Bizarre Medical Ideas: ... and the Strange Men Who Invented Them

Prologue
Contents
Part I Medical Innovations and Socalled Alternative Medicine
1 Medical Progress and Its Innovators
	References
2 Medical Icons
	References
3 Alternative Medicine
	References
4 Reasons for the Popularity of Alternative Medicine
	References
Part II Innovators of Bizarre Medical Ideas
5 The Humbug Score
6 Albert Abrams—Inventor of Radionics
	What Is Radionics?
	The Life and Work of Albert Abrams
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
7 Frederick Matthias Alexander—Inventor of the Alexander Technique
	What Is the Alexander Technique?
	The Life and Work of Frederick Matthias Alexander
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
8 Edward Bach—Inventor of the Bach Flower Remedies
	What Are Bach Flower Remedies?
	The Life and Work of Edward Bach
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
9 William Hope Fitzgerald—Rediscoverer of Reflexology
	What Is Reflexology?
	The Life and Work of William Fitzgerald
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
10 Max Gerson—Inventor of the Gerson Therapy
	What Is the Gerson Therapy?
	The Life and Work of Max Gerson
	The Evidence
	Gerson’s Legacy
	References
11 George Goodheart—Inventor of Applied Kinesiology
	What Is Applied Kinesiology?
	The Life and Work of George Goodheart
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
12 Samuel Hahnemann—Inventor of Homeopathy
	What Is Homeopathy?
	The Life and Work of Samuel Hahnemann
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
13 Ryke Geerd Hamer—Inventor of German New Medicine
	What Is German New Medicine?
	The Life and Work of Ryke Geerd Hamer
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
14 Sebastian Kneipp—Father of Naturopathy
	What Is Naturopathy?
	The Life and Work of Sebastian Kneipp
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
15 Ernst Krebs—Inventor of Laetrile
	What Is Laetrile?
	The Life and Work of Ernst Theodore Krebs Jr.
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
16 Anton Mesmer—Inventor of Hypnotherapy
	What Is Hypnotherapy?
	The Life and Work of Anton Mesmer
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
17 Paul Nogier—Inventor of Auricular Therapy
	What Is Auricular Therapy?
	The Life and Work of Paul Nogier
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
18 Daniel David Palmer—Inventor of Chiropractic
	What is Chiropractic?
	The Life and Work of DD Palmer
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
19 Ignaz Von Peczely—Inventor of Iridology
	What Is Iridology?
	The Life and Work of Ignaz von Peczely
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
20 Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg—Inventor of Homotoxicology
	What Is Homotoxicology?
	The Life and Work of Reckeweg
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
21 Johannes Heinrich Schultz—Inventor of Autogenic Training
	What Is Autogenic Training?
	The Life and Work of Johannes Heinrich Schultz
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
22 Wilhelm Heinrich Schüssler—Inventor of Schüssler Salts
	What Are Schüssler Salts?
	The Life and Work of Wilhelm Schüssler
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
23 Rudolf Steiner—Inventor of Anthroposophical Medicine
	What Is Anthroposophic Medicine?
	The Life and Work of Rudolf Steiner
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
24 Andrew Taylor Still—Inventor of Osteopathy
	What Is Osteopathy?
	The Life and Work of Andrew Taylor Still
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
25 Reinhold Voll—Inventor of Electroacupuncture According to Voll (EAV)
	What Is Electroacupuncture According to Voll?
	The Life and Work of Reinhold Voll
	The Evidence
	Legacy
	References
26 Further Innovators of Alternative Medicine
	References
27 Differences
	Some Interventions Are Not Entirely Useless
	Fools or Fraudsters?
	Physicians Versus Laypersons
	Old Versus New
	Disputes and Legal Issues
	Potential for Harm
	Reference
28 Commonalities
	Male Gender
	Epiphany
	Detox
	Gurus and Cults
	References
29 Science, Illusions, Conspiracy Theories, and Pseudoscience
	Science
	Illusions
	Conspiracy Theories
	Pseudoscience
	References
Epilogue: A Plea for More Critical Thinking