Some empirical observations on the correlates of quackery propensity in Sindh's populace.

The current research provides an insight into what are the factors that influence people in Sindh to seek medical treatment from a quack. For this purpose an observational qualitative study was carried out between December 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022. The study used a purposive sampling technique, and the sample size was measured using data from anti-quackery campaigns run in 29 Sindh districts. To identify and collect data on quacks, a quackery- regulatory-intervention-induced questionnaire was used. The public's propensity for quacks is due to a number of factors, including: (1) simple and compounding ignorance among those seeking medical care; (2) quacks are more persuasive than doctors, (3) low doctor-to-patient ratios result in less interaction between the two, which dissatisfies the patients; (4) in urban areas, the general public is complacent and frequently consults the proximity facility without first verifying the qualifications of the healthcare provider; and (5) patients in rural areas consult a quack to avoid travelling long distances to access a functioning medical facility, the scarcity of doctors in those areas, and the high overall cost of doctor visits. However, people end up paying more for healthcare services from quacks for whatever reason because they receive incorrect treatment for non-existent health conditions.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding quackery in dentistry at Ayub Dental Hospital, Abbottabad.

Objective: To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices of people regarding dental quackery. METHODS: The descriptive, knowledge-attitude-practice study was conducted from June 2 to August 1, 2022, at the Dentistry Department of Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad, Pakistan, and comprised adult subjects of either gender belonging to lower or middle socioeconomic class and visiting the dental outpatient clinic. Data was collected using a predesigned questionnaire. The subjects' knowledge, attitude and practice about dental quackery was assessed. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. RESULTS: Of the 261 subjects. 135(51.7%) were males and 126(48.3%) were females. The overall mean age was 29.15+/-10.15 years. Of the total, 243(93.1%) participants had satisfactory socioeconomic status and 18(6.9%) had unsatisfactory status. There were 97(37.2%) subjects having good knowledge, 217(83.1%) with good attitude, and 53(67.1%) showing good practices towards dental quackery. Low socioeconomic status, low awareness, and easy accessibility were the main reasons for people visiting dental quacks. Increasing the number of public hospitals was suggested as the main solution by 119(45.6%) subjects. Conclusion: The level of knowledge, attitude and practice regarding dental quackery was good. Low socioeconomic status and lack of awareness were the two important reasons for quackery.

A derivation of factors influencing homeopaths to promote quackery in Sindh.

This article provides multifaceted information as well as an assessment of how and why homoeopaths engage in quackery, which is neither safe, effective, or legal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the majority of homeopaths in Sindh to promote quackery through allopathic medical system, which is outside the boundaries of a homeopath's practice license and competency. The study also explains why homeopathy has remained popular in Sindh, Pakistan, despite its limitations and waning popularity in the United States (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Russia, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain over the last decade, based on major national clinical research studies claiming that homeopathic medicines are no more effective than a placebo.

Is delayed regulation of yoga and naturopathic medicine in India breeding quackery?

The combined discipline of Yoga & Naturopathy (Y&N) constitutes one of the official indigenous medical systems under the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Government of India (GoI). The GoI has recently regulated all the systems under AYUSH, except Yoga & Naturopathy, through the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) Bill, 2020 [1]. However, Y&N has been left out from the NCISM Bill, despite the recommendations of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019 [2: p 20], and NITI Aayog [3: p 15]. On the contrary, GoI has proposed a board for regulating Y&N without defining its statutory value or timeline.

O curandeiro charlatão e o messias de Campos: o caso do Professor Mozart, 1924-1939 / Charlatan healer and messiah from Campos: the case of Professor Mozart, 1924-1939

Resumo Em 1924, um personagem despontou na imprensa brasileira: o "Professor Mozart". Seu nome era Mozart Dias Teixeira e, durante as décadas de 1920 e 1930, ele praticou curas em diversas cidades do país, provocando controvérsias entre setores da sociedade. O artigo analisa o caso, dividindo-se em três eixos: introduz o personagem e o debate sobre os seus métodos de cura, mostra como as polêmicas inspiraram produções artísticas que transitaram no seio da população e, por fim, discute a questão do charlatanismo e o problema da liberdade profissional e de culto. O estudo pretende ser uma contribuição à historiografia do espiritismo, do ocultismo e das ciências psíquicas no Brasil.

