--- On Tue, 4/14/09, J. Colaco < jc> <[email protected]> wrote: > >There can be no doubt that Ayurvedic medications or Guiness might be/are >useful. They might even be better than some or all of the allopathic >drugs we know. But .... for physicians to ethically prescribe them to >their patients, their effects, side-effects, benefits and/or >side-effects must be studied, and their use justified.. > >Unless ....they have serious medical-practice insurances, savvy lawyers >and/or a turbid conscience. >
I think ethics tend to be rescued by faith here. Most people - indeed, the society in general - believe (in my opinion, unfortunately) that as long as the practitioner and the patient have faith that the treatment is given in good faith, there is no ethical problem. Both absence of evidence and evidence to the contrary are trounced by faith. Ignorance is a virtue in this case, in addition to being bliss. That is why faith healers, psychics, self-help/health gurus and snake oil salesmen are regarded as making a legal, ethical and honest living. Cheers, Santosh
