Over the years, I have received so many insults, attacks and legal challenges that I could start writing blog posts only about them and the issues involved. Recently someone asked me during the discussion part of a public lecture: “How did you manage to deal with all this aggression emotionally?” My answer was meant as a joke but, in a way, it is also true: ” You only need to become a masochist, and you enjoy every minute of it.”
Today, most of these attacks make me laugh because they are so stupid and mad. They merely show that the author has run out of arguments. In other words, they signal a victory which is, I think, quite enjoyable.
Recently I found such a victory of reason over madness on this website. It is not a new post but somehow I had missed it; and it is so remarkable that I have to reproduce it here without the slightest alteration. Here it is, enjoy!
Edzard Ernst himself admitted that he tried learning homeopathy, acupuncture, herbalism and chiropractic but never completed any course on them. He had 2 months of classes and 6 months of homeopathy training in Germany. In Germany, where homeopathy is regulated, it is a prerequisite to pass an exam by a Governing Medical Council, which he did not do. He had never wrote an exam. He has zero qualifications in homeopathic medicine but still falsely claims that he has been trained as a homeopath.
Without having a required medical qualification, he illegally practiced Homeopathy and admitted in a national newspaper (UK Guardian, 3/4/2012) that he was “….impressed with the results achieved by Homeopathy. Many of my patients seemed to improved dramatically….”.
Edzard Ernst published two papers in favour of homeopathy
1. Phlebology
“Complementary Treatment of Varicose Veins: A Randomised, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Trial”
Edzard Ernst, T. Saradeth, K.L. Resch, 1990, 157-163.
Three doses of a popular German combination of eight homeopathic medicines were given daily for 24 days. Measures were venous filling time, leg volume, and subjective symptoms. The study found that venous filling time improved in those given the homeopathic medicines by 44%, while it deteriorated in the placebo group by 18%. Other measures also had significant differences.
Linde OR=2.6 in favour of homeopathy, Linde Quality=1
2. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology
Homeopathy for post-operative ileus (1997)
Barnes, Edzard Ernst
6 trials, 776 patients, medicines: Opium, Arnica, Raphanus sativus, China, Pyrogenum. Two of the four studies that also measured time to first faeces reported a positive effect for homeopathy. A meta-analysis of all six included studies revealed a statistically significant effect in favour of homeopathy for time to first flatus. This effect remained even with the exclusion of the two low quality studies. A significant effect in favour of homeopathy was also found for time to first flatus when a homeopathic remedy of less than 12C potency was used.
Conclusion: “There is some evidence to support the administration of a homeopathic remedy immediately after surgery to reduce the duration of ileus”
4 out of 6 trials are of best quality. AMSTAR score=6/11
By fraud he became a Professor of Complementary medicine in University of Exeter (an accredited University in UK) in 1993 by fooling them (How can you become a Professor of Complementary medicine when you have zero qualifications in complementary medicine?). It would be interesting to know who appointed Edzard as Professor. Did he tell porky pies to get the job?
Some called him a failed Homeopath. Fear of failure made him skeptic. Fate made him ‘skeptic without k’, get famous as an authority after failing as CAMventional practitioner. He co-authored a book “Trick or Treatment”. It was full of half-truths which were exposed in a book by William Alderson titled ‘Halloween Science’.
His downfall started in 2005 when “Ernst breached the professional code of scientific behaviour by leaking under-review paper before publication” (as a reviewer of a Journal Lancet). It was deplored by the journal and the scientific community.
He was exposed in year 2007 by Alliance for Natural Health. He is considered to be The Rachel Maddow of Alternative Health
He got potentised when he was forced to put down his papers at University of Exeter as Professor of Complementary Medicine in 2011, two years ahead of his official retirement. Immediately after his retirement, a homeopathy clinic was established in the University.
He was removed from editorial board of a reputed Elsevier Journal in 2013. It was a fall from grace.
He is fighting a losing battle against Prince Charles who is going to have the last laugh.
Chris Wilkinson has dedicated a law in his name titled “Ernst First Law”. It says, “Endlessly repeat what they want to hear and the septics will keep sending me their blessings and I shall be king.”
More about him at http://safe-medicine.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-contribution-of-professor-edzard.html
DID I PROMISE TOO MUCH?
