On chiropractic
Francis Sedgemore, Wednesday 20 May 2009
Chiropractic has so far provided no scientific evidence to back up its claims. Whether or not practitioners of the discipline set out to wilfully mislead their customers is immaterial.
Simon Singh is a distinguished journalist and science writer.
This is for the moment all I have to say on the matter.
Feed the writer! 
Thursday 21 May 2009 at 10:21 GMT
So, if you’re sincere about what you’re doing then all is ok, you only shouldn’t do it if you aren’t. Oh, there are so many examples of sincere people doing very bad things that it would facile to mention them, innit?
Thursday 21 May 2009 at 10:30 GMT
But libel law, innit?
Thursday 21 May 2009 at 12:17 GMT
Well summarised Sir.
http://crispian-jago.blogspot.com/
Thursday 21 May 2009 at 15:24 GMT
“Whether or not practitioners of the discipline set out to wilfully mislead their customers is immaterial.”
I don’t agree that it is immaterial. It would be even worse if chiropractors themselves believed their treatments were ineffective and harmful.
That being said, this isn’t what Singh accused them of doing. In this case, it seems like the judge has misunderstood things badly, with regrettable effects.
Thursday 21 May 2009 at 16:23 GMT
It is most definitely immaterial in the current, legal context. And it is also immaterial unless one knows for sure what lies in the heart of each and every practitioner of the remedy under discussion.
As I said, Mr Justice Eady – the judge who, it should be recalled, found for Max Mosely in his libel suit against the News of the Screws – is a tit.
Thursday 21 May 2009 at 23:30 GMT
Perhaps I should point out that chiropracty actually does have ‘scientific’ evidence/research in support of their claims.
Go to http://www.chiro.org/research/ABSTRACTS/Infertility.shtml for a read.
However, if I may be permitted to borrow from Mr Spock (of Star Trek fame), “It’s scientific evidence, Francis, but not as we know it”.
Okay – I’m off to look up the legal definition of ‘tit’.
Monday 25 May 2009 at 10:43 GMT
“Go to http://www.chiro.org/research/ABSTRACTS/Infertility.shtml for a read.”
Jesus wept!
Thursday 4 June 2009 at 10:01 GMT
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