The Naturopathic Doctor's Oath

[The Mad Hatter]

Earlier today at my college, we had this science career fair, where representatives from some companies have their booths, and you can talk to them, give them resumes, or learn about stuff they're offering.

It was nothing special...only 5 or 6 different displays were there. But the worst part is that most of the students were gathered around a display for "The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine." (Maybe I'm ignorant, but is alt. medicine often refered to as "naturopathic"? That's the first time I've seen the term). The school offered 4 years of education in acupuncture/Asian medicine, botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, physical medicine, and lifestyle counselling. It was pretty sad to see that this is what the students were interested in. I picked up one of there pamphlets. In it, it said:

Naturopathic Doctor's Oath

I dedicate myself to the service of humanity as a practitioner of the art and science of naturopathic medicine.

By precept, education, and examples, I will assist and encourage others to strengthen their health, reduce risks for disease, and preserve the health of our planet for ourselves and future generations. I will continually endeavour to improve my abilities. I will conduct my life and practice of naturopathic medicine with integrity and freedom from prejudice. I will keep confident what should not be divulged.

I will honour the principles of naturopathic medicine:

First, to do no harm.
To co-operate with the healing powers of nature.
To address the fundamental causes of the disease.
To heal the whole person through individualized treatment.
To teach the principles of healthy living and preventive medicine.​

Unfortunately, I didn't read that until I was on the bus heading home. Otherwise, I would have had a word with that lady.

Is this "oath" something all practitioners need to follow, or is it just something specific to the school?

 

[Mojo]

Maybe I'm ignorant, but is alt. medicine often refered to as "naturopathic"?

It's one of the fundamental laws of woo that anything "natural" is non-harmful. Even if it is no more "natural" than things used in proper medicine. Homoeopaths, for example, will go to great lengths to explain that the sort of dilution and battering about that water naturally goes through will not produce a magic "potentised" preparation.

 

[CurtC]

I've seen Randi write about naturopaths before, so I did a search and found these jewels:

http://www.randi.org/jr/042905some.html

At www.randi.org/jr/120304youve.html#5 you read about a Quebec "naturopath" named Louise Lortie, and her appeal against her conviction of manslaughter and criminal negligence causing the death of a 12-year-old diabetic girl. Referring to her behavior as that of a "charlatan," a judge found the former naturopath guilty. This quack used a magic pendulum and consulted the Archangel Michael, who she said informed her that the girl should be given no more insulin, depending instead on unrefined cane sugar, other homemade herbal concoctions, special massages and salt water baths. As might be expected, the child died just three days after beginning the treatment.

http://www.randi.org/jr/011003.html

The "doctor" is a naturopath. Ah, the plot thickens. She proceeded to explain to the class that different blood types should avoid certain foods. She even handed out some "information" sheets about this BS. You can see more of the nonsense she taught the class at her website, www.droram.com. After her lecture, the class was instructed to write down five things they learned from what she had told them. Christa's boyfriend, bless him, wrote five variations on how it was a bunch of quack nonsense. The teacher did not take this well and failed him on the assignment.

http://www.randi.org/jr/052104uk.html

Crawford fails to indicate that the NEFHA (www.nefha.com) is a "naturopathic" and Chinese medical center. On its website, it informs visitors that they should choose NEFHA over Western medicine because "[w]e have classical music playing in the background and a variety of hot teas to drink while waiting for your appointment."

 

[RationalVetMed]

Naturopathic Doctor's Oath
First, to do no harm.
To co-operate with the healing powers of nature.
To address the fundamental causes of the disease.
To heal the whole person through individualized treatment.
To teach the principles of healthy living and preventive medicine.​

These 'rules' are a scream. One thing naturopaths, holistic practitioners (or whatever touchy-feely phrase they're using this week) are constantly bleating on about is 'first do no harm', why they can't be honest about it and admit it's really 'first do nothing at all (and then continue to do nothing at all)' I don't know. They implication is that because their remedies 'do no harm' they can 'do no wrong', forgetting that neglect can be extremely harmful.

