Infectious Myth – Sexual Assault – 04.06.16

David Crowe takes up the difficult issue of sexual assault. Given the proposition that (A) too many sexual assaults are unreported/unpunished, and that (B) too many innocent men are being punished for sexual assaults that didn’t happen or that they didn’t do, you might think the question is ‘A or B?’. But David points out that both can be simultaneously true. He addresses some incredible stories of sexual assault, some ambiguous cases, and some cases that resulted, or nearly resulted, in a man being falsely punished. He ends with a plea for a truly open discussion.

The resources David referenced in this episode can be found at: http://theinfectiousmyth.com/PRN-TIM/96.php

Infectious Myth – David Crowe on the Capitoline Wolf – 03.29.16

Why is David talking about an old bronze sculpture, has he gone crazy? Actually, maybe not, the Capitoline wolf is an iconic Italian sculpture representing the legend of Romulus and Remus, abandoned by their evil uncle to die after a bloody palace coup, but saved by a lactating wolf. The mystery is the age of the sculpture, is it 2500 years old or about 1000? Why not any dates in between? And what can science tell us about this sculpture, and what can it not? David also discusses the danger of a dogma that has infected sculpture theory. Following this discussion David gives his thoughts on the Brussels and Lahore terrorist attacks.

Infectious Myth – The Vitamin Murders with James Fergusson – 03.22.16

In episode 94 David interviews James Fergusson, the author of the 2007 book, “The Vitamin Murders”. The book covers the authors own concerns about contamination in his own family’s food, and Jack Drummond, who designed the British food rationing system during World War II. Some people think the restricted calorie intake, especially sugar, made this the healthiest time for the average Brit. After WW II, however, Jack Drummond, his wife, and their daughter, were murdered brutally and bloodily in the south of France, while ostensibly on holiday. But were they on holiday or on a secret mission? James Fergusson’s website is: http://www.jamesfergusson.info

After the interview, David reports on a $100 million advertising campaign for Gilead’s expensive new Hepatitis C drug, Harvoni (http://www.statnews.com/2016/03/08/harvoni-hepatitisc-ads) and a recent podcast with a man who survived Hepatitis C drugs but, when they didn’t cure his cirrhosis, worked out a natural protocol that did allow his liver to recover, to the surprise of his doctor (http://www.howpositiveareyou.com/2016/02/05/hpay-107-alistair_mackinnon).

Infectious Myth – Blogging Paxil Hell with Bob Fiddaman – 03.15.16

David interviews Bob Fiddaman, a survivor of a Paxil (called Seroxat in the UK, where he lives) prescription. He talks about why he was persuaded to ignore his less than ideal life situation and accept a medical diagnosis, and how Paxil put him in a state where he didn’t care about anything. When he decided he’d had enough, he discovered that withdrawal was hell. Afterwards, instead of walking away, he set up a blog (http://fiddaman.blogspot.com) where he has tackled the manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, and other manufacturers of similar drugs, with humor, for about 10 years. Finally he describes a British lawsuit over the addictive nature of this SSRI anti-depressant.

Bob’s blog, and links to news items, can be found at: http://theinfectiousmyth.com/PRN-TIM/93.php

Infectious Myth – Dirty Electricity with Sam Milham – 03.08.16

In Episode 92 David discusses the theory of Sam Milham that it is electricity, not chemicals, that is the cause of the so-called “Diseases of civilization”, such as diabetes, heart disease and degenerative neurological conditions like MS and ALS. It is certainly true that electricity has expanded as these diseases have grown, but David wants to know why chemicals in our food, air, water, medicines and so on, aren’t a more plausible cause.

Infectious Myth – Alan Cassels on Selling Sickness and Disease Mongering – 03.01.16

In episode 91 David Crowe interviews Alan Cassels, a Canadian drug policy researcher at the University of Victoria, who has authored several books, and many papers and also television documentaries. He is very interested in the promotion of drugs, particularly what he calls Selling Sickness or Disease Mongering, which happens when a drug companies, and people influenced by them, create a new illness, or promote greater ‘awareness’ of a minor condition, by exaggerating its impact, and the effectiveness of the drugs that you’re likely to be prescribed if you “see your doctor” as illness advertisements always tell you to do.
Alan believes in the power of Evidence Based Medicine, and therefore supports the Cochrane Institute, which is where one of my previous guests, Peter Gotzsche works. While not perfect, it is not so influenced by the pharmaceutical industry, and therefore produces relatively unbiased recommendations.
You can learn more about this week’s guests’s work at http://AlanCassels.com