The Elusive "Registered Chinese Doctors" of Hitchin

Hitchin - the sleepy Hertfordshire town so amiable, that even the ducks walk around with smiles on their faces - is suffering from a miniature plague of quacks who think they're real doctors.

Tucked into one corner of the town's attractive market square can be found the Chinese medicine shop pictured below. 

(Image credit - own photo)

The shop window rashly claims that Traditional Chinese Medicine - a practice invented as recently as the 1950s to stop the peasants asking for real medicines - can "treat" all manner of health problems. 

Shop displays like this aren't covered by the UK's advertising codes but, luckily, the clinic has placed some handy leaflets just beside the front door.

(Image credit- scan of the leaflet)

According to the clinic, these are just "some of the problems and illnesses for which acupuncture and Chinese herbs have proven their effectiveness":

"Can Chinese medicine help you? Listed below are some of the problems and illnesses for which acupuncture and Chinese herbs have proven their effectiveness: Dermatological conditions: Eczema - Vitiligo - Psoriasis - Acne - Herpes (shingles) - Lupus - Pruritus - Hives (urticaria) - Athlete's foot - Dermatitis - Fungal infection - Hair loss... Internal disorders: Asthma - Bronchitis - Headache - Migraine - Dizziness - M.E. - Gastritis - Colitis - I.B.S. - Diarrhoea - Constipation - Cystitis - Indigestion - Ulcers - Colds and flu - Haemorrhoids - High blood pressure - M.S. ... Musculoskeletal and neurological conditions: Arthritis - Facial pain - Neuralgia - Stroke - Carpal tunnel syndrome - Lumbargo - Sciatica - Back pain - Sports injuries - Rheumatism - Tennis elbow - Stiff neck - Frozen shoulder... Genito-urinary and reproductive disorders: Menopause - P.M.S. - Period pain - Leucorrhoea - Irregular periods - Fibroids - Morning sickness - Endometriosis - Infertility - Prostate conditions - Impotence - Premature ejaculation... Mental and emotional conditions: Anxiety - Depression - Stress - Panic attacks - Insomnia - Fatigue... Ear, nose & throat conditions: Hay fever - Sinusitis - Sore throat - Bad breath - Tinnitus - Ear infections... Others: Alcoholism - Smoking - Drug addiction - Weight problems - Allergic disorders - Coping with cancer..."

(Image credit - scan of the leaflet)

Unusually, the clinic doesn't mention the names of the "doctors" it employs, but we're left in no doubts that they must be genuine, the real deal, and not at all bogus.

"The skill of the Chinese doctor lies in identifying the underlying pattern of the illness and selecting and appropriate cure..."

"After carrying out a thorough diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe a combination of herbs..."

"As treatment continues, the doctor will closely monitor your progress through regular consultations, altering the prescription and regulating the dosage accordingly."

The General Medical Council's register doesn't seem to know anything about the "Registered Chinese Doctor" employed at this "clinic". As always, it'll be interesting to see what the advertisers have to say for themselves.

ASA complaint follows!

"I'm writing to complain about a leaflet I picked up outside the "Chinese Medicine Clinic" in Hitchin. (The leaflet was in a box, attached to the clinic's front window, facing a main pedestrian thoroughfare - see enclosed photo.)

The leaflet promotes Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments.

1. The leaflet claims:

"Can Chinese medicine help you? Listed below are some of the problems and illnesses for which acupuncture and Chinese herbs have proven their effectiveness: Dermatological conditions: Eczema - Vitiligo - Psoriasis - Acne - Herpes (shingles) - Lupus - Pruritus - Hives (urticaria) - Athlete's foot - Dermatitis - Fungal infection - Hair loss... Internal disorders: Asthma - Bronchitis - Headache - Migraine - Dizziness - M.E. - Gastritis - Colitis - I.B.S. - Diarrhoea - Constipation - Cystitis - Indigestion - Ulcers - Colds and flu - Haemorrhoids - High blood pressure - M.S. ... Musculoskeletal and neurological conditions: Arthritis - Facial pain - Neuralgia - Stroke - Carpal tunnel syndrome - Lumbargo - Sciatica - Back pain - Sports injuries - Rheumatism - Tennis elbow - Stiff neck - Frozen shoulder... Genito-urinary and reproductive disorders: Menopause - P.M.S. - Period pain - Leucorrhoea - Irregular periods - Fibroids - Morning sickness - Endometriosis - Infertility - Prostate conditions - Impotence - Premature ejaculation... Mental and emotional conditions: Anxiety - Depression - Stress - Panic attacks - Insomnia - Fatigue... Ear, nose & throat conditions: Hay fever - Sinusitis - Sore throat - Bad breath - Tinnitus - Ear infections... Others: Alcoholism - Smoking - Drug addiction - Weight problems - Allergic disorders - Coping with cancer..."

2. I'd like to challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate any of these health claims, and I'd also like to challenge whether the claims might discourage essential treatment.

3. The leaflet makes a number of claims for the efficacy of Chinese medicine:

(i) "Chinese medicine emphasises a holistic approach to the curing of disease..."

(ii) "The skill of the Chinese doctor lies in... selecting an appropriate cure..."

(iii) "Both these treatment methods can be used to... correct disharmony between the organs to remove the root cause of the disease..."

(iv) "Some patients will experience the benefits of acupuncture treatment immediately; others, especially those suffering from chronic diseases, may need a longer course of treatment..."

(v) "PAIN CLINIC: INSTANT PAIN RELIEF. - All types of pain treated..."

4. I'd like to challenge whether these efficacy claims can be substantiated.

5. The leaflet makes a number of references to "doctors":

(i) "The skill of the Chinese doctor lies in identifying the underlying pattern of the illness and selecting and appropriate cure..."

