Faulty Arguments in the Field of Herbalism, Natural Cures and Plant Medicine - Coursework Example

The Faulty Arguments in the Field of Herbalism, Natural Cures and Plant Medicine Introduction Chris Kilham has written vast medical journals and books, coaches ailing individuals globally on how herbs based drugs are excellent compared to pharmaceutical varieties. He is the mastermind behind the Medicine Hunter Inc. He once said ‘“My goal is to have more people using safe, effective, proven, healthful herbs, and fewer people using toxic, overly expensive, marginally effective, potentially lethal pharmaceutical drugs’.

The source is https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-plant-vs-pharmaceutical-false-dichotomy/. This is a perfect illustration of a false dichotomy. The reasoning behind this phrase is poor because it insinuates that herbal products are safer, healthier, and has lower rates of toxicity compared to other medicinal drugs which is not true. It is also a dogmatic phrase which may be interpreted to mean that use of pharmaceuticals may result to harm. Andrew Weil, the mastermind and inventor of Arizona Center for Integrative medicine.

He says ‘I did ethnobotanical study in South America, researching native uses for coca leaf, which most of us know only as the source of the isolated, problematic, addictive drug cocaine…if you look carefully at the coca leafs molecular array, you find 14 bioactive alkaloids, with cocaine in the greatest amount…Herbs like coca can "tone" the body and bring it back to homeostasis’. The source is The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/why-plants-are-usually-be_b_785139.html. This is an illustration of a non-sequiter, appeal to authority, poor logic and faulty statistics.

The reasoning behind it is poor since its conclusion doesn’t infer the premise. It also emphasizes on his expertise owing to convince the masses concerning his opinions. It also does not have firm deductions to the conclusions made. It also claims that a coca leaf has 14 bioactive alkaloids but it does not give precise details how he obtained this data. David Kroll holds a doctor of philosophy in therapeutics and pharmacology. He coaches the public on organic commodities and botanical plants supplements.

He says ‘Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, or thunder god vine…has a history of use as an anti-inflammatory herb. As with many traditional medicines, usage patterns do not necessarily indicate scientific validity. In fact, a Cochrane review published just last month on herbal therapies for rheumatoid arthritis indicated that the efficacy of thunder god vine was mixed. More concerning is that the herb had significant adverse effects in some trials, from hair loss to one case of aplastic anemia.

Nevertheless, the herb’s components have been studied since the 1970s for since they also appears to kill tumor cells in culture with Nano molar potency and have immunosuppressant activity in animal models’. The source is from Science based Medicine https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/how-to-interrogate-an-herbal-medicine-thunder-god-vine/ . This is an illustration of dogmatism, research by exegenesis, slippery slope, and straw man fallacies. The reasoning is poor because it infers Cochraine review as it facts firm foundation as a device to convince the public that this inference it’s true as well.

It also gives scary effects of using the herbs without clear details of the reasons behind these symptoms. Linda S. Birnbaum the administrator of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences was once quoted referring to implications of bioaccumulation of fire retardants on health saying: "Some of the effects that were seeing are effects on the developing nervous system. Were seeing effects on the developing reproductive system. In a population of children that have been exposed to the flame retardants, those children have lower I.

Q, more difficulty in learning." The source is Dr. Mercola http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/05/20/toxic-flame-retardants.aspx . This is an example of post hoc, faulty analogy and hasty generalization. This reasoning is poor because low IQ is inadvertently linked to flame retardants. It also tries to relate IQ and flame retardants which are two completely distinct and disparate things. It also rushes to give a conclusion without giving concrete evidence. Dr. Henry Oakeley, an orchidologist at London’s Royal College of Physicians once said ‘Plants have been trying to kill us, not cure us’.

The source is Science- Based Life https://sciencebasedlife.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/the-myths-of-herbal-medicine/ . This is an example of circular reasoning. This is a poor reasoning because it includes a conclusion in its argument which makes it the conclusion invalid. Professor Colin Garner was once quoted saying ‘We have learned well how to treat cancer in mice and rats but we still can’t cure people’. The source is Animal feasance http://animalfeasance.com/tag/rats . This is an example of a red herring, poor logic and dogmatism.

The reasoning behind it is poor because it inadvertedly misleads by quoting an irrelevant premise to justify the reason doctors are unable to treat cancer. Dr. Sanjay Gupta who is a professor in medicine was once quoted referring to marijuana saying “It doesn’t have a high potential for abuse, and there are very legitimate medical applications…I cannot find the harm in it.” The source is leaf science http://www.leafscience.com/2013/09/26/dr-sanjay-guptas-top-10-quotes-marijuana/ . This is a perfect example of straw man and glittery generalization.

The reasoning behind it is poor because it ideally misinforms in a bid to make marijuana use normal and harmless. Jaime De La Barrera who is a medical herbalist in England says ‘Carminatives are herbal remedies that have a high content of volatile oils, they are used to stimulate the digestive system to work properly. They are very effective to expel gas and easing griping pains from the stomach and the intestines, they also tone the mucous surfaces and increase peristaltic action (esophagus, stomach and intestine movement, which propels its contents onward).

The source is Info herb http://www.infoherb.com/using-herbs/ . This is a perfect example of glittery generality. The reasoning behind it is poor because it refers to carminatives’ effectiveness by affirming an existing belief that it ideally works but the phrase does not support its premises. In addition, Roberta Lee a medical doctor at Beth Israel Medical Center says ‘Herbs and other natural remedies can be as effective as traditional treatments, often without the same negative side effects".

The source is Prevention http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/natural-remedies/best-healing-herbs-top-10 . This is an example of jargon in speech. This reasoning is poor because it does not highlight precisely the actual ‘natural remedies’ and the distinct ‘traditional treatments’ being referred to. Lastly, the everyday roots website highlights that ‘Cloves have been used for centuries, particularly in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but they aren’t used nearly as much nowadays’. The source is http://everydayroots.

com/sore-throat-remedies . This is a perfect example of poor logic. The reasoning behind it is poor because it fails to use inferences or supporting information (such as precise historical data) and therefore ends up giving a fallacious conclusion.