On Wed, 13 Sep 2000, John Messmer, M.D. wrote:
> Let me just say that all the foregoing discussion about reasons why
> milk from one mammal or another is best for people and the evil
> formula companies and so on is best taken with a pinch of salt.
> Small facts have a way of evolving with repetition to falsehoods.
Dear Dr. Messmer,
You are absolutely correct that hearsay can turn into rumour and evolve
into falsehood. People would be wise to check their sources more
diligently. It is the prevalence of falsehoods which makes it so easy for
people to discount stories which are *actually* true, such as the Nestle
scandal.
http://www.infact.org/
(they led the boycott in 1977)
http://www.infact.org/aboutinf.html
(some info on the scandal)
http://www.motherjones.com/mother_jones/MA94/nestle.html
(3rd party write-up by prominent mag)
http://www.infactcanada.ca/whocode/codeview.htm
(resolution in reaction to Nestle)
Surely you are aware of the danger of children dying of diarrhea in
developing countries, where the water is not properly treated. In
fact, UNICEF thinks it a serious enough problem they have a page
dedicated to it!
http://www.unicef.org/ffl/DIARR.HTM
Here they formally advocate breastfeeding for at risk children:
http://www.unicef.org/bfhi/sepoct99.pdf
UNICEF does not believe Nestle has "shaped up":
http://www.unicef.org/bfhi/janfeb99.pdf
http://www.infactcanada.ca/newsletters/spring95/boycott.htm
This is why many people continue to boycott the legion products by Nestle.
People should take things with a grain of salt, but they also shouldn't
become too cynical!
> I avoid giving advice on this list about pedagogy or other strictly vocal
> issues since I have neither the training nor the experience. I listen to
> and evaluate what others say for the benefits I can gain. Similarly, I
> would respectfully ask that all list members refrain from repeating hearsay
> or opinion as fact when discussing biology and medicine.
Again, I say, I respect your position, and I defer to your superior
knowlege of allopathic medicine. Certainly I have learned from your
judiciously meted contributions to the list. Still, I encourage you to see
that people without an MD may actually have something valid to say. I
don't believe anything I said here or in my previous message is flat out
wrong - particularly about Nestle.
Please follow the links above and to find out more. This is a significant
public health issue, and the world would benefit if more physicians knew
about and could speak out against it, as doctors carry a special
credibility.
> BTW, the immune system does not react to toxins; it reacts to
> allergens - substances that bind to receptors and trigger the
> production of antibodies. Toxins are intrinsically harmful although
> they can also be allergens.
Although I have no MD, I do have a degree in zoology (my former career was
in genetics) - I feel I have a reasonable grasp on mammalian physiology.
This is why I said *perceived* toxin. An allergen is not necessarily
intrinsically toxic, but the body creates antibodies to it because it
recognizes the allergen as "other" and therefore potentially harmful.
PS: I think Vocalist would be an incredible waste of time if only DMAs and
NATS members wrote in. Teachers learn from the experience of students, if
only how to become better teachers. Lay practitioners (i.e. singers), also
have their valid experiences as well ;-)
Sincerely,
Tako
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