(ii) "The [acupuncture] points chosen depend on the doctor's diagnosis of the patient's condition..."

(iii) "After carrying out a thorough diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe a combination of herbs..."

(iv) "As treatment continues, the doctor will closely monitor your progress through regular consultations, altering the prescription and regulating the dosage accordingly."

(v) "Our practitioners have worked for many years at leading teaching and research hospitals in China. Trained in both Western and Chinese medicine and with degrees from major TCM universities, they are also registered with recognised professional Chinese Medicine associations in the UK. With a wide range of clinical experience to draw on, they... have gained the trust and gratitude of their patients by achieving and maintaining satisfactory results in treating a wide variety of illnesses."

6. I have checked the General Medical Council's register, but found no matches; so I'd like to challenge whether these references to "doctors" are misleading."

Dr Enid Taylor's faeces fixation

It's difficult for someone like me, whose mind is pure and unpolluted, to imagine why anyone would want to spend several years and thousands of pounds training to put things up other people's bottoms.

But let's not be harsh in our judgement of colonic irrigation therapists. How many of us have successfully managed to turn our hobby into a career, eh?

(Image credit)

Sad to say that times are hard for such professional shit-stirrers. Outside of London and a few other cosmopolitan areas, there is very little call for their services, yet each year dozens of newly-qualified therapists enter a saturated market.

In addition, washing away all that faeces is terribly wasteful. If only someone could think of a way to put it to good use!

(Image credit)

Step forward husband-and-wife team Dr Enid and (Mr) Glenn Taylor who have had the novel idea of using poo to treat disease. Today the Sceptical Letter Writer blog can exclusively reveal the secrets of their success.

First, you'll need a pool of willing volunteers, each of whom must be prepared to live an exceptionally healthy lifestyle - in order to produce the highest-quality grade of crap, you understand.

Secondly, you'll need to find someone willing to collect it all up, poke around in it, and then package it up ready for insertion. 

Yes, I did say 'insertion'. The faecal by-products from the healthy volunteers are implanted into the rectum of an unhealthy patient suffering from any number of withering diseases - and before you can say "Faecal Microbiota Transplant" the diseases are magically cured. According to Glenn, Dr Enid is 

"...heading towards a 100% success rate with Clostridium difficile infections..."

(Image credit)

Amazingly, others had already had the same idea and early indications suggest that the treatment fight be more effective than antibiotics in treating Clostridium difficile. But it's difficult to be sure - just a few days ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published guidance stating that

"...the efficacy and safety profiles of this intervention have not yet been fully evaluated in controlled clinical trials..."

In other words, they're not sure whether it really works or even if it's safe - but they're willing to let doctors continue to conduct their research. And by "doctors", it's safe to assume that they mean people with, you know, medical degrees and stuff. 

They definitely weren't referring to some bloke off the street like Dr Enid who, it turns out, isn't a real doctor at all. In fact, her most impressive medical qualification is an "Advanced Diploma" in colonic irrigation from something called the "Chi Centre"!

(Image credit - site no longer available)

"Dr" Enid doesn't let this unfortunate fact get in the way of making money. Her services cost up to £4,000 and, besides curing infections, she boasts that

"Faecal Microbiota Transplant treatments have a history of being applied to the following conditions: Ulcerative Colitis - Crohn’s Disease - Clostridium difficile Infection - Pseudomembraneous Colitis - IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) - CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) & ME (Myalgic Encephalopathy) - MS (Multiple Sclerosis) - Parkinson’s Disease - Autism - Salmonella Typhimurium infection..."

Is the phrase "history of being applied" a round-about way of trying to say "treat"? Well, it certainly appears so:

"Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome respond best with 10 treatments over two weeks.  The same applies for some Neurological conditions such as CFS/ME, MS, Parkinson’s, Autism etc. although it must be noted that Neurological conditions respond over a longer period of time and longer individual treatment protocol may have to be designed..."

"IBS and bacterial dysbiosis usually respond favourably in five treatments over five days..."

 "Clostridium difficile treatment is effective over a shorter period of time but still has the same pre-treatment costs such as donor Screening built in to the treatment..."

Most readers will know that pretending to be a doctor and then performing invasive medical procedures is very illegal indeed. It's time "Dr" Enid closed the doors to her "clinic" and got her cheap thrills from swingers' parties and fetish clubs - just like the rest of us.

In the mean time - ASA complaint follows!

I'm writing to complain about "Dr" Enid Taylor whose website promotes "Faecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT)", a medical procedure which involves transplanting faecal material from a healthy donor into the gut of an unhealthy patient. 

I'm concerned because Taylor does not appear to hold any medical qualifications.

1. Taylor's website describes the procedure:

http://www.taymount.com/faecal-bacteriotherapy.php

"[FMT] is the process of isolating the beneficial intestinal bacteria and yeasts (The Faecal Microbiome) from the stool of a healthy, disease-free person and implanting it into a gut of a person whose gut has bacteria and yeasts that have been damaged by antibiotics, compromised by pathogenic parasites or “starved out” by poor diet , thus lacking the essential Microflora needed to maintain numerous normal and vital healthy gut functions..."

2. There appears to be a lack of rigorous clinical evidence supporting the use of FMT. In the United States, the FDA has just published the following "Guidance for Industry":

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/Vaccines/ucm361379.htm

"Fecal microbiota collected from healthy individuals are being investigated for use in the treatment of C. difficile infection. Published data suggest that the use of fecal microbiota to restore intestinal flora may be an effective therapy in the management of refractory C. difficile infection. However, the efficacy and safety profiles of this intervention have not yet been fully evaluated in controlled clinical trials..."

