I created this blog to record some of my thoughts about modern medicine, the primitive forms that have led to it, and the modern political stages on which their interactions with humans play out.
I am a 70 year old retired internist (hematologist/medical oncologist.) I practiced privately in Sunnyvale and Mountain View Calif. for 35 years and semi-retired to a teaching position at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (a Stanford teaching hospital) where I acted as Chief of Medical Ocology from 2000 to 2005, and retired in 2007 (only to be requested back for 2 years in 2001 to supplement after another physician's retirement.)
Meanwhile I founded the journal, The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine under Prometheus Books and The Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (whew,) to record in one publication the findings of quackery critics who had few outlets and seemed always to be counterpunching balloons of hot air with few listening and fewer effects.
I was also a co-founder of the National Council against Health Fraud , served several years as Board Chairman, and have helped form its offsprings, including the new Institute for Scientific Medicine. I also served as Chair of the State of California Cancer Advisory Council, representing Stanford University, where I have taught analysis of anomalous medicine and medical claims since 1979.
So why the blog? I have been interested in the interface of medicine, science, and political systems. This combo does not go down well in other venues. People's political views, just like quackery followers' health views, and religious people's beliefs are parts of their being - their personalities, their character, and how they view themselves and the world around them. The threats and conflicts aroused are often divisive and diversionary.
Often simplest attempts at analyzing poleitical events emanating from medical reseasrch, and the research results from investigations of politically oriented investigations set of immediate reactions - emotionally burdened, and difficult to argue with rationally.
So here I will present my interpretation of medical-political events and currents. Readers - if there are any - are free to chirp, scream, and grunt - well, I hope they won't, actually, but that they will simply express their own opinions. I hope they - or you all - will keep the vinegar and sourness minimal, using them for appropriate rhetorical or metaphorical purposes. There's enough emotional activity elsewhere.
The first entry will be along shortly...