Abstract In 1924, a new figure appeared on the pages of Brazilian newspapers: "Professor Mozart." In the 1920s and 1930s, Mozart Dias Teixeira practiced healing in several Brazilian cities, sparking controversy among certain segments of society. A threefold analysis of the case is presented: describing the man himself and the debate surrounding his healing methods; showing how the controversies inspired the production and circulation of art among the population; and discussing the issues of charlatanism and professional and religious freedom. The study intends to contribute to the historiography on spiritism, occultism, and psychic sciences in Brazil.

O arco teleológico da ética da desinformação: dos pomadistas de Machado de Assis aos negacionistas da pandemia / The teleological arc of disinformation ethics: from the pomadistas of Machado de Assis to the deniers of the pandemic / El arco teleológico de la ética de la desinformación: de los pomadistas de Machado de Assis a los negacionistas de la pandemia

O artigo analisa distintas finalidades de práticas desinformacionais, notadamente no campo da saúde pública. O método contempla análise bibliográfica comparada multidisciplinar nas dobras da filosofia e da ciência da informação, tendo como principais objetos de investigação um documento literário de Machado de Assis, de 1822, e um documento governamental da Comissão Parlamentar de Inquérito da Pandemia, de 2021. O intuito é comparar a ética que orienta as ações ficcionais dos charlatões do conto machadiano (os "pomadistas") e as práticas de desinformação em saúde apontadas pela CPI em pauta. O resultado da análise revela a amplitude do fenômeno da desinformação e seus resultados, em um arco que pode se estender da proteção à vida até a condução à morte. Conclui-se que a desinformação precisa ser discutida com responsabilidade para evitar representações irrefletidas ou moralistas, e os estudos baseados na ética da informação podem contribuir para o aprofundamento filosófico e a avaliação crítica do fenômeno.

The article analyzes different purposes of disinformation practices, notably in the field of public health. The method includes a multidisciplinary comparative bibliographic analysis, in the interface of philosophy and information science, having as main objects of investigation a literary document by Machado de Assis, published in 1822, and a government document made available for the public by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on the Pandemic, in 2021. The aim is to compare the ethics that guide the fictional actions of the charlatans of the Machadian tale (the "pomadistas") and the practices of disinformation in public health, as pointed out by the CPI. The result of the analysis reveals the scope of the phenomenon of disinformation and its results, in an arc that can go from the life protection until driving to death. It is concluded that disinformation needs to be discussed responsibly to avoid thoughtless or moralistic representations, and the studies based on information ethics can contribute to the philosophical deepening and critical evaluation of the phenomenon.

El artículo analiza diferentes propósitos de las prácticas de desinformación, especialmente en el campo de la salud pública. El método incluye un análisis bibliográfico comparativo multidisciplinario, en la interfaz de la filosofía y las ciencias de la información, teniendo como principales objetos de investigación un documento literario de Machado de Assis, de 1822, y un documento gubernamental de la Comisión Parlamentaria de Investigación sobre la Pandemia, de 2021. El objetivo es comparar la ética que guía la acción ficcional de los charlatanes del cuento de Machado de Assis (los "pomadistas") y las prácticas de desinformación en salud, señaladas por la CPI. El resultado del análisis revela la amplitud del fenómeno de la desinformación y sus resultados, en un arco que puede ir desde la protección a la vida hasta la conducción a la muerte. Se concluye que la desinformación necesita ser discutida con responsabilidad para evitar representaciones irreflexivas o moralistas, y los estudios basados en la ética de la información pueden contribuir para la profundización filosófica y la evaluación crítica del fenómeno.

"Islamic Medicine": A true discipline for the 21st century or quackery?

The purpose of this review is to consider the position of "Islamic Medicine" and whether it is a legitimate form of clinical care or quackery. The analysis is based on published work together with an identification of themes derived from testimonials on practitioners' websites, as well as a consideration of how such therapies are considered in medical search engines. "Islamic Medicine" covers Traditional or Yunani practice, Prophetic Medicine, Hijama and Ruqya. Their origins are discussed and, subsequently, current-day practice and its relationship to allopathic medicine. Reasons for antagonism to modern medicine are considered and the absence of a rational basis for many of the views expressed. In the case of Yunani medicine, its pre-Islamic origins are identified together with the impact of anti-colonialism and the potential role of clerics in wishing to distance medical care from Galenic concepts. In the case of Hijama, the absence of effective training and regulation and its promotion as a "lost sunna" are discussed alongside claims for miraculous cures. The movement of Ruqyah away from Qur'anic recitation in support of the sick towards a popularised approach to dealing with magic and possession is considered, together with consequential adverse publicity in the media. The consequences of a failure to adopt training practices for Yunani medicine, as recommended by the WHO, are identified. Accredited detailed courses monitored by external statutory regulatory agencies, based in institutions committed to providing the best healthcare, and supporting research would allow "Islamic Medicine" to become a significant role player in contemporary clinical practice and stop present-day quackery.

