> -----Original Message----- > From: Dana [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 5:57 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: the mechanism of action is unknown > > A google of the above phrase turns up references to oral > anticoagulants, interferon, anti-epileptic medication, mood > stabilizers, and treatments for breast cancer, parkinson's and > tuberculosis.... > > conclusion - just cause it's not understood doesn't mean it's not > medecine.
Just because some things that work are not understood doesn't mean that all things that aren't understood work. ;^) I know I'm harping on this but this is the reason for double-blind studies and control groups. People who don't know if their getting the real medicine are dosed by doctors that don't know if they're giving the real medicine. It's to link the results to the proper cause: did the drug do what its supposed to do? If there's little difference between the test and the control groups then it seems clear that the drug just isn't doing much. The actual method of action isn't as important. Determining that for any drug can be insanely painstaking as you're hunting down very specific bio-chemical effects in a vast system. What frustrates me is the blanket being thrown up: because some things aren't understood anything is possible. Comparing a well-tested, well-defined, double-blind proven drug to any of the ill-tested, loosely-defined therapies out there based simply on the lack of complete understanding of the former is just unfair. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Purchase Studio MX with Flash Pro from House of Fusion, a Macromedia Authorized Affiliate and support the CF community. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=51 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:165251 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
