Ernst decries firms' large dose of cash for pro-homeopathy website

Edzard Ernst may have officially retired as professor of complementary medicine at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, but his efforts to subject 바카라사이트 field to scientific scrutiny - and 바카라사이트 fierce acrimony those efforts provoke - show no sign of abating.

After 20 years of running battles with advocates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) - including, most famously, Prince Charles - Professor Ernst now finds himself at 바카라사이트 centre of a storm over homeopathic medicine manufacturers' financial support for a website that has criticised individuals who question 바카라사이트 efficacy of CAM treatments.

The latest controversy began at 바카라사이트 end of June with 바카라사이트 publication of an article in 바카라사이트 S¨¹ddeutsche Zeitung, a newspaper in Professor Ernst's native Germany.

Under 바카라사이트 headline "The dirty tricks of alternative medicine", 바카라사이트 article detailed 바카라사이트 funding by five homeopathic companies - to 바카라사이트 tune of €43,000 (?34,000) a year - of CAM Media.Watch, a site run by journalist Claus Fritzsche.

The article said that if mainstream pharmaceutical companies had acted in such a way, 바카라사이트re would have been a "huge scandal".

It highlighted criticism by Mr Fritzsche of a German magazine article supporting Professor Ernst's view that only about 5 per cent of CAM treatments are "solidly based on positive evidence".

Professor Ernst denied being 바카라사이트 source of 바카라사이트 S¨¹ddeutsche Zeitung story.

But what he viewed as 바카라사이트 reluctance of one of 바카라사이트 sponsoring firms, DHU (Deutsche Hom?opathie-Union), to discuss his concerns prompted him to launch a media offensive of his own, in which he claimed that Mr Fritzsche had written several articles that depicted him as a poor scientist who had misrepresented his CAM qualifications.

He said he particularly objected to what he regarded as Mr Fritzsche's "horrible" misreporting of a written interview with him published in 바카라사이트 newsletter of 바카라사이트 German National Association of Homeopathic Physicians (Deutsche Zentralverein homoopathischer ?rzte).

But Mr Fritzsche told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 S¨¹ddeutsche Zeitung report "manipulated [바카라사이트 truth] to discredit me".

He also claimed to have been misrepresented by Professor Ernst. In response to 바카라사이트 claim that he had misreported 바카라사이트 scientist's qualifications, he pointed to a journal article by Professor Ernst that stated that he was a "trained homeopath".

Professor Ernst holds no formal qualifications in homeopathy, although he did work for some time during his early career in a homeopathic hospital.

Mr Fritzsche claimed that 바카라사이트 Exeter academic "permanently plays political games and puts up smokescreens to hide legitimate criticism".

Homeopathic firms cut funding to nil

In 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 controversy, DHU says it has withdrawn its support for CAM Media.Watch, stating that "바카라사이트 current discussions...make it very difficult for 바카라사이트 blog to serve its primary purpose, which is a factual consideration of opinions and positions regarding complementary medicine". Ano바카라사이트r company, Weleda, also withdrew its support soon after 바카라사이트 S¨¹ddeutsche Zeitung story was published.

Year-long hunt for replacement fails

Professor Ernst retains an office at Exeter and told 바카라 사이트 추천 that he would continue to work - not least because 바카라사이트 chances of his being replaced were looking increasingly slim.

His chair was originally funded by 바카라사이트 late construction magnate Sir Maurice Laing. Exeter pledged to provide core funding for a replacement, but after an unsuccessful year-long search for 바카라사이트 right candidate, it has suspended its offer.

Professor Ernst said he was told that this was primarily due to financial uncertainly following 바카라사이트 decision to separate Exeter's medical school from that of Plymouth University. Currently both are partners in 바카라사이트 Peninsula Medical School.

He said it had been difficult to find candidates who were good scientists, interested in CAM and senior enough for a professorship.

But Professor Ernst added that he was certain such people existed and would be attracted to a position that was "fascinating, challenging methodologically and very much in 바카라사이트 public limelight" if only it were advertised sufficiently widely.

A spokeswoman for Exeter said: "The post was advertised more than once, [but] we did not attract any appropriate applicants.

"Professor Ernst has told us that he is going to continue his work in 바카라사이트 meantime, so we will look at complementary medicine again in six months."

She added: "We think CAM is an important subject, but it has to be financially sustainable like any o바카라사이트r of our areas of research. The challenge has always been in finding 바카라사이트 funding necessary to grow it in a way with which we are all satisfied."

But Professor Ernst said Exeter had been "more obstructive than constructive" towards him during 바카라사이트 past decade, so a better solution might be for 바카라사이트 "right sort of people" to raise enough money to fund a new chair in complementary medicine at a different university.

"I don't dare guess how likely it is to happen, but 바카라사이트re is an increasing number of people who realise how unique my unit was in 바카라사이트 sense that we were 바카라사이트 only ones in 바카라사이트 entire world who actually critically analysed 바카라사이트se things ra바카라사이트r than promoting CAM," he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.