John W. Bender - Waterloo naturopath takes aim at science with an eye focused by iridology

24 September 1998
John W. Bender
©The Record - Kitchener-Waterloo Sun Media Corporation

John W. Bender's view	Canadian Quackery Watch's view
In Jeffrey Shallit's Sept. 2 letter, Eyes Aren't Windows, he quotes an iridology study which illustrated that iris diagnosis did not correlate with conventional blood tests. This study was designed to fail because it is impossible to determine the level of creatinine in the blood through the iris.	I won't comment on this until I get the original article from Shallit, who is an academic computer expert who teaches at the University of Waterloo.
Iris diagnosis is a valuable adjunct to standard methods of diagnosis. It is quick, non-invasive, inexpensive and, as thousands of my patients will testify, helpful for evaluating organ weaknesses.	In the hands of a charlatan, anything is valuable, and lemmings will follow them wherever they go, and believe whatever they see.
Unfortunately, some therapists have made unsubstantiated claims based on iris diagnosis. Always check the "iridologist's" credentials.	When those quacks also wear the cloak of a regulated drugless therapist, it begs the question, doesn't it?
Shallit suggests visiting www.quackwatch.com, as Web site to expose medical quackery. Quackwatch is full of inaccuracies and omissions. For example, it states: "All food is health food in moderation; any food is junk food inexcess." Common sense alone indicates this statement is inaccurate.	Common sense indicates that he who holds on to a duck, starts to sound like one, no matter what they eat.
The homeopathy section quotes a study showing that homeopathic remedies worked no better than a placebo but omits a study from Lancet, a reputable medical journal which found homeopathic medicines had a 2.45 times greater effect than placebo.	Well John, what about the hundreds of other studies that agree with Quackwatch? I don't know about you, but can the K-W Record Life Editor actually read?
Quacks can be found in both conventional and complementary medicine.	I wonder what side of the fence John and his friends in naturopathy sit on this one?
People seeking medical help should educate themselves through as many sources as possible to decide which treatment is appropriate to their condition.	I suggest that the first thing people should do is learn latin. The word "caveat emptor" means, let the buyer beware. It's an easy word to say, don't you think?