Modern medicine - still the third leading cause of death

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Good to hear your mum's still about.  I've had two instances in my life where it took skilled medical people, modern technology and (in once case) high transfusions to keep me going.

I propose an experiment.  It requires someone who decries modern medicine, a proper location, and a sharp, rusty knife encrusted with fecal matter.  Here's how it'll work:  We place the anti-modern med individual just outside the entrance to a state-of-the art hospital, say 5m from the doors.  An identical distance on the other side of the individual, we place a table with various sort of alternative medicines; acupuncture needles, healing crystals, copper bracelets, a Christian Science handbook, and so forth.  Now, here's the fun bit:  We stab the test subject with the filthy, rusty knife and see what way sh/e runs.

In order to get a large enough statistical universe to be useful, I suggest repeating the experiment, say, 1000 times or so.

Boru

You and others are presenting a false dichotomy - completely for or against modern medicine. I've noted that antibiotics among other things have been very successful. When you need to present a straw man, your position is obviously weak.

But I'm not presenting a strawman. You're the one citing modern medicine as a leading cause of death. Implicit (apos in advance if I've got this wrong) that is the position that non--modern medicine is safer. So, in my experiment, you'd be given a choice between alternative medicine (AKA 'nutjobbery') and modern medicine (AKA 'stuff that's been proven to work more often than not').

But you raise a fair point - I'd be delighted to be a test subject myself, provided that we improve the scenario by my going into the nearby hospital and you taking advantage of the alternative medicine display. I'll see that your next of kin are notified.

Boru