3. Taylor's website does not discuss her qualifications. She is not registered with the General Medical Council. (Unless Taylor achieved her medical degree at the age of four, a registration in the same name refers to someone else.)

4. Another of Taylor's websites (no longer visible, but screenshot attached) stated that Taylor qualified as a "Naturopathic Doctor" at the non-accredited Clayton College of Natural Health in the USA.

5. Despite this, the website refers continually to Taylor as a doctor:

http://www.taymount.com/about-taymount.php

"The Taymount Clinic was founded by Mr Glenn Taylor and Dr Enid Learmount (now Dr Enid Taylor) in 2003... both Dr and Mr Taylor qualifying as mentor/instructors with globally recognised governing bodies..."

http://www.taymount.com/booking-appointment.php

"In all instances, please contact Dr Enid Taylor for an appointment..."

http://www.taymount.com/kefir-probiotics.php

"Dr. Enid Taylor from the Taymount Clinc has written an eBook... The suggested uses and applications for Kefir are based on tradition and case studies and are the personal opinion of Dr. Enid Taylor..."

6. I'd like to challenge whether:

(i) The claims that Taylor is a doctor are misleading

(ii) The promotion of an experimental medical procedure performed by a person who apparently holds no medical qualifications is misleading and irresponsible

(iii) Any of the following health claims can be substantiated:

http://www.taymount.com/index.php

"[FMT is a] simple elegant solution with no recorded side-effects that is rapidly heading towards a 100% success rate with Clostridium difficile infections..."

http://www.taymount.com/cost-treatments.php

"10 FMT treatments over 2 weeks - UK £4,000 - Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome respond best with 10 treatments over two weeks.  The same applies for some Neurological conditions such as CFS/ME, MS, Parkinson’s, Autism etc. although it must be noted that Neurological conditions respond over a longer period of time and longer individual treatment protocol may have to be designed... IBS and bacterial dysbiosis usually respond favourably in five treatments over five days... Clostridium difficile treatment is effective over a shorter period of time but still has the same pre-treatment costs such as donor Screening built in to the treatment..."

http://www.taymount.com/testimonials.php

(iv) Whether any of the testimonial claims can be substantiated

(v) Whether the promotion discourages essential treatment for serious medical conditions

http://www.taymount.com/supplement-shop.php

http://www.taymount.com/kefir-probiotics.php

(vi) Whether any of the health claims made for various food supplements, available to purchase on Taylor's website, have been approved

How to Preventa Cancer

Are you tired of that pesky cancer that's been troubling you in recent weeks?

Have you given up on quack therapies like homeopathy, which promise an effective treatment but which turn out to be nothing but water?

Then you should try Preventa, the new product from Northants-based Blue Gold Ltd.

Preventa is promoted as a treatment for many different kinds of cancer, despite being nothing more than, errr, water!

(Image source)

Preventa sells for the princely sum of £12.77 per bottle - which works out as £919.20 for a "3 month pack". This bargain-basement price doesn't include postage, which is £36 for us Lutonians but a staggering £144 for anyone unfortunate enough to be living in the Scottish town of Paisley.

Why so expensive? Well, you see, Preventa isn't just any ordinary old water. 

No, it is "deuterium-depleted water" or DDW. (Perhaps you'll remember from your post-doctoral chemistry studies that deuterium is a slightly-heavier type of hydrogen which can be found, in relatively small quantities, in all the world's oceans.)

According to the advertiser's website:

"In 1993, HYD [a Hungarian company] discovered a new method to treat patients with cancerous tumours. This new method is the depletion of deuterium in drinking water. Researchers... found that deuterium depleted water inhibits the growth of cancer cells in living organisms, and ultimately causes these cells to die..."

What's more, we're told, the process is completely safe.

"Deuterium depletion is completely safe and innocuous for healthy cells, and there were no adverse reactions or toxic side effects related to deuterium-depleted water during the 18-year-long history of DDW research and its 12-year-long application..."

(Image credit)

Interestingly, the claims above are not complete nonsense. There is some research which suggests DDW has potential as a cancer treatment, if not actually killing off cancer cells then at least slowing their growth.

The most important (or, to put it another way, "only") relevant study is a 2010 clinical trial conducted on people with prostate cancer in Hungary. At first glance, it looks like DDW helped to significantly improve their average life expectancy.

A closer examination reveals several problems. The study seems to be rigorous (another way of saying that it's free of obvious methodological flaws). However, it's only what we call a phase 2 trial. New medicines are always subjected to a further, more extensive period of study - called a phase 3 trial - before they're unleashed on the general public.

A second problem is that the 2010 trial is the only such study. Medical research demands that new discoveries should be independently verified and, for a claim that cancer can be cured simply by drinking water, we would expect lots of independent research before handing out the Nobel prizes.

(Image source)

Blue Gold, perhaps sensing an opportunity for gargantuan profits, don't seem to have been able to restrict their marketing appeals to those claims which are actually true.

For instance, we have this nugget:

"'The biological efficacy of the consumption of [DDW] is confirmed by research and clinical investigations. The most significant effect of deuterium depletion is the anti-tumor effect, but it was also proved that regular consumption of Preventa® optimizes the function of the immune system and slows down the processes of aging... The consumption of Preventa®-125 is recommended... as a regular drinking water for diabetic patients...'"

None of the health claims about the immune system, anti-ageing effects or benefits for diabetic people seem to be anything more than wishful thinking - I haven't been able to find a jot of evidence to support them.

There is also a series of rash claims that Preventa can be used to treat mesothelioma, rectum cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, ovarian cancer and lung cancer. The single study mentioned above was restricted to DDW's possible effect on prostate cancer.

