Bad Medicine: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Distance Healing to Vitamin O.CHRISTOPHER WANJEK The idea of bloodletting bloodletting, also called bleeding, practice of drawing blood from the body in the treatment of disease. General bloodletting consists of the abstraction of blood by incision into an artery (arteriotomy) or vein (venesection, or phlebotomy). or shock therapy as cures for what ails you seems antiquated and foolhardy fool·har·dy adj. fool·har·di·er, fool·har·di·est Unwisely bold or venturesome; rash. See Synonyms at reckless. [Middle English folhardi, from Old French fol hardi : . However, Wanjek believes that many people believe in and practice equally bogus medical treatments today. He debunks many common medical myths and misconceptions, including touch therapy, magnet therapy mag·net therapy n. An alternative medical therapy in which the placement of magnets or magnetic devices on the skin is thought to prevent or treat symptoms of disease, especially pain. , and the use of shark cartilage shark cartilage, n cartilage obtained from the hammerhead and dogfish sharks, used as an anticancer, antiinflammatory, and antiangiogenic treatment. Precautions for those with liver disease. to ward off cancer. He also explores the accuracy of medical news on television, our obsessive war on bacteria, and the quest to cure baldness. Wiley, 2003, 280 p., b&w photos/Illus., paperback, $15.95. |
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