Orac is the nom de blog of a (not so) humble pseudonymous surgeon/scientist with an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his miscellaneous verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few will. (Continued 
It looks as though at least a couple of my readers have taken to heart my suggestion that, if the pro-CAM, "no skeptics need apply" new wikipedia known as Wiki4CAM won't allow any scientific evidence to be posted within its pages if it does not support the CAM therapy being discussed, then perhaps we should go all Sokal on it and post the most outlandish forms of CAM we can think of in order to see whether any of the editors at Wiki4CAM actually notices, and if anyone does how long it takes.
Thus far, we have two skeptics who have taken up the challenge, one choosing a more subtle--shall we say?--faith-based approach, and another going for pure parody. First, we have Bing McGhandi's lovely addition to the entry for faith healing. I particularly like the "science-y" part where he tries to show a relationship between the frequency of laying on of hands and the efficacy of Christian faith healing. Second up, we have a new and fantastic therapy known as flame detox. The entry speaks for itself. Worse, it's not that unbelievable, given the belief that the use of caustic mud like the "black salve," which, it is said, "draws out toxins" or even "draws out tumors," does anything more than induce skin burns. In case the Wiki4CAM administrators get wise to this, I thought I'd save the entry for posterity:
Flame detoxification is a relatively new procedure, developed by Dr. Fong Yu in Beijing, China. It is based on the theory that in ancient times, our bodies were able to handle the lower levels of toxins in the environment. As the world has become more industrialized, we have become more toxic. One evening, as he was cooking a meal, he realized that the fluids released from his food as a result of cooking where potent toxins. After many years of research and testing, he developed the flame detox process.The treatment is performed in his office, or in the office of a suitable CAM practitioner. A flame of pure hydrogen is directed at a spot in the skin, causing it to release it's toxins. It is these toxins that are responsible for the resultant colour change of the skin. Once the skin is black, heat is removed. The area is washed, and the black toxic residue is allowed to slough off at its own pace.
Some allopathic doctors have expressed concern about this treatment, considering it to be a simple burn. This is not the case. Dr. Yu has found that if the flame is pure hydrogen -- a compound of the water that makes up our bodies -- the flame has no ill effect. It's only action is to expose and draw out toxins.
These are good starts, folks, but I have faith in you all. I know you can come up with even better material! I mean, come on! The homeopathy article alone cries out for your loving attention! (Quantum gyroscopic homeopathy, anyone?) And what good is Wiki4CAM without an article on DNA activation? Or quantum theory as used in "alternative" medicine? The possibilities are endless, and I'm betting to the administrators it's all good, given the level of credulity it takes to be a homeopath.
Medicine & Health
Comments
I am skeptical about this flame detox process; it doesn't say anything about quantum effects.
Posted by: Marcus Ranum | August 14, 2008 1:12 PM
I like the misplaced apostrophes. Nice touch. (I hope it was deliberate...)
Posted by: Greta Christina | August 14, 2008 1:17 PM
Thanks very much for the mention, Orac! I'm praying for you! Ha!
HJ
Posted by: Bing McGhandi | August 14, 2008 1:41 PM
They should have gone with Wiki4Woo.org.
Posted by: David | August 14, 2008 2:24 PM
Shouldn't the faith healing article also be on Conservapedia? Does anyone here still have an account?
Posted by: Bob O'H | August 14, 2008 2:29 PM
I'm speechless.
Posted by: BB | August 14, 2008 2:42 PM
When I saw "flame detox" I immediately thought of this kind of flame detox.
Actually, that sounds more valid than the other one.
Posted by: Skeptico | August 14, 2008 2:53 PM
Maybe the flame detox can also draw out all those homo demons.
Posted by: Niobe | August 14, 2008 3:02 PM
Then you should edit the article to add a brief section about quantum effects. :-)
Posted by: Orac | August 14, 2008 3:10 PM
Just go back through the old Friday Doses of Woo. Those are sufficiently absurd.
Posted by: Bourgeois_Rage | August 14, 2008 3:27 PM
I'm on there myself. I'm beginning to wonder just how many of the editors are actually parodists... Poe's law in action again.
Posted by: Martin | August 14, 2008 3:46 PM
LOL!
But the entry may have provided John Freshwater with a new excuse: he was "healing" his students. Of course, he wasn't using pure hydrogen, so it didn't work, and they were left with psychic resentments.
Technique matters.
Posted by: Susannah | August 14, 2008 3:50 PM
Amusingly, on the popular pages list on wiki4cam.org, Flame Detox is now listed as the #2 most popular page.
Posted by: wackyvorlon | August 14, 2008 4:04 PM
Well, there is the Myths about homeopathy page, which appears to have been written by a true believer. I've seen an article very much like it somewhere else.
It looks ripe for parody.