Electricity.

Quackery in medicine is as old as medicine. In times of crisis desperate patients believe in extraordinary claims. In the annals of pain killer quack medicine, elixirs, nostrums and liniments hold a special position. The College of Dentistry at NYU received a collection of 234 bottles of quack medicine dating from approximately 1850 through 1940.In this paper, the THIRD in a series of articles featuring "Elixirs of the Past", we focus on five particularly notable samples claiming to have "electric" properties: Electric Brand Oil Compound, Hunt's Lightening Oil, Electric Indian Liniment, Regent's Electric Liniment and Haven's Electro-magnetic Liniment. Needless to say, none of these contained electricity or even electrolytes for that matter. In 1906, Congress enacted The Pure Food and Drug Act to prohibit exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims in the marketing and labeling of household products and to control the use of potentially harmful ingredients. The modern-day use of internet advertisements to make unsupported claims is in some ways even more brazen than the advertisements from a century ago.

Regulation of quackery amid unprecedented HIV outbreak in Sindh, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the problem of unlicensed practitioners and quacks in Sindh, Pakistan. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 29 districts of Sindh province in Pakistan from December 2019 to January 2020. Initial data available with Sindh Health Department about locations where quacks were practicing was used to identify unlicensed practitioners. A structured questionnaire was developed which contained information about certification of practitioners and an observational checklist was developed to assess infection prevention and control practices (IPC) and injection safety. RESULTS: A total of 4315 private practitioners were inspected out of which 3022 (70%) were unlicensed health practitioners belonging to different categories. Within the six surveyed divisions of Sindh, the highest proportion of unlicensed practitioners were documented in Shaheed Benazirabad division (n=739; 24.5%) followed by Hyderabad (n=599; 19.8%). In Mirpur Khas, there were 510 (16.9%), in Karachi 310 (10.3%), in Sukkur 484 (16%) and in Larkana there were 380 (12.6%) unlicensed practitioners. Poor IPC was observed in 89.4% (3861/4315) of all health providers. Reuse of syringes and intravenous drip sets was observed among 78.7% (1916/2432) of the untrained providers across the province. It was also found that 155 MBBS doctors had given their names on rent to be used as a signboard outside the clinics of some of the unlicensed practitioners. CONCLUSION: The problem of quackery is widespread in the Sindh province. It can be proactively addressed by shutting down all unlicensed practitioners and educating the community to avoid visiting them in order to reduce the probability of exposure to unsafe healthcare practices.

The real Theriac - panacea, poisonous drug or quackery?

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Theriac is considered the most popular cure-all multi-ingredient medicine and has been used for more than two millennia. It has also been used as one of the most important anti-epidemic drugs up to the 19th c., treated as an emergency medicine in case of e.g. bubonic plague. AIM OF THE STUDY: Until now, no reliable information regarding the pharmacological effect of the treacle was available, including its possible toxic or narcotic properties. In order to change the state of knowledge in this matter we have selected the Theriac recipe that had been actually used for producing the treacle in 1630, which was confirmed by the official municipal documents of the time. METHODS: The recipe was written in Latin, with the use of pre-Linnean nomenclature and then apothecary common names, which required translation into the modern scientific language in order to get reliable pharmacological conclusions. The information from historical sources has been compiled with the pharmacological data concerning the most potent compounds, which for the first time made it possible to calculate the amounts of active compounds in the doses taken by then patients. RESULTS: Only two species included in Theriac can be harmful in humans: poppy and sea squill, but in both cases the calculated quantity of morphine and cardiac glycosides, respectively, were below toxic level. There are no indications, both from the historical and pharmacological point of view, for Theriac being toxic or narcotic in patients, when used as prescribed. CONCLUSIONS: As for now, the most probable is that the treacle owed its postulated efficacy in the main indications to the placebo effect. Still, the results should be further confirmed by reconstructing the actual Theriac and subjecting it to modern tests and analyses.

