DADvocate

Over at GM Roper GM and Woody post frequently about their skepticism regarding popular notions of global warming. They often point out threats to free speech by the global warming alarmists who disdain skeptics.

Skeptics play an important role in scientific endeavor, consider treatment of stomach ulcers.

For nearly 100 years, scientists and doctors thought that ulcers were caused by stress, spicy food, and alcohol. Treatment involved bed rest and a bland diet. Later, researchers added stomach acid to the list of causes and began treating ulcers with antacids.

The human body, related diseases, etc, and treatment of the diseases and conditions have probably received more scientific attention than any other subject over the history of mankind. Why did the medical profession believe for so long in the incorrect cause of ulcers? Lack of respect for skeptics and silencing skeptics.

John Lykoudis, a general practitioner in Greece, successfully treated ulcers with anti-biotics in the 1950's.

After treating himself for peptic ulcer disease with antibiotics in 1958 and finding the treatment effective he began treating patients with antibiotics. After experimenting with several combinations of antibiotics he eventually arrived at a combination which he termed Elgaco and which he patented in 1961. It has been estimated that he treated more than 30,000 patients.

In his time he had great difficulties in persuading the Greek medical establishment about the effectiveness of the treatment. He was given a fine of 4000 drachmas by a disciplinary committee, and indicted in the Greek courts. He was unable to get an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and was not able to get the established phamaceutical companies sufficiently interested in the treatment.

Fined by the legal system and ignored, at best, by the medical establishment.

His reports were shunned by academic medicine throughout the Mediterranean area. He was encouraged to share his data more widely and submitted a paper on this subject to JAMA in 1966. His letter of rejection from the Journal of the American Medical Association has been published.

Ironically, in 2005, Robin Warren and Barry Marshall won the Nobel Prize in medicine for proving Lykoudis' theories true and identifying the actual bacteria. Approximately fifty years in which the established scientists refused to listen to a skeptic and millions suffered needlessly.

If global warming/climate change alarmists stifle and drowned out the voices of skeptics they may well do more harm than whatever good they imagine they are doing. Just yesterday, The Anchoress posted on new information on how cosmic rays effect Earth's climate.

Goodness!

When inquiry and skepticism is forbidden danger lurks.