We should also bare in mind that Blue Gold apparently lacks the appropriate authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), without which it would be illegal to sell Preventa in the UK.

There's also the trifling matter of the Cancer Act 1939 which would seem to escalate Blue Gold Ltd's business practices to the level of a crime. Anchors away!

"I'm writing to complain about preventawater.com, a website for Blue Gold Ltd. 

The website promotes a product called "Preventa" which is marketed as a treatment for cancer.

1. Preventa is a drinking water product which has been treated to remove deuterium (heavy hydrogen), hence the term "deuterium-depleted water" or DDW.

2. The evidence for DDW as a potential cancer treatment rests mainly on two studies: a 1999 study on mice (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11797936) and a 2010 phase-2 clinical study on prostate cancer in humans (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20739263).

3. The website claims: 

(http://store.preventawater.com/)

"In 1993, HYD [a Hungarian company] discovered a new method to treat patients with cancerous tumours. This new method is the depletion of deuterium in drinking water. Researchers at the HYD Company found that deuterium depleted water inhibits the growth of cancer cells in living organisms, and ultimately causes these cells to die. Deuterium depletion is completely safe and innocuous for healthy cells, and there were no adverse reactions or toxic side effects related to deuterium-depleted water during the 18-year-long history of DDW research and its 12-year-long application..."

4. (http://store.preventawater.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=61_62)

"'The biological efficacy of the consumption of [DDW] is confirmed by research and clinical investigations. The most significant effect of deuterium depletion is the anti-tumor effect, but it was also proved that regular consumption of Preventa® optimizes the function of the immune system and slows down the processes of aging... The consumption of Preventa®-125 is recommended... as a regular drinking water for diabetic patients..."

5. The site also contains a series of testimonials: 

(http://store.preventawater.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=65_66)

"My 37-year-old wife was diagnosed with mesothelioma in the pleura... She started consuming Preventa in May 2005 in addition to the chemotherapy.... and today her doctor said: 'I have to tell you something of great consequence, according to your wife’s current CT scan there is not detectable tumor in her body, practically, it has been regressed.'"

6. (http://store.preventawater.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=65_70)

"After the diagnosis of breast cancer in 1988, the first bone metastasis was verified in September 1992. Until the patient started drinking DDW, examinations verified progression, and her pain and disability increased.Following the administration of DDW, her pain subsided within 1–1.5 months, and bone scintigraphy carried out two months later could not verify several small metastases that had earlier been present. The patient consumed Dd-water until January 1994 and noted an improvement in the quality of life..."

7. (http://store.preventawater.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=65_72)

"Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was diagnosed in February 2006... DDW consumption was initiated upon diagnosis. One month later the WBC count started decreasing and by the 7th month of the cure the WBC count reached the physiological level... To sum up, during the last one and a half year of DDW consumption there was a significant improvement in the patient’s condition and not any forms of conventional therapy was applied."

8. On the same page, the site notes:

"The Preventa® deuterium depleted drinking water has not yet been recognised as a medicine..."

9. I'd like to challenge whether the advertisement:

(i) Is misleading because it promotes a treatment for various forms of cancer

(ii) Offers a treatment for conditions for which qualified medical supervision should be sought, which might discourage essential treatment

(iii) Is misleading because it promotes a product which has not been approved by the MHRA as a medicine

(iv) Is misleading because it uses the word 'cure' on several occasions (such as the quote in paragraph 7 above)

10. I'd also like to challenge whether the health claims made can be substantiated, because

(i) The evidence for a treatment for prostate cancer appears to rest on a single phase-2 clinical trial which has apparently never been replicated, nor proceeded to a phase-3 trial

(ii) There appears to be no clinical evidence regarding DDW as a treatment for any other form of cancer in humans

(iii) There appears to be no evidence supporting the claims that Preventa "optimizes the function of the immune system", "slows down the processes of aging" or is helpful for "diabetic patients".

11. Finally, I'd like to challenge whether the testamonial claims for mesothelioma, rectum cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer can be substantiated with rigorous clinical evidence."

Errol Denton's Pretend Petitions

Fearless anti-racism campaigner Errol Denton has been hard at work this past week promoting his new pressure group CARBS (Campaign Against Racist Bloggers).

The group's launch hasn't exactly been a roaring success. Thousands of people were invited to 'like' a Facebook campaign page but, as of today, only a smattering of them have expressed their support.

As reported in an earlier post, Errol's attempts to attract signatures to a mass petition have also faltered. His early efforts, posted on a popular petition website, were repeatedly removed by the site's administrators (presumably for breaking their Terms and Conditions).

A neat solution to this little problem would, of course, be to start your own petitions website. 

Step forward www.thepetition.co.uk !

UPDATE, 28 Nov: Shortly after this article was published, Errol's petition site was taken down. 

(Image credit)

The site - which was created on the 14th November, remarkably on the same day that yet another of Errol's petitions had vanished in a puff of smoke - is nothing if not ambitious.

"thepetition.co.uk aims to be the UK’s most respected and influential online petition website... At thepetition.co.uk we harness the power of the internet in a bid to transform society and place this power in the hands of the masses... This public forum is privately sponsored and we reserve the right to refuse submissions. Petitions do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of thepetition.co.uk or our sponsors..."