Opium.

Quackery in medicine is as old as medicine itself. In times of crisis, desperate patients often believe extraordinary claims. In the annals of pain-killer quack medicine, elixirs, nostrums and liniments hold a prominent position. NYU College of Dentistry (NYUCD) has a collection of 234 bottles of such medicines dating from the mid-1800s through 1940. This paper is the second in a series of articles featuring "Elixirs of the Past" in which we bring to light five more samples containing opium: Dr. B.J. Kendall's Instant Relief for Pain, Dr. Munn's Elixir of Opium, Dill's Balm of Life, Foley's Pain Relief, and Brown's Instant Relief for Pain. These are just five examples out of countless syrups, nostrums, balm or liniments that contained narcotics and were linked to overdose, addiction and sometimes death. In 1906, Congress enacted The Pure Food and Drug Act to stop unsubstantiated medicinal claims and control the use of addictive substances. The modern-day use of internet advertisements to make unsupported claims is in some ways even more brazen than the advertisements from a century ago. Indeed, the recent widespread use of prescription painkillers, along with the resulting epidemic in opiate addiction that has caused upwards of 50,000 deaths is a case in point.

A voyage to Argentina: the Asuero case and the illegal practice of medicine (Buenos Aires, 1930). / Un viaje a la Argentina: el caso Asuero y la práctica ilegal de la medicina (Buenos Aires, 1930).

This article examines the activities of a well-known figure who, during his stay in Argentina, influenced life in Buenos Aires by cultivating his connections to medical science, the political sphere and the news media. The person in question was Fernando Asuero, an ear, nose and throat specialist from San Sebastián (Spain), whose activities in Buenos Aires in 1930 allow us to examine the conflicts within the healing arts, a field rife with competitors and numerous concurrent and opposing traditions. Using a biographical approach centered on a case study, this article shows that, at certain points, the disputes over cognitive monopoly ended up being debated within a courtroom.

Indagamos el derrotero de un personaje que, durante su estadía en Argentina, incidió en la vida porteña mediante los vínculos que trazó con la ciencia galénica, la esfera política y los medios de comunicación. Nos referimos a Fernando Asuero, especialista en nariz, garganta y oídos, oriundo de San Sebastián (España), figura cuyo itinerario por Buenos Aires en 1930 nos permite avizorar enfrentamientos propios del arte de curar, campo minado de competidores y cuantiosas tradiciones concomitantes y contrapuestas. A partir de una aproximación biográfica centrada en un estudio de caso mostraremos que, en ciertas oportunidades, los litigios imbricados al monopolio cognitivo terminaron por debatirse en el interior de un juzgado.

Un viaje a la Argentina: el caso Asuero y la práctica ilegal de la medicina (Buenos Aires, 1930) / A voyage to Argentina: the Asuero case and the illegal practice of medicine (Buenos Aires, 1930)

Resumen Indagamos el derrotero de un personaje que, durante su estadía en Argentina, incidió en la vida porteña mediante los vínculos que trazó con la ciencia galénica, la esfera política y los medios de comunicación. Nos referimos a Fernando Asuero, especialista en nariz, garganta y oídos, oriundo de San Sebastián (España), figura cuyo itinerario por Buenos Aires en 1930 nos permite avizorar enfrentamientos propios del arte de curar, campo minado de competidores y cuantiosas tradiciones concomitantes y contrapuestas. A partir de una aproximación biográfica centrada en un estudio de caso mostraremos que, en ciertas oportunidades, los litigios imbricados al monopolio cognitivo terminaron por debatirse en el interior de un juzgado.

Abstract This article examines the activities of a well-known figure who, during his stay in Argentina, influenced life in Buenos Aires by cultivating his connections to medical science, the political sphere and the news media. The person in question was Fernando Asuero, an ear, nose and throat specialist from San Sebastián (Spain), whose activities in Buenos Aires in 1930 allow us to examine the conflicts within the healing arts, a field rife with competitors and numerous concurrent and opposing traditions. Using a biographical approach centered on a case study, this article shows that, at certain points, the disputes over cognitive monopoly ended up being debated within a courtroom.