Panaceas and placebos are not PC

British patriots among us will recall that Lady Sarah Ferguson boasted of using royal jelly (by mouth) to facilitate conception, while even today a North Korean mother of triplets sings the praises of honey potions prescribed for her by the late, lamented Kim Jong-Il – akshully very ill by all acccounts.

But unmoved by these historically reliable accounts of the power of patent medicines, canny Chinese bosses plan to ban all such products from being promoted as ‘miraculous’. In fact China’s State Food and Drug Administration will outlaw words it classes as “vulgar or linked with superstition, such as: sex, God, immortal,” from the names of health products”.

Which strikes me as a bit harsh. I mean the Chinese seem to believe in the power of feng shui, tai chi and i ching, not to mention the application of needles in unmentionable places – so what’s so dangerous about ginseng, horny goat weed and a few enchanted pills from the local quack?

Remember, Confucius he say, “A little bit of what you fancy always does you good, innit?”

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Author: Janus

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14 thoughts on “Panaceas and placebos are not PC”

  1. North Korean mother of triplets sings the praises of honey potions prescribed for her by the late, lamented Kim Jong-Il – akshully very ill by all acccounts.

    How come you use “late” and then “very ill”

    Wiki tells me that he died in December 2011, can’t get much sicker than that!

  2. OK, whilst I agree that the Chinese may have a point, I would prefer that some of their “remedies” did not involve the use of bits of animals: tigers, rhinos, bear bile and the like.

    Re-arranging the furniture the furniture and sticking needles in consenting adults is not a problem!

  4. There is a point to it, actually. One of my friends injured his knee playing basketball, a meniscal tear.
    They dealt with it using folk medicine. He can no longer run or jump and the problem is only getting worse with time. Are they a bit carried away? Yes, but not without some reason.

  5. G’dag, Soutie lad! “How come you use “late” and then “very ill”. (cough) That was the point of my little quip. Sorry, but he did have a funny name – very il (sic).

  6. christophertrier :

    There is a point to it, actually. One of my friends injured his knee playing basketball, a meniscal tear.
    They dealt with it using folk medicine. He can no longer run or jump and the problem is only getting worse with time. Are they a bit carried away? Yes, but not without some reason.

    I agree, but they ought to take a look at more than just the packets of pills.

  7. Janus :

    G’dag, Soutie lad! “How come you use “late” and then “very ill”. (cough) That was the point of my little quip. Sorry, but he did have a funny name – very il (sic).

    Now I get it!

    Thanks for spelling it out for me, you’re right, very funny 🙂

  8. Haven’t ever got into the ‘eye of newt’ syndrome but I have to say acupuncture can be really quite effective.

  10. Not personally, but I know a fair few who do. I spent most of February with them!!

  11. Little known and almost worthless piece of information. Most of the western world’s Ginseng is grown in Canada (Ontario and B.C.). Last numbers I have is that in 2007 Canada exported 3,000 tons worth almost $100 Million mostly to China via Hong Kong (now you know). My neighbour in Ottawa in the seventies was a ginseng farmer (and an MP).

    Horny Goat Weed I know nothing about.

  12. LW, I thought that you would be au fait with it – it is very popular with body-builders, allegedly.

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