Trick Or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial

Simon Singh, Edzard Ernst. Published by London, Bantam Press 2008 £16.99 978-0-59306-129-9 Guess what? There is very little scientific evidence to support complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). It is potentially dangerous but booming and the public is being misled by expensive techniques that probably work by placebo mechanisms anyway! This is the tone of this book. If there is no controlled trial or evidence to support the complementary therapy then beware, dear patient! To a certain extent the authors are right. Culling the evidence is the ultimate goal — if only it were that easy. The book jumps on the need for evidence before accepting …