As for addressing the fundamental cause of disease well that's relative - people in the real world might think that, say, sugar diabetes was caused (fundamentally) by an inability of the pancreas to produce insulin whereas your average inhabitant of 'planet alternative' would have it that it's caused by a blockage in your chi pathways to which the rest of us are not privy so they will set to work using their imaginary techniques to treat imaginary causes. Tough luck if you happen to have a condition that isn't imaginary.

Rule 3 ought to read "Choose your cases"

Yuri

 

[Eos of the Eons]

There's homeopathic meds for type 1 Diabeters. It's "pancreatic juice 3x".

Funny thing, I thought insulin WAS natural, since working pancreases produce it themselves. So why are naturopaths messing with that natural remedy? What is more natural than something made by our own bodies?

 

[casebro]

"I will keep confident what should not be divulged."

Does that clause in the oath sound like something a science based system would require? Pehaps it would read better as "I will muzzle my ducks, so no one hears them exhorting "Quack,Quack,Quack,Quack,"

 

[Eos of the Eons]

"I will keep confident what should not be divulged."

Does that clause in the oath sound like something a science based system would require? Pehaps it would read better as "I will muzzle my ducks, so no one hears them exhorting "Quack,Quack,Quack,Quack,"

Nah, it means that they won't ever tell if their junk kills someone, they will leave the MDs guessing why someone would stop taking their insulin.

 

[RationalVetMed]

There's homeopathic meds for type 1 Diabeters. It's "pancreatic juice 3x".

Funny thing, I thought insulin WAS natural, since working pancreases produce it themselves. So why are naturopaths messing with that natural remedy? What is more natural than something made by our own bodies?

I imagine mainly because they'd rather chew their own arms off than admit that anything marketed by evil pharmaceutical corporates might be 'natural', obviously giving water or sugar tablets to treat disease is far more natural - after all humans have been doing what doctors call "drinking" for milennia, they've also been getting better from diseases for the same period: qed.

Not to mention you've got to be a proper doctor to prescribe insulin whereas even idiots can prescribe homoeopathic remedies (and frequently do).

To nit-pick a small point though I'm not sure that the insulin used to treat human diabetes is derived from human pancreases per-se. As far as I know it's either of animal (pork or beef) origin or chemically synthesised human-identical insulin (willing to be corrected on this one if anyone knows better).

Is the homoeopathic pancreatic remedy used to treat diabetes? If it is then this contradicts the homoeopathic dogma of using like to cure like. If you gave homeopathic pancreas it would cause diabetes, not cure it surely?

Yuri

 

[HopkinsMedStudent]

Did you guys know that in CAlifornia and Arizona, naturopaths have prescription privileges?

You heard right they have script privileges, including "conventional" meds, not just homeopathic/naturopathic stuff.

 

[Rolfe]

That is truly frightening.

Rolfe.

 

[kellyb]

Did you guys know that in CAlifornia and Arizona, naturopaths have prescription privileges?

You heard right they have script privileges, including "conventional" meds, not just homeopathic/naturopathic stuff.

Are you sure you're not thinking of Osteopaths?
As far as I know, in the US, you have to complete med school, residency and all, to prescribe medicine...

 

[Mojo]

"I will keep confident what should not be divulged."

Does that clause in the oath sound like something a science based system would require? Pehaps it would read better as "I will muzzle my ducks, so no one hears them exhorting "Quack,Quack,Quack,Quack,"

Or they'll use it as an excuse for their inability to provide any explanation of what they do (scroll up to post #275 to see what Sarah claims is confidential).

 

[HopkinsMedStudent]

Are you sure you're not thinking of Osteopaths?
As far as I know, in the US, you have to complete med school, residency and all, to prescribe medicine...

No Osteopaths have had script privileges for many decades... its the Naturopaths that got script rights just a couple of years ago in those 2 states. Other states are considering adding that legislation too.

In the US, osteopaths are pretty much equals to allopaths, I hear the situation is different in the UK.

http://www.naturowatch.org/licensure/laws.shtml