The article then goes on by throwing more mud, lies and attacks at two of my friends: Simon Singh and David Colquhoun. Some might think that we should sue the author – I would disagree: we need to encourage such people to publish more of this stuff because it is not only hilarious but also such a sweet victory of reason over madness.
26 Responses to This will make you laugh, I promise…it’s from a homeopath
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I frequently see excerpts of those smears copied and pasted by well known supporters of homeopathy but where did not a doctor Malik get it from? A German journalist employed by homeopathy companies?
You are right, let them carry on lying, it gives more opportunities for pointing out their lack of ethics and knowledge.
If I remember correctly, your appointment was met with open arms but when they realised you were accumulating real evidence and logical conclusions their opinion changed. Thus displaying their ignorance of the scientific method.
Mr. Acleron:
I need expose the tricks and desinformation of Ernst. I will redact one robust post of this. I need your help for details of exact meaning of “extraordinary evidence”. You’re welcome with any trickery of Randi’s tricks.
please do send me a copy.
First answer your fallacies and folies.
Prof, where does this clown come from? Do you have an IP address you can trace?
from a different planet, I think.
If they’re folies (as in ‘bergere’) surely they should also be phallusies?
” Do you have an IP address you can trace?”
I’m scared!!! Oh, Ernst Now nobody can’t live without your posts… Or not??
Clowns for Nightigale Pseudocollaboration. This is the kindergarden game:
http://i.imgur.com/efLO0Mu.jpg
Oopppssss Mr Ernst, problems, problems for Randi bu$$iness.
“from a different planet, I think.”
Woooshh… Mr. Ernst is the policy of the thinking thank. Brave new world with the “debunkers” or James Randi Pseudoeducational Bussiness (JRPB)..
Message for the Ernst admin:
..-..–
..–
Of the planet CSI(COP). You look the toes, never looks the fingers of the hands. Ha, ha, ha.
Chris Wilkinson was, I think, the one who dud the proving of Venus Stella erans, or some equally insane nostrum. He was also banned from Wikipedia
Bully, bully Chapman on Wikipedia, SAS, CISCOP, JREF…. in all websites. The bully engineer!
Factually inaccurate as well as fallacious. Well done,
Surely this is old stuff now! How long before we have Gravitational Wave Therapy?
Already proposed, see:
https://twitter.com/LindsayAllison0/status/697909880259219456
I would note it isn’t hard to see Deepak Chopra quickly jumping on gravitational wave as contributing to your gut microbiome talking /influencing your brain (or your genes).
The pseudoscience world does offer up the most bizarre and wonderfully idiotic amusements!
Yes, you’re a joke as a Guy or Aust or Acleron or Alan Henness…. Hey, they are the same in all Ernst blog! Auto publicity. The endogamic skeptiks and the laughing book of Novella and Gorski, may be the poor “contundent debunk” against homeopathy.
Are you kidding me?
http://i.imgur.com/J6AKUJn.png
You need more money from Coke and Pfizer or by Sense About Randi.
Ah, the class clown pops up again.
It’s just as well your bogus accusations of nefarious funding have no credibility whatsoever, or they would be actionable.
Egged, that post fails the Turing test.
Bully Chapman essays on Skeptikal Fraudtirerd is the masterpieces for the clean pooooohhh. It’s from a pseudoskeptik.
Egger, are you sure you’re taking your medication?
That makes even less sense than Chris Wilkinson does. Quite an achievement.
Egger
I notice you use the terms ‘pseudoskeptic’ and ‘pseudocollaboration’ but it’s not at all clear what you mean by them. Are you able to explain, please?
Oh god! That’s hilarious! Got any more?
Edzard should do what Dawkins does and read his hate mail on YouTube.
Egger serves as a wonderful demonstration of the following…
Confirmation bias: related effects: attitude polarization (aka belief polarization): “The ‘backfire effect’ is a name for the finding that, given evidence against their beliefs, people can reject the evidence and believe even more strongly.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias#Related_effects
“The Misconception: When your beliefs are challenged with facts, you alter your opinions and incorporate the new information into your thinking.
The Truth: When your deepest convictions are challenged by contradictory evidence, your beliefs get stronger.” — David McRaney.
http://youarenotsosmart.com/2011/06/10/the-backfire-effect/
Egger believes he is a wit. He is exactly 50% correct.