...

[conuly]

Seriously, is it just me? Am I the only one who doesn't get why people come out with more stupid "cures" for things, year after year after agonizing year?

The cure for stupidity is said to be death. Sometimes.... *stalks about irritably*

Comments

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

So people should just -- I dunno, not do anything?

[conuly]

Instead of using dangerous quack cures? YES. Especially when you consider that study after study shows no relation between mercury and autism. The money that's being spent on this snake oil is money that could be spent helping your kid.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Ah thought it was just a general dont try and be creative thing, not that particular line of reasoning...

[conuly]

Sorry.

[conuly]

Gold salts, chelation - when it comes to things like autism, that's the equivilant of using pure blackstrap molassess to cure OCD. Except more expensive. It's nonsense.

(And then there's the idea that autism should be cured, which I'm not agreeing with, but that's a whole nother issue)

[celticess.livejournal.com]

No idea on how it works for autism but I had one of the top rhematologists in BC before. Silver injections can help neuromuscular conditions and certain types of arthritis. Never heard gold mentioned for it but if silver can help who knows. *shrug* I had the silver offered to me for my arthropathies but who knows if the neuro would make the same suggestion.(though I doubt he'd be making it over my autism... it would be made purely over my muscle stuff)

[appadil.livejournal.com]

I think the chemistry he uses may be weak, too... Elemental mercury is cross-reactive with gold (also silver and tin) to form the alloy amalgam, but I think that only works if the mercury isn't already part of a chemical compound- and elemental mercury is non-reactive and virtually harmless to people. It's the compounds which are toxic.

I could be wrong about the need for elemental mercury to produce amalgam, though- it's been a while since I had chem classes. The elemental vs compound thing though, is verified. In any case, isn't this a waste of perfectly good gold? Why not use tin salts instead?