Quackery, not Holism - Letter to the Editor

In the discussion of "Holism" (Letters, July/August 2002) an essential point has been overlooked. Proponents of "alternative holistic" practices complain that we should not wait for evidence to be gathered, that we could be denying patients benefits, that some day these methods may be validated.

But the public believes that health professionals use proven treatments, and it constitutes deception to use unvalidated methods without telling the patient.

Treatments used prior to proof are called experiments, and should be so labeled. To use unproven treatments on uninformed patients for money is nor holism. It is quackery.

Marvin J. Schissel

Roslyn Heights, New York

COPYRIGHT 2002 Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group