Don't shoot the messenger

May 13, 2010

Rosy Daniel describes me as undemocratic, antisocial and prejudiced ("'Bad' scientist", Letters, 29 April). Ouch.

I understand that she may be a bit upset, having recently been rejected by the University of Buckingham and even that bastion of all things barmy, the Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health (now deceased). I'd like to remind her that it was not I who closed the Buckingham course: that decision was made by Buckingham's vice-chancellor. And it was Trading Standards, not I, that made her change the claims on her company's website about the alleged "healing" powers of a herbal concoction, Carctol, for cancer.

In an online piece for THE, Daniel writes: "Integrated medicine in the UK is still clouded by complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) detractors owing to an important misunderstanding: IM is not CAM."

I beg to differ. The content of the course is about as "alternative" as you can get.

Daniel tells us she is "now looking for a strong collaborating university partner". If any universities are tempted, I'd suggest they first write to the vice-chancellor of Buckingham to seek his advice.

David Colquhoun, London.

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