Peter Brandt wrote and quoted Christopher, who had said:

> >Sure there are mountebanks and quacks (even in the AMA!).
>

So Peter asked:

> Who comes to mind?

Hopefully, no one will accuse me of sticking my nose too far in another person's
business, but I'd like to submit an entry in this contest.

Around 1964, a good friend, afflicted with stomach ulcers, submitted to the AMA
highly touted "stomach freezing" solution.  The "miraculous" process was simple:
a balloon was placed in the stomach and liquid nitrogen was circulated until the
glands producing "excessive" stomach acid were destroyed.

It seemed risky to me, so I encouraged him to get not only a second, but a third
opinion.  He did and got nothing but glowing reports.  However, getting on the
operating table started the downhill part of his life: 10 years of half & half
later he was dead at 43.

Over the years the AMA finally had to acknowledge the corpses lying around and
stopped urging that particular quackery.  They currently support surgical implant
of a silliness termed an esophageal "ring" that supposedly blocks stomach
"reflex."

Of course their latest fad is quackery and will be abandoned in due time.  Of
course it's too much to ask that they quit push-push-pushing high-dollar
surgery.  And of course it's too much to ask that they instead give their
heartburn patients a 10 cent handout that will teach them how to properly
food-combine to eliminate the distress.  However, should they be forced into that
corner, you can rest assured they will deny Herbert Shelton's half century of
inspired food-combining teachings.

I doubt I'll be around, but I predict that one day an awakened public will
automatically equate the whole drug-shill AMA with quackery.

Regards,
Rex Harrill