DR. SANJAY VASHI, Sub-Continent Homeopath

[Psiload]

Something tells me that this attempt will fall apart faster than a Chinese motorcycle, but if the good "Dr." does have the intestinal fortitude to see it through, I think it might be a good idea to see if he'd agree to the idea of just testing his ability to differentiate between his remedies and unpotentized stock solvent. It'll be much less hassle than finding and harrassing some poor AIDS patient.

If he's as deluded about his magical sugar pills as he seems to be, he'll probably be amazed at how seemingly simple such a task would be, and he'll probably jump at the chance.

Just tell him to pick any remedy he thinks would cause a profound effect, aggravation, etc... upon a person, or himself for that matter, and tell him to have at it in a blinded test.

 

[KRAMER]

Believe me, we're not going to contribute to the suffering of someone with AIDS.

I don't think this will get very far at all.

 

[Mojo]

I would go along with Psiload here, and suggest some more easily determined test. All the conditions suggested by "Dr." Vashi are likely to take an awfully long time to clear up conclusively, even if he can do it.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

Just like LostAngeles has to discern a difference between GSIC'ed and non-GSIC'ed discs, I think the homeopath should have to pick out the remedy from the placebo. Except it has to be blinded, for obvious reasons.

 

[DrDave]

He says that ...I have been doing research work in the field of homeopathy since I was in 2nd year of D.H.M.S. (4 yr. dip. course)

Is this the same DHMS course that MAS is teaching in the Education forum? If so, I don't think much to the first month.

Still only another 11 months of watching MAS avoid questions, then I too will be qualified to peform homeopathy research

Kramer - have you asked him why, if he has actually cured someone with HIV, it hasn't it made the world news. I'm also sure that he would be in line for the Nobel prize for medicine, and effectively unlimited government grants from AIDS stricken countries. I'd go for those first, then for this prize personally. Maybe his press release got lost with all the recent furore over the Michael Jackson case?!

I'd also be interested in the tests for HIV that were performed before and after his treatment.

Dave

 

[Zep]

I may be much mistaken, but I think Sanjay Vashi may actually be our beloved Kumar...

If so, I suspect not only will it not get off the ground, it won't even assemble properly for the attempt.

 

[Rolfe]

Just tell him to pick any remedy he thinks would cause a profound effect, aggravation, etc... upon a person, or himself for that matter, and tell him to have at it in a blinded test.

Could I direct the attention of the meeting to this recent thread, in particular to my second post (third post in the thread). This was an attempt to determine what sort of protocol would be acceptable for testing a claimant like this, as we had one discussing in the forum at the time and demanding that we write him a protocol. Unfortunately Kramer didn't want to discuss the matter in the absence of an actual claim.

Now, he has the claim. If this Vashi guy were to submit that protocol, would it be acceptable? If so, is it worth suggesting it to him?

Rolfe.

 

[Rolfe]

I may be much mistaken, but I think Sanjay Vashi may actually be our beloved Kumar...

Honestly, Zep, I don't think so. There's LOADS of these fruitcakes out there. This one seems to be a rather different recipe from Kumar Supreme.

Rolfe.

 

[Gr8wight]

I may be much mistaken, but I think Sanjay Vashi may actually be our beloved Kumar...

If so, I suspect not only will it not get off the ground, it won't even assemble properly for the attempt.

Not Dr. MAS?

 

[KRAMER]

Re: Re: DR. SANJAY VASHI, Sub-Continent Homeopath

If this Vashi guy were to submit that protocol, would it be acceptable? If so, is it worth suggesting it to him?

Rolfe.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to suggest a protocol. That's where the process begins. At this point, all he's done is state his claim.

Should he deign to offer a protocol, we will then (if we find it unacceptable) make a counter-offer.

 

[Timothy]

Reading the incessant writings of someone who either hasn't read the Challenge Application rules, or doesn't understand them, or does but chooses to ignore them, I'd almost like to see the following be a part of the application...


PLEASE CIRCLE "YES" OR "NO" FOR EACH QUESTION.
IF ANY QUESTION IS ANSWERED "NO" YOUR APPLICATION IS INCOMPLETE AND CANNOT BE PROCESSED.


Have you included a short paragraph describing in detail what you will demonstrate? YES / NO

Have you included a detailed description of how you will demonstrate it? YES / NO

Have you described what must happen for your demonstration to be determined a success? YES / NO

Have you described what must happen for your demonstration to be a failure? YES / NO

Have you understood that YOU suggest a test and JREF determines if it is acceptable? YES / NO

Have you understood that YOU bring all necessary resources to the test, not JREF? YES / NO

Are you fluent in English, or has a fluent English speaker helped you to understand the Challenge rules? YES / NO


...but it probably wouldn't help. You'd have yahoos who claimed YES on every question and still get incoherent bibble-babble.

I wonder what it feels like to be that clueless?

- Timothy

 

[Winny]

I notice that he has mentioned psoriasis as a possible disease to be cured. I've had psoriasis for about 15 years and it's remarkable how often it gets "cured". Once or twice it was "cured" almost completely, only to be "uncured" a few weeks later.

