Perhaps there really is a “tsunami of change” occurring. This is brilliant.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Quack cracks
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One has to wonder about the sincerity of naturopaths and other alternative therapists who want to get rid of “quacks” through the establishment of a national register (“Register to hit shonks”, smh.com.au, June 14).

In NSW, a code of conduct for unregistered practitioners was introduced in August last year. It says they “must not make claims to cure certain serious illnesses”, including cancer; and that they must display the code and information about how to contact the Health Care Complaints Commission.

In my recent visits to places of practice, I have not seen the code displayed. I have also been told that a $12,000 course of homeopathy can cure my cancer.

Given the lack of adherence to this legislation, I can’t help but wonder if a new register is simply a stunt to distract us from the fact that many alternative “therapies” are as useful as a placebo. By definition, complementary and alternative remedies are unproven. Alternative medicine that is proven to work is called medicine.

Dr Rachael Dunlop, vice-president, Australian Skeptics, Petersham
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It appears Australia is about to repeat Britain’s mistakes about regulation of alternative medicine. It should be self-evident that it makes no sense to set educational standards in a subject without having decided whether that subject is nonsense. If it is, what does “educational standards” mean?
Your article cites naturopathy, which subscribes to a form of pre-19th-century vitalism. I fail to understand what it means to be properly qualified in ideas that the educated world left behind 200 years ago.

David Colquhoun, research professor of pharmacology, University College London
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Chris Logan (Letters, June 15) tells us it was the failure of homeopathy devotees to accept expert advice that resulted in the death of their daughter. On the contrary, Thomas Sam is a highly expert homeopath – he is a BSc, bachelor of homeopathic medicine and surgery, has a master’s in public health and was a senior lecturer in medical science at the Sydney College of Homeopathic Medicine.

The problem is that “expertise” in the pseudo-science that is homeopathy is of no value to a sick child, hence Sam’s conviction.

Matthew Collaery, Wanniassa (ACT)

Reproduced from the Sydney Morning Herald from June 9 and 10.

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Treatment is a sore point

Dr Gayle Fischer says eczema is “readily treated” by modern medicine (letters June 8). As the mother of a child who has suffered eczema from six weeks to her current age of 22 I consider this a fantasy of self-belief.

Western medicine does not treat eczema well. Parents who slather their children in Sorbolene, do not use soap and do all the other things they are told to do to “manage” the disease are treated as whingers when they tell doctors the treatment is not working.

They are intimidated from seeking further help until the disease is so out of control that the fear of being labelled a whinger is outstripped by desperate concern for the welfare of their child. The casualty department rides in on a white charger, doses the child up with steroids for a few days and bingo, aren’t we wonderful? Until the next time.

When Western medical practitioners in India saw my daughter had severe eczema they told me to try homeopathy, which has a good record there – a much more honest assessment of the strengths and interests of Western medicine than Dr Fischer’s.

Ellen McEwen Croydon

What is natural about rejecting treatment?

Gayle Fischer is right to be concerned about the disturbing trend of parents shunning effective medical treatments for their children on the basis that “natural” equals good (letters June 9). I recently heard a parent say that vaccination “seems unnatural”. I admit polio is more natural than vaccination, but avoiding a natural case of polio by unnatural means is preferable for the child.

Sadly, a child has died because of her parents’ misguided belief in homeopathy. The authorities seem to be doing nothing about the consistently false claims made by homeopaths. In a few minutes of browsing the internet I found them claiming homeopathy could protect people against swine flu, and that vaccination and anti-viral drugs should be avoided because they weaken the immune system.

Guy Curtis Seven Hills

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Western doctors in India may well have recommended homeopathy to Ellen McEwen (Letters, June 9). But did it work?

Anne Kirman Kellyville

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If you wish to respond to this debate, write to the Sydney Morning Herald, letters to the editor.