Posted by chemist on January 2, 2005, at 4:33:31
In reply to Re: Punishment is medicine.Aristotle.Nicomachean Ethic » Faradism.net, posted by alexandra_k on January 2, 2005, at 2:23:52
hello there...first of all, the citations given in the original post by mr. carbajal are incorrectly referenced, and there is a dearth of literature from the esteemed authors smith and frawley. included by mr. carbajal is a link to a reprint of a ``famous article'' by smith, frawley, and polissar. i note that frawley's CV containes numerous factual errors. fortunately, i have access online to the ISI science citation index (i am a theoretical chemical physicist, holding a Ph.D. in the area(s)), and the article is actually double-published, in two journals: j. addictive diseases (1997, and cited a grand total of 4 times in the past 7 years); and alcoholism-clin. exp. res (1991, cited 11 times in 14 years). the esteemed dr. frawley has a total of 16 refereed citations in the literature (1984 - 1997), 4 of which are 1-page letters to the editor commenting on other work; and 1 is a meeting abstract. of the 11 actual publications, the big winner for citations - 14 since publication in 1990 - is by frawley and smith and concerns ``chemical aversion therapy in the treatment of cocaine dependence,'' with a cohort of 20 patients - all customers of drs. smith and frawley's chain of 10-day cure Schick Shadel Hospital in Santa Barbara - and faradic therapy was not used: rather, a cocaine substitute was umployed to hasten aversion to the ``sight, smell, and taste'' of the real thing.
the schick shadel hospitals are worth investigating: they are pay-as-you-go betty-ford style clinics run by businessmen with medical degrees.
faradic therapy is a perpetuation of anecdotal and placebo-like ``effect'' that has been reported to ``cure'' epilepsy 150+ years ago and remains a great way to fatten one's bank account.
a primary inductor - a conducting, wound coil with electrical current normal to the magnetic field, as per the fundamentals of electrodynamics - induces an electric current in a second inductor, coupled with a resistor which in turn produces periodic bursts or, on a lower level, more frequent oscillations of the magnetic field (from the second inductor).
this is as old (literally) as faraday and maxwell. the rTMS business of late is the same business being pushed by mr. carbajal, albeit in a much more professional and controlled manner. the magnetic field is alleged to play with the electric field within the noggin, and there are bits and pieces in the literature every once in a while yet this methodology is most of utility in constructing transformers.
the above comments are not meant to be uncivil, but rather to inform the unknowing that behind a yahoo web site is a whole lot of nothing: the electrodynamics/statics, dearth of literature, questionable private-sector promotions, and downright evidence that addictions are better addressed by so many proven and effective remedies (e.g., imipramine for cocaine), not to mention the blatant advertising on this site for a toy electrical device for which the schematics are not correct, should be interpreted as nothing but factual information denying this person's claims.
all the best, chemist (and physicist too...)
poster:chemist
thread:436519
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20041128/msgs/436695.html