It's very cyclical and the list of things that are supposed to affect it in one way or another is enormous. I imagine it is a favourite of the homeopathic crowd as they can just wait a few weeks/months until it starts to subside and then claim that the cure is on the way. The inevitable relapse would be because the patient hasn't followed their prescription correctly.

Psoriasis may not be life-threatening in and of itself, but it is an enormous nuisance. One of the greatest nuisances is the number of people that have a sure-fire, no-problem, this'll-do-the-trick cure for it. Everything from Chinese herbal medicine to some ointment that was originally intended for cow udders. I have tried some of these over the years and as frustrating as anything is the fact that it will often seem to respond to the treatment. It takes a while to realise that the best thing you can do is to simply follow your dermatologists advice. That way, although it never gets cured, at least it stays under control.

My point is that if this Vashi chap decides that he is going to cure psoriasis as a demonstration, you probably want to carefully define "cure" before you start.

Oh, and if he succeeds, he can expect a visit from me, willing to pay whatever he decides to charge for my cure.

cheers

Winny

 

[Tracy Ann]

Clueless

I wonder what it feels like to be that clueless?

It's kind of a weird feeling to put yourself in their shoes and actually try to think that way. It makes me feel like everything's out of focus.


Tracy

 

[rwguinn]

I

Snip history....

Psoriasis may not be life-threatening in and of itself, but it is an enormous nuisance. One of the greatest nuisances is the number of people that have a sure-fire, no-problem, this'll-do-the-trick cure for it. Everything from Chinese herbal medicine to some ointment that was originally intended for cow udders. I have tried some of these over the years and as frustrating as anything is the fact that it will often seem to respond to the treatment. It takes a while to realise that the best thing you can do is to simply follow your dermatologists advice. That way, although it never gets cured, at least it stays under control.

My point is that if this Vashi chap decides that he is going to cure psoriasis as a demonstration, you probably want to carefully define "cure" before you start.

Oh, and if he succeeds, he can expect a visit from me, willing to pay whatever he decides to charge for my cure.

cheers

Winny

I'll be right behind you! I was "cured" for 6 whole months by undergoing 30 PUVA treatments (10 weeks). $4.50 a pill plus $35 per treatment (US $)

 

[Flatworm]

I notice that he has mentioned psoriasis as a possible disease to be cured. I've had psoriasis for about 15 years and it's remarkable how often it gets "cured". Once or twice it was "cured" almost completely, only to be "uncured" a few weeks later.

Lupus, which Dr. Vashi mentions as another possible subject for his test of homeopathy, also tends towards spontaneous remission. I agree that there is something very telling about his choice of diseases.

 

[Ducky]

Lupus, which Dr. Vashi mentions as another possible subject for his test of homeopathy, also tends towards spontaneous remission. I agree that there is something very telling about his choice of diseases.

Is it me, or do these guys always lump "cancer" as one sweeping disease?

I never see a distinction between, say, Singular plasmacytoma of bone, cervical cancer, leukemia, or brain cancer.

Lack of basic understanding of disease is frightening...


(Edited to add

Nevermind, he doesn't actually claim cancer on his list, just lupus. Though I would imagine he would gladly charge someone for a "cure" for cancer.

 

[Winterfrost]

Lupus, which Dr. Vashi mentions as another possible subject for his test of homeopathy, also tends towards spontaneous remission. I agree that there is something very telling about his choice of diseases.

And pardon my ignorance, but is there actually a definitive blood/DNA/whatever test to say that someone has Lupus? My wife was "almost" diagnosed with it. I say "almost" because my understanding was that there was no "definitive" test like there would be for something like HIV, simply a number of tests that may "indicate" Lupus (and any number of other inflammatory diseases).

I could be wrong!

 

[wahrheit]

And again -- as in so many applications for the JREF prize -- you have to wonder why this guy bothers to go for a pathetic million, while his HIV cure alone would make him the richest man in the world, say within a week.

 

[Ducky]

And again -- as in so many applications for the JREF prize -- you have to wonder why this guy bothers to go for a pathetic million, while his HIV cure alone would make him the richest man in the world, say within a week.

I concur. Why not win the nobel prize for your cures and share them with the world?

I take back my previous statement, I read his latest response and he does mention cancer.

How does he propose to prove his claims without putting a cancer patient at risk?

 

[Gulliver]

Possible Protocol Problem...

KRAMER asked that I post my concern here.

There are forms of diabetes that are caused by underlying diseases. In my case, my carcinoid cancer causes my diabetes. I receive a long-acting depot shot of sandostatin on a monthly basis. This shot suspresses the cancer and the resultant symptoms of diabetes for about four weeks.

A relevant reference: http://www.docguide.com/dg.nsf/PrintPrint/FD564F2608A3529C852566CC004F6682

While normal insulin is too volatile to deliver by a depot infusion, I believe the there are insulin analogues that could be.

I should elaborate that the depot infusion leaves a small lump in a large muscle (and very painfully so), but leaves no other evidence.

My concern is that the applicant could mask the symptoms of diabetes by a long-acting depot infusion. The applicant might chose a patient with an underlying, but treatable, disease or use an insulin analogue. JREF would be hard pressed to detect fraud of this type with the 72-hour isolation protocol.

KRAMER has indicated that he will be watchful for this type of fraud.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Gulliver