Like Errol's abortive Facebook campaign, the site has been slow out of the blocks. There are twelve petitions, most of them struggling to attract support:

Nationalise the energy section in Scotland after independence (2 signatures)
Return VAT on Air Ambulance fuel payments (3 signatures)
Give funds for Microarray testing in Wales (2 signatures)
Save the UK Film Council (2 signatures)
Unreasonable increases in Utility prices (2 signatures)
Stop betting shops taking over our high streets (4 signatures)
Support pensions for pre-1975 veterans (2 signatures)
Protection of the Cliffe historic and Archaeological landscape (2 signatures)
Save Our Welsh Cats & Dogs from Death on the Roads (2 signatures)
We are against Westminster City Council’s new parking regulations (2 signatures)
Upgrade the UK Party Political System to a Modular Democracy (2 signatures)

It's interesting to note that, just six hours ago, these eleven petitions had attracted only 6 signatures in the space of 10 days. 

This profound lack of interest among the general public was discussed on Twitter earlier this morning and - hey presto! - the number suddenly swelled to 25 signatures in just five hours.

A suspicious reader might wonder whether some of these petitions were fake, created solely to lend credibility to Errol's own petition (which has attracted 58 signatures).

And they'd be right!

(Image credit)

The Westminster Parking Regulations petition has been copied word-for-word from a different petition hosted on a different site.

Nothing suspicious about that - campaign groups routinely cross-post their petitions across many different sites - until you notice that the original petition was closed after its real authors received some happy news.

"Thank you to everyone who signed this petition, I am sure you are all aware that we were victorious in our campaign and the new parking regulations have been rescinded by Westminster City Council."

It's also noticeable that the parking regulations were due to be introduced in 2011 - in other words, the petition was closed at least 12 months ago!

It would seem reasonable to assume, until we hear otherwise, that www.thepetition.co.uk exists solely to promote Errol Denton's bizarre fixation with his critics, and that many of the "petitions" hosted on the site are not genuine.

Errol Denton, the only racist in the village

A remarkable new therapy that claims to diagnose almost any medical condition - Live Blood Analysis (LBA) - is spreading across the USA like wildfire and has several vocal proponents here in Britain.

If you're not familiar with it, an excellent introduction - written by a real scientist - appeared in the Guardian a few years back. Here's a quick a summary.

"The principle of LBA is fairly simple: a drop of blood is taken from your fingertip, put on a glass plate and viewed via a microscope on a video screen.... Proponents believe that the method provides information 'about the state of the immune system, possible vitamin deficiencies, amount of toxicity, pH and mineral imbalance, areas of concern and weaknesses; fungus and yeast", as another website puts it..." 

(Image credit)

Despite its popularity, there's not a jot of evidence that LBA can diagnose anything at all. In one fascinating test (published in German), a professional Live Blood analyst was challenged to spot which of a set of blood samples had been gathered from cancer patients - and failed miserably.

Like many other quacks, LBA practitioners employ bait and switch sales tactics. The test itself is inexpensive (or free), but you'll pay through the nose for the "cure".

"The bulk of [the] money is made... by selling expensive nutritional supplements to the patient with the promise that these will correct whatever abnormality has been diagnosed... In other words, patients are potentially cheated three times over. First, you are diagnosed with a 'condition' you don't have; then a lengthy and expensive treatment ensues; and finally the bogus test is repeated and you are declared 'improved' or 'back to normal'." [Source]

And with that, it's time to introduce our titular quack. Meet Errol Denton!

(Image credit)

Don't be fooled by the lab coat and the cheeky smile. Denton doesn't seem to have any legitimate medical or scientific training, yet he describes himself as 

"...now the UK's expert live blood analyst..."

...which is akin to describing yourself as "the UK's leading safe-cracker" or "the UK's most successful mugger". For it can be stated, with utmost confidence, that Denton is breaking the law.

Working from premises in London and the Middle East, Denton's "clinic" promotes itself with a glossy website which claims

"Live blood analysis is for everyone that really cares about their health overall wellbeing [sic]. The test is suitable for young children right up to mature people in their seventies or above... As 'prevention is better than cure' it is not just for people who have health problems; it is equally beneficial to very healthy people... because it acts as an early warning system..."

Denton is not at all shy in listing the "health problems" for which LBA is "beneficial".

"Healh Conditions Treated: Allergies/Intolerances - Arthritis - Autoimmune - Back and Joints [sic] Pain - Bad Sleep Patterns - Blood Pressure - Candida/Thrush - Celiac - Cholesterol - Cold Sores Mouth Ulcers - Crohn's Disease/IBS - Depression - Dry Skin/Rashes - Eczema Psoriasis/Acne - Fatigue... Gout - Hair Loss... Hormonal Imbalances - Infertility - Insomnia - Lupus - Migraines/Headaches - Menopause/Hot flushes - Mental fogginess - Overactive Thyroid - Parasites/Urine Infections - Skin Challenges - Stroke - Smoking - Training Endurance - ...Diabetes - Water/Fluid Retention/Bloating - Yeast - Weight loss and weight gain..."

All of this is, it goes without saying, illegal. 

Most of the health claims are supported only by anecdotes from "satisfied customers". Here's one, picked entirely at random. It's the story of a Mr Derrick Brown of Luton (which makes us near neighbours!)

(Image credit)

"After two knee operations I had endless trouble with my knees. I was also overweight... My sister said to go and see Errol Denton. 

"I visited him in June 2008 for a live blood analysis, the results of the test showed I had too much acidity in my blood, Errol explained to me as to what I was seeing on the monitor. Errol advised me that I needed to change my eating patterns to produce a more alkaline blood flow, in which would help my knee problems (arthritis) and help me lose weight...

"...by October 2008 I had lost 28lbs I've never drank [sic] so much water in my life which hydrated my body and I felt a lot better as a result of seeing Errol."

Denton is notable not for his law-breaking activities - there are hundreds more like him - nor is he particularly unusual in running a quack medicine business from Harley Street.