Posted by: Orac | August 14, 2008 4:17 PM
"... he realized that the fluids released from his food as a result of cooking were potent toxins"????
Somebody tell this guy he's doing it wrong. Obviously he's using filthy utensils.
Posted by: Sodding Wick | August 14, 2008 4:19 PM
second notation on the "Myths About Homeopathy" page:
This article does not cite adequate references or sources.
No. Shit. I lol'd.
Posted by: jba | August 14, 2008 4:26 PM
Wikis rely on careful management of the signal to noise ratio in order to work. They key, in my opinion, is to make the noise indistinguishable from the signal. Then the ratio shifts in favor of noise, making it useless.
They seem confused as to why the skeptics are so mean. If it were so simple as a different point of view, I don't think it we would care. It's that alternative medicine is hurting people. It's killing people. That is not permissable.
Posted by: wackyvorlon | August 14, 2008 5:02 PM
Beet paste enema? That'll stain your shorts.
Posted by: Todd | August 14, 2008 5:08 PM
You can't just make up woo without bastardizing quantum mechanics! :)
Posted by: IBY | August 14, 2008 6:12 PM
"Flame detoxification" --dlose enought to TCM to be good parody:
fire cupping
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_cupping
in other words, instead of a heated class utensil being applied to the skin, creating a vacuum (and a bruise, and possibly a burn -- the heat is applied directly to the skin.
Also see moxibustion, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxibustion
Posted by: Liz Ditz | August 14, 2008 11:35 PM
@wackyvorlon: My mom knows about my rabid anti-BS stance, and agrees with me but has dabbled in woo from time to time. Now she claimed proudly that she never did, but I reminded her of the time that she had magnets put in / through her earlobes to aid quitting smoking. Pretty innocent, the only danger is some remote chance of infection, and she discounted is as such. No harm done.
And I reminded her that the biggest harm done was leading the "practitioner" to falsely believe that what he's doing is effective, he has a right to do it and has a right to charge for it. Who knows what else he now feels strengthened to apply.
Posted by: Niobe | August 15, 2008 1:58 AM
I hope someone ads the phrase "only to be performed by a licensed flame therapist" to this. I don't really feel sorry for anyone who tries this on himself, but there are crazies who subject their children to anything and everything.
Posted by: The Nerd | August 15, 2008 9:45 AM
FIRE IS THE CLEANSER!!!.
I, for one, welcome our Flame Detoxing overlords.
I LOL'd, Orac.
Posted by: Rogue Epidemiologist | August 15, 2008 12:32 PM
"Well, there is the Myths about homeopathy page, which appears to have been written by a true believer. I've seen an article very much like it somewhere else."
Perhaps on the "Zeus Information Service" website?.
Posted by: Mojo | August 15, 2008 12:36 PM
Orac, that bit about Sokal reminded me of THIS. If only we could retool it spout out biomedical terminology...
Note to self: Invite hacker friends to help with small project
Posted by: Rogue Epidemiologist | August 15, 2008 12:48 PM
Hmm, didn't seem to like the hypertext reference tag. Here's the URL http://pdos.csail.mit.edu/scigen/
Posted by: Rogue Epidemiologist | August 15, 2008 1:14 PM
Interesting that you should mention "quantum gyroscopic homeopathy", by the way. Here's the opening sentence of an article that Milgrom recently published on the subject of Homeopathy and the New Fundamentalism:
Wiki4CAM seems to have taken the idea and run with it.
Posted by: Mojo | August 15, 2008 2:15 PM
If you're looking for great material, just mine the Golden Age of quackery: bloodletting, organomercury pills, and radium enemas!
Posted by: Anne | August 15, 2008 5:46 PM
I posted an article about the practice of "Tree Therapy".
http://www.deancameron.com/2008/08/13/close-minded-skeptics/
Posted by: dean cameron | August 16, 2008 2:25 PM
Looks like the article has been taken down.
I thought skeptics weren't allowed, so how did they determine Flame Detox is not a valid therapy? Seems s little closed-minded of them.
Posted by: Skeptico | August 16, 2008 3:37 PM
Damn right, Skeptico. I mean, I successfully used flame detox therapy and got positive results, so who are they to arbitrarily judge me.
Also, who could have known that a 6-week old baby would contain so many toxins? I blame all the mercury and arsenic that's put in baby food.
Posted by: DrFrank | August 17, 2008 7:40 AM
For faith healing you have a quite interesting guide published recently: Top 50 Saints for Sickness. Read it carefully, try to not lol, maybe you will get cracker.
Posted by: oldcola | August 17, 2008 7:46 AM
To most Americans, the concept of "nonprofit" goes hand-in-hand with trust. If a person or an agency isn't driven by money, they seem more likely to be trustworthy and unbiased.
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Nickysam
http://www.detox24.com
Posted by: nickysam | September 5, 2008 10:00 PM