> Same way as any other child neglect crimes.  It either gets reported 
> through family/friends/school to the authorities who investigate, or in 
> the worst case the death of the child triggers the investigation.  Then 
> you search for evidence they didn't search for appropriate medical care 
> (very easy if they admit to it!), then it's up to a judge/jury to decide a 
> punishment.

While I don't hold with homeopathy and while I find this case very sad, do 
you REALLY want to live in a world where you HAVE to let MD's decide your 
fate or risk prosecution? I blame the parents for being stupid, but if they 
REALLY believed they were doing the best for their child, I would not punish 
them - the death of their child should be punishment enough.

From my personal experience, while being a child myself:

One MD #1 wanted to do surgery on me for hernia. My father said he had the 
same condition at my age, but it healed later. MD #1: "That's nonsense, 
cannot be - my father must have understood something wrong. It's almost 
criminal to do nothing." Turned out MD #1 was wrong, a few years later I was 
fine. Another MD #2 checking my medical records at this later date said: 
"MD #1 must have really been a moron. No sign of hernia at all. MD #1 must 
have misdiagnosed." When I told him it just healed by itself, MD #2 said the 
same as MD #1: "Nonsense, hernia does not heal by itself."

Another MD wanted to do a tonsil-ectomy on me. Said this had to be or there 
would be grave consequences in my later life. 45 years later I still have my 
tonsils.

Once as a child I got accidentally showered by a pot of scalding water. Lost 
all the skin in my face - raw flesh was all that remained. MD at the clinic 
placed an antiseptic net on my face, which was to stay and be repaced 
regularly because of the danger of infection. Luckily for me, our own MD at 
this time came from a less developed (and thus less enlightened) country. 
This MD told my parents to take the net off immediately, else I would bear 
the pattern of it for life. Better just to bath the face a few times a day 
in cold camomile tea, to >really< make sure I did not scratch my face or 
play outside before new skin had formed and, if there should be infection, 
IMMEDIATELY call him. Well, he was right, all healed fine, no scars left 
except a very small white spot on my brow when I sweat.

MDs don't know everything. Sometimes they disagree. Sometimes it is like a 
game of chance - go the >sure< way and suffer >some< consequences (for sure 
and for life) or go the risky way and risk grave consequences but, if all 
goes well, live your life completely healed. I think most treatments are 
based on odds - and MDs just make an educated guess on what the odds may be.

Or think about ulcer-treatment. Preferred scientific method of treatment a 
few years ago: cut off a large chunk of stomach. Bacteria cannot be the 
cause of ulcers, well known fact no bacteria can live in the stomach because 
of the hydrochloric acid there. Laughable to believe otherwise. Nowadays you 
take a few pills, heliobacter pylori dies, you are cured.

I would prefer to have the option to say no to any treatment I do not want, 
for me or my children. Or to try any treatment, even if it is laughed at by 
others. It should be my decision - and I hope it will be right.

Post a reply to this message