What sets Denton apart is the, errr, unusual way in which he responds to criticism.

And there has been plenty of criticism. Two bloggers in particular - Josephine Jones and Jo Brodie - have been subjecting Denton and his fellow Live Blood Analysts to close scrutiny for some time now. Here's a short taster of their articles.

"In addition to making misleading claims in his advertising, one practitioner, Errol Denton, has even - according to comments made online - been treating customers appallingly, resulting in a 'mass refund' from Groupon, as well as an adjudication by the Advertising Standards Authority against the original ad." [Jones]

"There have been three Advertising Standards Authority adjudications against misleading claims made by Errol Denton's... two websites, one from me and two from someone else. The entire premise of nutritional microscopy [LBA] is nonsense." [Brodie]

It's instructive to compare the nasty, vindictive tone of these writers with the carefully-considered and rational responses from Denton. (I've taken a few screenshots to prove I'm not making this up - click to enlarge.)

 (Image credit)

"RACIST bloggers why do you lie so much? Why do you pretend that your RACIST attitude is not true? These are your expected responses you filthy RACIST COCKROACHES lowest vermin on the earth. Sociopathic RACIST Bloggers you can be read like a book... You are RACIST, RACIST, RACIST SCUM... RACIST blogger bitch you have certainly past [sic] your prime. RACIST, RACIST BITCH YOU ARE LOWER THAN A COCKROACHES' [sic] BELLY. RACIST coward scum never start what you cannot finish. Playing with fire gets RACISTS [sic] thugs burned with the truth." [Denton, 'KKK RACIST Bloggers Are Lower Than A Cockroaches' [sic] Belly', 10 Nov]

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"RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST Bloggers you are like serpents slithering with lies but the subject will not change. You are Sociopath RACISTS no better than the RACISTS that murdered Stephen Lawrence. They too denied they are RACISTS... What is you next move Sociopath RACIST? Is it more lies?... The truth is getting out there about your filthy RACIST agenda just like Adolph [sic] Hitler and your pathetic attempts to cover it up." [Denton, 'KKK Racist Bloggers The Subject Is Always You Are RACIST Bloggers', 10 Nov] 

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"The problem with such cowards are [sic] their mindset will never admit to the fact that they are filthy Sociopath RACISTS so the truth will have to be repeated day after day until they get the message.... The war chant is: RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST, RACIST... Adolph [sic] Hitler was a bully and a coward just like these filthy RACIST bloggers..." [Denton, 'Understanding The Brain Computer Mindset Of Sociopathic Racist Bloggers [sic] Jo-Jo', 10 Nov]

Most bizarrely of all, Denton recently put up a petition calling for the "Sociopath RACIST RACIST [etc]" bloggers to be held to account. Before being removed, the petition had attracted an impressive 36 signatures, among them noted anti-racism campaigners such as, errr... Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini!

Are the accusations fair? Are Jones and Brodie motivated not by an altruistic search for truth, but by racial prejudice?

Let's use science to find out!

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A thorough analysis Jones' blog reveals articles criticising Robert Young (who is white), Keith James Russell and Ian Clifford Garbutt (both white), Jackie Reader (genetic heritage unknown), Guenther Enderlein (white), David Parker (white), Brina Eidelson (white), Ross Bridgeford (white), Ruth Daber (white), Gareth Edwards (white), Stephanie Morgan (white), Andrew Wakefield (white), Colette Haydon, Martin Kelly, Natascha McElhone, Patrick Mallucci, Norman Waterhouse and Simon Withey (all white), Gill Hart, Peter Horlock and Nick Varey (unknown), Charles Buck (white), Peter Smith (white), Nina Knowland (white), Joan McKerron (white), Phillipa Craske, Cheryl Cox, Izabella Perry, Elizabeth Barber and Tracey Hudson (all white), Marie-Claude Lambert (white), Matt Traverso (white), Janette Warren (unknown), Julie Delaney (unknown), Matthew Moat (white), Michelle Zielinski (white), "Neil" (white), Merlee Harris (unknown), Brian and Celia Wright (white), Jane Thurnell-Read (unknown), Andrew Bell (white), Jeff Hope (white), Ben Katz (white), Mike Wilson (white), Gillian McKeith (white), Samantha Pearce (unknown), Allan Sweeney (white), San Gogana (unknown), Stanislaw Burzynski (white), Hilary Jones (white), John Matthias (unknown), Gloria Gilbere (white), Ruben Bartolo (white), David McGlown (white), Ian Marber (white), Kate Winstanley (white), Dessi Bell (unknown), Stephen Hopwood (white), Tullio Simoncici (white), Barbara Wren (white), Matthew Manning (white), Alan Papier (unknown), John Hagger (unknown), Robert Verkerk (white), Hedda Kraker von Schwarzenfeld (unknown), Sarah Myhill (white), Claudius Van Wyk (white), Kevin Wright (white), Robin Daly (white), Marianne Greenwood (white), Peter Ebdon (white), T. Colin Campbell (white), Charlotte Gerson (white), Marc Stephens (unknown), Katrin Hempel (white), Max Gerson (white), David Beckham (white), Dana Ullman (white), Chris Woollams (white), Rosy Daniel (white), Natasha Corrett and Vicki Edgson (both white), Michael Dixon (white), Michael Driscoll (white), Michael Gove (white), Patrick Holford (white), Boo Armstrong (white), David Bellamy (white), Jerome Burne (white), Monty Don (white), Susan Greenfield (white), Peter Hain (white), Patricia Peat (white), Rupert Sheldrake (white), David Tredinnick (white), Jeremy Hunt (white), Lynne McTaggart (white) and HRH The Prince of Wales (some kind of alien lizard, apparently).

