h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Here's an extremely long article I wrote on medical quackery... any suggestions on how to pare it down would be greatly appreciated! I became interested in the subject when reading the Museum of
Questionable Medical Devices article; this entry talks about the supposed theories behind those devices, as well as the patent medicines of the time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A590708

I would suggest taking the whole thing over to the university, as it has the makings of a universty project.

As regards splitting it, I would suggest an overview, with links to the specific subsections you have writen up, each subsection having it's own page. so radionics would have a page, so would radiation, so would electric shocks and electromagnetics, etc.

If you need to see an example of a university project, pop over to my userspace, where there is a link to the intelligence project from my journal.

I would suggest taking the whole thing over to the university, as it has the makings of a universty project.

As regards splitting it, I would suggest an overview, with links to the specific subsections you have writen up, each subsection having it's own page. so radionics would have a page, so would radiation, so would electric shocks and electromagnetics, etc.

If you need to see an example of a university project, pop over to my userspace, where there is a link to the intelligence project from my journal.

A good idea - but the University of Life is for people who don't already have an article written on the subject.

Okay... spent some time playing with Guide ML, and it makes the article a bit easier to read. I feel a little better about the huge amount of information in it!

I know, but in another tread, the author asked for advice about splitting it, and said to post her, so this was duly done.

Ah, I see... No, I'm more interested in paring it down than in splitting the article up - because while there's lots of examples to support the subject matter, the subject matter itself is quite easy to understand and very simple. (i.e. people are easily fooled!) Thanks for the thought, though - I have several ideas which I'd like to put in the University, but I'm not sure whether there's enough meat in the ideas to chew on.

Well, I've only some minor niggles to talk about...

There seems to be a verb missing, in "Arsenic and hemlock are natural, *said* Rich Cleland,..."

IMHO the part "How do you protect yourself from quackery" deserves a of its own.

Footnote 5: "list of tltes" should be "titles"


Well done, and

Bossel (Scout)

Gracias! All fixed... although I put the 'Protect yourself from quackery' in bold instead, because of the 'Modern Medical Quackery' header above. I'd like to play with the Guide ML some more anyway. I'm planning to add some links to the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices article, and some outside sites as well. (if TPTB will let me!)

trying to decide if I want to add phrenology to this mess...

Think I'll go find a hammer and a willing subject and engage in some retroactive phrenology.

Okay, phrenology has been added... I thought I was trying to reduce the article!

!


typo: Physiog(n)omy, and there is a 'ws' -> 'was' short after that.

Phrenology didn't really die in 1930... There were some Nazi 'researchers' who built the theory of 'inferior' races around their physiognomy, and of course they received much attention from the higher charges.

Oh, yeah! I'd forgotten until you mentioned it - I remember seeing a special on PBS about the genetic classification of the 'inferior' races - they did several plaster masks of the Jewish people, some from the Mongolian, etc. Of course, this sounds as if it's classified as physiognomy rather than phrenology, and I haven't heard much about quacks practicing physiognomy. Time for more research!

This sounds rather like a topic for another entry

I know you're trying to pare down this excellent and very comprehensive article, but I feel the need to suggest a (very tiny, I promise) addition. John Diamond fought a very public battle with throat cancer, documented in books and his newspaper column. His last book, never completed due to his death, is entitled "Snake Oil", and includes his opinions of "alternative" medicines. The book, although incomplete, has nevertheless been published. Not sure it's necessarily worth a mention in this entry, but since you're clearly very interested in the subject I thought I might at least pass it on as a recommendation for a read.
Good luck with the paring!

I might be able to add a recommended reading list at the bottom... I'll check it out - thanks!

Phantastic entry. Could not be more complete.
Ready for the guide.

Bye,

HELL

PS: The Grandma of a friend of mine just bought one of those magnetic-pillows to relieve her rheumatism - She also believes radiactive genes are in common bread - for that reason she 'only' buys bio-bread(tm)... Specially old people spend a lot of money on quackery, making it a thriving business.

PS2: In Germany anyone can entitle himself 'Heilpraktiker' - which translates roughly to 'Practising Healer'. No studies required, and lots of money-filled entediated housewives and Grandmas with headaches (probably from watching too much television) - Sorry - there are many men too, and they are probably even worse, but they are kept away because of work -- so, the majority is still the housewives percentile - . Those people - the 'Heilpraktikers' use various methods. Some few more serious offer meditation, acupuncture and massage (valid, and not bad at all). But unfortunately the vast majority are mere quackery-sale-outposts: Hypercentrifugated Water, Urine Preparates, Energy Pyramids, Healing Incenses, Color therapy... You name it. All very expensive - obviously.

*thinking of becoming a heilpraktiker myself*

Bye. Again great entry!

HELL

A very much needed and well written entry.

It's not too long at all, as with all entries, it's as long as it needs to be.

Having been an unwitting victim of a modern 'scam' this is a subject very close to my heart. I have a chronic skin problem that can only be controlled, not cured. I tried a 'herbal' treatment, it worked within days, I was sold... It was much later I found out that the product contained *huge* amounts of prescription only drugs that doctors won't prescribe for long term skin conditions because of the side-effects...

If you're interested I have mentioned the current rash of 'cures' in both my entries on psoriasis http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A528590 and eczema http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A534962, part of a uni project that should be finished in the next week or so. It would be great if this entry could get picked and edited nice & quickly, it would make a nice link...

Thanks, guys! It's amazing how many people get fooled by these scams! When I was in high school, I purchased something that was supposed to reduce appetite - the animation on the television showed that a single pill, when swallowed, would swell up and fill the stomach. I thought this was a great idea and spent ten bucks for a bottle. Well, I became suspicious when even before I had received the first bottle, a salesperson was calling to encourage me to purchase some more. When I got the pills, I placed one in a glass of water to see how much it swelled up. Phooey! The dang thing hardly did anything at all - after about two hours, it grew perhaps a third more than its original size.

Sue, I'll check out your entries - sounds interesting!

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