edzard Ernst, is a physician and professor of complementary medicine. Ernst is one of the best qualified people to summarize the evidence on this topic." The Daily Telegraph found the book to be "a clearly written, scrupulously scientific examination of the health claims of key areas of alternative medicine: acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic therapy and herbal medicine. The results are stark. In no case, apart from in some limited ways in herbal medicine, do any of these 'therapies’ work. On the contrary, they can be life-threatening." The journal Nature
tempered a generally positive review of the book with a concern that the authors' sense of certainty "mirrors that of the proponents of alternative therapies, leaving each position as entrenched as ever."
The book drew criticism from consumers and practitioners of alternative therapies. The British Journal of General Practice published a review by Jeremy Swayne (former Dean of the Faculty of Homeopathy
) that was critical of the book and its argument.
A review by Harriet A. Hall
in Quackwatch
stated that some negative reviews of the book demonstrated "an appalling poverty of thought"; articulating that since the reasoning behind the author's conclusions is solid, critics instead deny the methods of science, misrepresent the books' contents and use ad hominem
attacks against the authors.
for comments he wrote in a column in The Guardian
about the book. The BCA eventually dropped the case after a ruling on the meaning of Singh's article went against them.
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
by Simon Singh
Simon Singh
Simon Lehna Singh, MBE is a British author who has specialised in writing about mathematical and scientific topics in an accessible manner....
and Edzard Ernst
Edzard Ernst
Edzard Ernst is the first Professor of Complementary Medicine in the world, at the University of Exeter, England....
. Singh is a physicist and the writer of several popular science books. Ernst is a professor of complementary medicine.
Contents
The book evaluates the scientific evidence for acupunctureAcupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
, homeopathy
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
, herbal medicine, and chiropractic
Chiropractic
Chiropractic is a health care profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health. It is generally categorized as complementary and alternative medicine...
, and briefly covers 36 other treatments. It finds that the scientific evidence
Scientific evidence
Scientific evidence has no universally accepted definition but generally refers to evidence which serves to either support or counter a scientific theory or hypothesis. Such evidence is generally expected to be empirical and properly documented in accordance with scientific method such as is...
for these alternative treatments is generally lacking. Homeopathy is concluded to be completely ineffective: "It's nothing but a placebo, despite what homeopaths say".
Although the book presents evidence that acupuncture, chiropractic and herbal remedies have limited efficacy for certain ailments, the authors conclude that the dangers of these treatments outweigh any potential benefits. Such potential risks outlined by the authors are contamination or unexpected interactions between components in the case of herbal medicine, risk of infection in the case of acupuncture and the potential for chiropractic manipulation of the neck to cause delayed stroke.
The book is very critical of Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
' advocacy of alternative medicine and the actions of his now-defunct Foundation for Integrated Health. The book is dedicated, in an ironic
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
fashion, to the Prince.
Reception
The book received generally good reviews. The New England Journal of MedicineNew England Journal of Medicine
The New England Journal of Medicine is an English-language peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It describes itself as the oldest continuously published medical journal in the world.-History:...
reviewed the book and said this about the authors: "Simon Singh is a physicist and science journalist, and his coauthor, Edzard Ernst, is a physician and professor of complementary medicine. Ernst is one of the best qualified people to summarize the evidence on this topic." The Daily Telegraph found the book to be "a clearly written, scrupulously scientific examination of the health claims of key areas of alternative medicine: acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic therapy and herbal medicine. The results are stark. In no case, apart from in some limited ways in herbal medicine, do any of these 'therapies’ work. On the contrary, they can be life-threatening." The journal Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
tempered a generally positive review of the book with a concern that the authors' sense of certainty "mirrors that of the proponents of alternative therapies, leaving each position as entrenched as ever."
The book drew criticism from consumers and practitioners of alternative therapies. The British Journal of General Practice published a review by Jeremy Swayne (former Dean of the Faculty of Homeopathy
Faculty of Homeopathy
The Faculty of Homeopathy was formed in 1944 from the old British Homeopathic Society . It was incorporated by the Faculty of Homeopathy Act 1950, which confers an educational function on the Faculty...
) that was critical of the book and its argument.
A review by Harriet A. Hall
Harriet A. Hall
Harriet A. Hall is a retired family physician, former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon and skeptic who writes about alternative medicine and quackery for Skeptic and Skeptical Inquirer.-Career:...
in Quackwatch
Quackwatch
Quackwatch is an American non-profit organization founded by Stephen Barrett with the stated aim being to "combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct" and with a primary focus on providing "quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere."...
stated that some negative reviews of the book demonstrated "an appalling poverty of thought"; articulating that since the reasoning behind the author's conclusions is solid, critics instead deny the methods of science, misrepresent the books' contents and use ad hominem
Ad hominem
An ad hominem , short for argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it...
attacks against the authors.
Subsequent libel case and freedom of speech
Singh was sued for libel by the British Chiropractic AssociationBritish Chiropractic Association
The British Chiropractic Association was founded in 1925 and represents over 50% of UK chiropractors. It is the largest and longest established association for chiropractors in the United Kingdom...
for comments he wrote in a column in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
about the book. The BCA eventually dropped the case after a ruling on the meaning of Singh's article went against them.
External links
- Book website
- Free preview at Google BooksGoogle Book SearchGoogle Books is a service from Google that searches the full text of books that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical character recognition, and stored in its digital database. The service was formerly known as Google Print when it was introduced at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October...