Besides Errol Denton (whose Facebook page describes him as a "Black Microscopist"), Jones also mentions Mukesh Batra (Asian), Surinder Sandhu (Asian), "Mr Fakole" (presumably black), Andre Young-Snell (black) and another Live Blood analyst, Stephen Ferguson (black).

Totting up these figures reveals that, of 107 identifiable individuals who are criticised on Jones' blog, 83% are white, 12% are of unknown race, 3% are black and 2% are Asian. (The list includes every named person I could track down, but omits several companies whose owners can't easily be found.)

It's interesting to compare these results with the "case studies" published on Denton's website.

We have Pansy Knight (black), Frances McLean (black), Simeon Ndimele (black), "Anne" (black), George Matsas (white), "Anonymous" (unknown), "Anonymous" (unknown), Maria Chus Molina De Aragon (unknown), Catriona Grove (white), Dora Steinborn (white), Lorraine Clarke (black), Anjalee Bhurton (Asian), Hilary Banks (black), Kintu De Coninck (black), Lynton Noel (black), Eli Anderson (black), Margaret Guillen (white), Nates Nalbantoglu (white), Moira Swayne (white), HRH Sultanah Pahang Kalsom Shah (Asian), Steve Pope (white), Fiona Harvey (black), Homer Campbell (black), Ruth North (black), Andrew Prodromou (white), Derrick Brown (black), Angela Cowan (black), Fergal Collins (white), Elaine Jackson (black), Mark Warmer (white), Helen Dixon (white), Dion Lawrence (black), Genni Rigoberts (black), Gwendolyn Walker (black), Nygen Robinson (black), Ricky Smith (white), Margaret Groom (white), Jenni Williams (black), Vanessa Harris (black), Jason Stephens (white), Robert Rollins (white), Karen Lovett-Hurran (white), Anthony Houghton (white), Olive Cowan (black), Laura Gilbert (white), Desline Shoultz (black), Cathriona Powell (black), Carol Bishop (white), Ray Marshall (white), Frances Fraser (unknown), Adam Dixon (black), Heena Vekaria (Asian), "Janice" (black), Shahidah Annahs (black), Ndela Phola (unknown), Sofeta Jackson (black), Cathleen Coleman-Cooke (white), Tracey Butler (black) and Heather Woodward (white).

This works out as 49% black, 37% white, 8% unknown and 5% Asian (from a group of 59 patients).

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Of course, only a man with a brain the size of a pea would argue that, because half of Denton's patients are black, he must be some kind of racialist.

Quacks get most of their business from word-of-mouth, and it's quite conceivable than Denton is recruiting his victims from among his own friends and family, or maybe even from his church (if he belongs to one).

But Denton's contention that Jones is a "RACIST, RACIST BITCH" who is "LOWER THAN A COCKROACHES' [sic] BELLY" begins to lose its credibility when we consider that the vast, vast majority of people criticised in her blog are white. (A comparable spread of ethnicities can be observed in Brodie's blog.)

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It's a sad fact that female sceptics are routinely subjected to the most repugnant streams of abuse, far in excess of anything that is propelled at me. Denton's vile output - ten blogposts in just under a month - is a particularly horrifying example of accusations and threats.

Besides a weird fixation with the Nazis (11 mentions), Adolf Hilter (10 mentions) and the Klu Klux Klan (5 mentions), Denton uses the terms "racist" or "racism" an astonishing 143 times, the terms "sociopath or sociopathic" 37 times, the terms "bullies", "cyber-bullies" or "bullying" 14 times, "cockroaches" 5 times and "vermin" 4 times. 

There are also two charming incidences of the word "bitch" considerately presented in CAPITAL LETTERS. (These figures would probably double if we took into account Denton's various tweets, Facebook pages, petitions and hashtags.)

With assaults like this, it's little wonder that bloggers like Josephine Jones prefers to write under a pseudonym. The tone of Denton's posts is steadily becoming more and more deranged and has now descended into thinly-veiled threats such as

"However this time it is too late and there is nowhere left for them to hide even behind a fictitious pseudonym..." (Source)

"Run for cover RACIST Blogger Cockroaches with your filthy spawn the darkness is where you operate best..." (Source)

"RACIST coward scum never start what you cannot finish. Playing with fire gets RACISTS [sic] thugs burned with the truth...." (Source)

It seems unlikely that Jones or Brodie are ever going to reveal their real identities with a crazed madman like Denton trying to hunt them down, but I'll make it easy for him. 

I don't write under a pseudonym and my address is widely known in the alternative medicine industry. (If that's not good enough, my details are available to Denton's solicitors, should they care to get in touch.)

Errol Denton, you are a fraud. 

You happily promote your bogus Live Blood Analysis service as a "treatment for all diseases" although there is not a jot of evidence that it can diagnose any disease, much less suggest an appropriate treatment. Your marketing methods are illegal and you profit from misleading your customers. You pose as a respectable health professional in a lab coat from premises in Harley Street, yet it appears you have absolutely no legitimate medical training. 

To the untrained eye, your blog most closely resembles the work of a man with an undiagnosed mental health problem. You make at least one hundred and forty-three accusations that your critics are racist, a claim that is supported only by a vicious tirade of abusive invective. In reality, there is only one racist in this conversation - and that person is Errol Denton.

Notes

1. My claim that Errol Denton is a fraud is based on this promotional article which contains a claim to treat cancer (contrary to the Cancer Act 1939) and innumerable claims on Denton's blog and company website to treat other named diseases (contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008).

