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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
 Posted - 07/22/2002 : 22:24:32
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Well folks, I was on the radio today. As a call in. I was listening to the Mark and Brian show this morning. That's KLOS radio, in Los Angeles. Brian went on and on about the wonders of ear candling. I just had to call in.
I figured I had about 30 seconds to get all I had to say in. I told them that candling can't work, and why.... I suggested a test for them to try. Use a test tube with a bit of water in it instead of an ear. Then look at the results. I told them they would find the same "earwax" from a test tube. After asking a couple questions, one of them asked if I was a health care professional. I told them I wasn't, but that I belonged to an organization called Skeptic Friends Network. And I told them that I was acquainted with the material on candling. He said "you sound like a fun guy to party with." Oh well, I didn't have time to be funny.
I think I did OK though. The next caller, of course, said I was wrong.
Here is a follow up letter I just wrote to Mark and Brian. I hope this works:
Hi Mark and Brian:
I spoke with you today regarding Brian's ringing
endorsement of ear candling, or ear coning.
I listen to you guys most days on my way to work. One thing
I like about your show is that you both seemed to be
blessed with pretty good bullshit detection genes. Not
much gets by you. Most of the time, good common sense
is all it takes to spot a load. But not always. Brian, you
would have to know why ear coning can't work to not be
fooled into thinking that it does. After all, the evidence that it
does work is right there in front of you. You can see it on the
plate. What you are seeing, really, is the gunky residue
from the candle itself. But how could you know that?
After we talked I realized that I should have suggested that
since you had just used ear candles, the best test for you
would be to do it again, and soon. You said that there was
a lot of stuff sucked from your ears. How much can be left?
I'm confident that you will find that no matter how many
times you candle, you will pull roughly the same amount of
gunk from your ears. You will learn that for as long as you
have the time and the money to spend candling, you will
always get the same result. A test on Franky will not mean
a thing. Do it again!
By the way, I consider candling to be not just ineffective but
dangerous. That's why I called. Brian, you apparently did
the candling correctly or I wouldn't suggest that you make
yourself a guinea pig. However, some people have found
themselves at an ER having bees wax dug from their
clogged ear canal's after candling. Some others, for burns.
You asked me about health stores. I was nervous and can't
even remember my answer, but it was probably negative.
Health food stores are where you go to by alternative
medicines. Like ear candles. Alternative meds are mostly
unregulated. The fact that something is natural does not
necessarily mean it's safe. You could walk into a health
food store and buy a diet supplement, something for a bit
more pep, and something ells for that post nasal drip, all
with a different list of ingredients. So even if you paid some
attention to the ingredients you would still not know that you
have just bought three different bottles of the same drug,
ephedrine. Next thing you know you have sparks shooting
out your ass and you are having a meaningful conversation
with a tree. Or worse. Ephedrine is the base for crystal
meth. St. Johns Wart might help with simple depression
but it also interferes with some woman's birth control pills
and HIV medications. So, it's possible for St. Johns Wart to
cause an unwanted life or an unwanted death. There is no
warning on the bottle about these things. Again,
unregulated. Not all products at the health store are bad.
Some are safe and effective, some are not. You get my
point.
What worries me is that you gave such a ringing
endorsement for ear candling that some kid might try it. (I
drive my son to school every morning. Mark and Brian is
our show of choice.) Or maybe some adult who happens to
be direction impaired will earn a Darwin award by trying to
do both ears at the same time.
I guess I'm asking you to suggest that your audience, oh, I
dunno, get a doctors advice before sticking candles in
their ears?
By the way, I really am a fun kinda guy....
Sincerely,
David Glück
Skeptic Friends Network
http:www.skepticfriends.org
I included a report on Ear Candling from quackwatch:
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html
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Boron10
Religion Moderator
USA
1266 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2002 : 02:05:11 [Permalink]
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So heres hoping you provided that small dose of rationality that is so important in our modern world, eh?
And for the record, you are a pretty cool dude. 
-me. |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5311 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2002 : 03:37:41 [Permalink]
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Good job. I still haven't figured out if the guy with the butt-candling web site was serious.
quote:
Well folks,
"Not one human life should be expended in this reckless violence called a war against terrorism." - Howard Zinn |
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Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular
USA
1447 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2002 : 05:47:52 [Permalink]
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Excellent letter, Kil!
------------
You can tell she's hydrolic...
Her silver scream is supersonic
You can see the mercury smear in her eye... |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2002 : 07:52:49 [Permalink]
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Yes, excellent indeed!
Here's what the Skeptic's Dictionary has to say on the subject:
Ear candling or coning is a method of cleaning the ears and the mind, which allegedly alleviates a host of physical, emotional and spiritual ailments. A hollow candle is stuck into the ear and lit, allegedly sucking out earwax and negative energy. The process is ineffective for earwax removal. I don't know how anyone knows whether it sucks out energy, positive or negative.
http://skepdic.com/coning.html
luck,
f
Evolution is such a simple idea, almost anyone can misunderstand it. -- Theodore Dobzhansky |
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Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular
USA
1447 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2002 : 08:27:31 [Permalink]
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I had in a thread quite a while ago posted my outrage at a NASA-sponsored Health Fair here at Marshall Space Flight Center.
I wasn't too surprised at the herbal remedies being hawked by the snake-oil salesmen. The magnetic therapy products made me shake my head in disappointment and chuckle ironically.
But when I walked into another section and saw a lady laying on her side on a table, with a lit candle held to her ear, I was horrified. I almost considered trying to find someone to complain to, but I'm a wuss. 
I had expected better from an agency filled with scientists and engineers. Maybe they'll have some good ol' trepanation going on next time!  
------------
You can tell she's hydrolic...
Her silver scream is supersonic
You can see the mercury smear in her eye...
Edited by - tokyodreamer on 07/23/2002 08:28:22 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2002 : 08:45:33 [Permalink]
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Tokyo, the bottom line is: "Grab that yankee dollar anyway you can get it!" I'm sure all of the quacks paid a healthy fee for their space.
Each time I begin to think that I'm immune to further demonstrations of Homo sap's stupidity, a new grift comes along, or an old grift re-appears like a malignent fungus, that the lemmings among us migrate to like, well...., lemmings. And, I'm appalled all over again.
"Gullibility is a luxery that always commands a high price."
f
Evolution is such a simple idea, almost anyone can misunderstand it. -- Theodore Dobzhansky |
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