Editorial Note: Think of this as a Bruce Willis set of posts. I'm no BW fan. Nor a fan of the nuclear bomb. Chances are neither were the makers of the movie Armageddon. But someone probably got a thrill out of forcing a bunch of people who hate BW and were members of CND cheering Bruce on when he set off with the atom bomb to destroy the asteroid threatening earth. Ditto … [Read more...] about Osama bin Laden saves millions of lives
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Decernimus Ergo Summus: Citizen’s Assemblies
Recap When it comes to assessing the benefits of drugs randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are over-rated, rarely if ever objective, and easily gamed. If you don’t know what you are doing to begin with, RCTs won’t find an answer and in practice will make the situation worse. The operationalism of RCTs helped tee up a Neo-Medicalism. Neo-liberalism is another word for … [Read more...] about Decernimus Ergo Summus: Citizen’s Assemblies
Something Happened: Neo-Medicalism
This continues a Something Happened Series, A Western moral order fractured between Luther’s nailing of his Credo Ergo Sum, I believe therefore I am, to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral in 1517, and Descartes’ Cogito Ergo Sum, I reason therefore I am, in 1649 the year of Charles I’s decapitation. Justice Justice and benevolence were central to the moral order monarchs held … [Read more...] about Something Happened: Neo-Medicalism
Something happened to Science
Editorial: One of my regular readers dropped me an email after the last post saying that the Montelukast Withdrawal Syndrome post on RxISK was wonderful but Something Happened on the same day was incomprehensible. The title was a give-away. Something Happened but it doesn't seem to me that anyone knows quite what. Here's another take on Something Happened and a currently … [Read more...] about Something happened to Science
Something Happened – to Science and to Us
In March 2015, the cover of National Geographic featured a picture of the moon-landing with a title The War on Science and a strapline: climate change does not exist; evolution never happened; the moon landing was fake; vaccination can lead to autism; genetically modified food is evil. See Here. Even before elections in Europe and America in 2016 gave us Fake News, a … [Read more...] about Something Happened – to Science and to Us
Ordinarily Well: Storm in a D Cup
Ordinarily Well: The Case for Antidepressants Peter Kramer 2016 This book was very difficult to review. In Ordinarily Well, Dr. Peter Kramer makes two arguments that I agree with. One is that clinical observation—the interaction by which a medical professional learns about a patient—counts for something. The other is that clinical trials, or evidence-based medicine more … [Read more...] about Ordinarily Well: Storm in a D Cup
Kramer v Kramer
Editorial Note: Kramer v Kramer had been a hit movie a decade earlier. Listening to Prozac offered a chance to have a review called Kramer v Kramer but the journal - Psychological Medicine - was not amused and ditched the title. Here'e the review written at the same time as the Porter and others. In a later post I will try to explain what puzzles me about the Porter and other … [Read more...] about Kramer v Kramer
What Happened?
In the early to mid 1990s something happened. The view that many social commentators and academics offer is that neo-liberalism swept into town, dissolved society and turned us all into individuals. This is a non-explanation in that no-one can spell out what neo-liberalism is - so the explanation boils down to something happened. The something is caught in a review of … [Read more...] about What Happened?
329: A Study in What?
Editorial Note: This post will be an easy and obvious read if you're Irish. If you're not, with Google or whatever it should be accessible and indeed the little bit of extra effort may make it a more rewarding read. There is a warning below in respect of one item you might choose to Google. There is also one made up word that won't appear in Google - until after this post is … [Read more...] about 329: A Study in What?
Something Stupid This Way Comes
The picture shows Franz Mesmer magnetising a patient. In between his hands and her head and heart there is a set of little slivers of metal, capable of being magnetised - shown by the fact they are all lined up the same way. The therapist was able to influence magnetic fields and could realign bits inside her similarly, undoing whatever blockages were causing her problem - … [Read more...] about Something Stupid This Way Comes