2. I have never met either Errol Denton, Derrick Brown, "Jo Brodie" or "Josephine Jones".

3. The authors of the "Jo Brodie" and "Josephine Jones" blogs are both fully-qualified scientists, unlike Errol Denton (and me).

4. The statistics used in this article were compiled with pen and paper, not with an appropriate software package. I'll be happy to make corrections if anyone can spot errors in my arithmetic.

Jeff Hope's Impressive Results

Does anyone remember Jeff Hope, the man with the most outrageous marketing claim ever to hit my inbox?

"Any sort of disease whatsoever - physical or mental - will be rapidly curable, simply and cheaply. It will be possible to reverse aging and rejuvenate the person. It will be possible to re-grow limbs and straighten misshapen spines - and directly remove the causes of mental diseases and cure them as well. Lifespan will be staggeringly increased, without 'old age's debilitation'. AIDS, cancer, leukemia [sic], and genetic diseases will be completely conquered..."

The device in question - the Quantumwave Laser - was so staggeringly successful in curing AIDS and cancer that it, errr, doesn't appear to be for sale any more.

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Upon being challenged by the regulators, Jeff mounted a spirited defence.

"The Wellness Tree (Wellness) said... on reflection, the leaflet could have been taken out of context and there should have been more checks made before it went to print. Wellness said they would no longer distribute the leaflet and had engaged an advertising agent and legal advisor to ensure that all their advertising material complied with the CAP Code in future."

This "advertising agent" and "legal advisor" - if, indeed, any such person was ever engaged - seem to have been asleep at their desks. 

Jeff's latest advertisements, which have been appearing in Nexus magazine throughout the year, are full of claims for a device which might be used to treat... errr, AIDS and cancer!

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The Elanra, pictured above, is claimed to be 

"THE ONLY patented device out there which makes negative ions of OXYGEN!"

Anyone who has been to their local Homebase, Argos or Wilkinsons recently might dispute that finding, but let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

"Let us now explore the primary benefits gained by using the Elanra... In 1992, NEXUS even paid for the world's leading researcher into oxygen therapies, Ed McCabe, to fly to Australia [where Nexus is published] to display documentation of people cured of AIDS and cancer via oxygen therapies..."

The Elanra is pretty good for cases of delhi belly, too, as Nexus magazine's editor Duncan explains.

"Josh and Nina had brought along their portable version of the Elanra ioniser, and not only were they the only ones NOT to get sick [from diarrhaea], but when they kindly loaned it to others with the bug, they soon recovered! Those on the special tablets we were given for such bugs, remained glued to the toilet."

Jeff's company, the Wellness Tree Group, have learned from their brush with the authorities and are now producing "evidence" to support their claims. Not, it must be said, with unqualified success.

"An independent survey of Elanra users by Osborne International in 2009 reported these impressive results: 91% Less Hayfever/Allergies... 95% Less Cols & Flu... 89% Faster Illness Recovery..."

The world's universities and research companies must be kicking themselves having spent trillions of dollars on research, when a customer satisfaction survey - yes, a customer satisfaction survey - will do the job just as well!

Jeff, don't you think it's time to stop breaking the law, and go straight? Meanwhile - ASA complaint follows!

1. I'm writing to complain about two advertisements for Wellness Tree Group which appeared in the October-November 2012 issue of Nexus Magazine. The advertisements promote the "Elanra", a "Medical Negative Ioniser" device as a possible treatment for several serious medical conditions.

2. Near-identical adverts also appeared in the February 2012 issue (p2 & p28), the April 2012 issue (p2 & p62), the June 2012 issue (p2 & p19) and the August 2012 issue (p2 &  p22).

3. I'd like to challenge whether the following health claims are misleading, and whether they can be substantiated:

(p27)

(i) "Josh and Nina had brought along their portable version of the Elanra ioniser, and not only were they the only ones NOT to get sick [from diarrhaea], but when they kindly loaned it to others with the bug, they soon recovered! Those on the special tablets we were given for such bugs, remained glued to the toilet."

(ii) The world's "leading research into oxygen therapies" is Ed McCabe, even though McCabe describes himself as a "journalist" [1] with a degree in "Educational Media" [2], not a doctor, medical researcher or scientist

(iii) Ed McCabe has "display[ed] documentation of people cured of AIDS and cancer via oxygen therapies"

(iv) "We have lost count of the people who claim that they cured themselves of cancer, herpes, candida and a myriad of other diseases, all by increasing their oxygen level"

(v) "...this machine [the Elanra] is THE ONLY patented device out there which makes negative ions of OXYGEN!"

(vi) "...the Elanra also literally cleans the air, eliminating odours, germs, fungi, moulds etc etc..."

(vii) "Every health practitioner's waiting room should have one of these devices. They would improve the health of people waiting, as well as kill germs and bacteria coughed and spluttered by those waiting."

(viii) "...and by programming the microprocessor, [the Elanra] could produce frequencies that had proven beneficial effects on the human body"

(ix) "I have sighted the results of scientific tests conducted by Japanese scientists. Within two seconds of the Elanra being switched on, the brain (3 feet away) switched to match the Schumann Resonance!"

(p2)

(x) "Helps with: Sleep problems - Allergies/Hayfever - Skin complaints - Chronic fatigue - Breathing difficulties... Weak immune system - Chemical sensitivity... flu..."

4. The advert on p2 quotes an "independent survey of Elanra users by Osborne International in 2009", which apparently produced "impressive results".

5. I'd like to challenge whether the use of this survey is misleading, because health claims are normally substantiated by rigorous clinical evidence published in medical journals, not by customer satisfaction surveys.

[1] http://www.oxygenhealth.com/
[2] http://www.oxygenhealth.com/bio.html