Alternative medicine broadly describes methods and practices used in place of, or in addition to, conventional medical treatments. The precise scope of alternative medicine is a matter of some debate and depends to a great extent on the definition of "conventional medicine." The debate on alternative medicine is complicated further by the diversity of treatments that are categorized as "alternative." These include practices that incorporate spiritual, metaphysical, or religious underpinnings; non-European medical traditions; newly develop ...

Including:

• Alternative medicine - Definitions
• Alternative medicine - A misleading term?
• Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine
• Alternative medicine - Regulation
• Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine
• Alternative medicine - Medical education
• Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine
• Alternative medicine - Efficacy
• Alternative medicine - Danger reduced when used as a complement to conventional medicine
• Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine
• Alternative medicine - Efficacy
• Alternative medicine - Safety

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Alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Regulation, Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Medical education, Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Danger reduced when used as a complement to conventional medicine, Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Safety

Read more here: » Alternative medicine: Encyclopedia II - Alternative medicine - Regulation

Alternative medicine broadly describes methods and practices used in place of, or in addition to, conventional medical treatments. The precise scope of alternative medicine is a matter of some debate and depends to a great extent on the definition of "conventional medicine." The debate on alternative medicine is complicated further by the diversity of treatments that are categorized as "alternative." These include practices that incorporate spiritual, metaphysical, or religious underpinnings; non-European medical traditions; newly developed approaches to healing; and a number of others. Proponents of ...

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Alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Definitions, Alternative medicine - A misleading term?, Alternative medicine - Complementary and alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Regulation, Alternative medicine - Contemporary use of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Medical education, Alternative medicine - Support for alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Danger reduced when used as a complement to conventional medicine, Alternative medicine - Criticism of alternative medicine, Alternative medicine - Efficacy, Alternative medicine - Safety

Read more here: » Alternative medicine: Encyclopedia II - Alternative medicine - Definitions

Naturopathic medicine is the practice of attempting to improve the health of patients through the application of natural remedies. Naturopathic medicine - History of naturopathic medicine. The term naturopathy was coined before 1900, by John Scheel, and used by Benedict Lust. Lust, a German last name meaning "love" pronounced like "loost", had been schooled in hydrotherapy and other natural health practices in Germany by Father Sebastian Kneipp, who sent Lust to the United States to bring them Kneipp's meth ...

Including:

• Naturopathic medicine - History of naturopathic medicine
• Naturopathic medicine - Naturopathic physicians and traditional naturopaths
• Naturopathic medicine - Naturopathic physicians
• Naturopathic medicine - Traditional naturopaths
• Naturopathic medicine - The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
• Naturopathic medicine - The healing power of nature
• Naturopathic medicine - Identify and treat the cause
• Naturopathic medicine - First do no harm
• Naturopathic medicine - Treat the whole person
• Naturopathic medicine - The physician as teacher
• Naturopathic medicine - Prevention
• Naturopathic medicine - Regulation in North America
• Naturopathic medicine - Regulation in the United Kingdom
• Naturopathic medicine - Scope of practice
• Naturopathic medicine - Criticism

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Iridology is an alternative medicine practice in which patterns, colors and other characteristics of stromal fibers of the iris are examined for information about a patient's systemic health. Practitioners match their observations to iris charts which divide the iris into many zones believed to correspond to specific parts of the human body. Little if any rigorous scientific evidence exists confirming any such link between aspects of the iris and a patient's state of health and there is no recognized ca ...

Including:

• Iridology - Methods
• Iridology - History
• Iridology - Support for iridology
• Iridology - Criticism of iridology
• Iridology - Scientific research into iridology
• Iridology - Regulation licensure and certification
• Iridology - Related practices

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Dental amalgams have been suspected by some medical practitioners, particularly of integrative or alternative medicine, of causing many physical and/or psychological problems. They reason that, since mercury is poisonous, so must be anything in the mouth which contains and releases mercury; hence, that amalgams in the mouth are poisonous. While amalgam fillings are universally regarded as hazardous waste outside the mouth, after removal, and as hazardous material before insertion into the mouth, the dispute rests o ...

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Dental amalgam controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - History of dental amalgam, Dental amalgam controversy - Appearance, Dental amalgam controversy - History of controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - Composition, Dental amalgam controversy - Regulation, Dental amalgam controversy - Environmental impact, Dental amalgam controversy - Amalgams and Alternative Medicine

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One obvious disadvantage of using amalgams for fillings is they look unattractive. The material is black (silver if an abrasive toothpaste is used) and can clearly be seen on, and sometimes behind, a tooth. For this reason alone, amalgam fillings are seldom used in the front teeth. There are, however, still dentists who use them in the back teeth, especially since dental amalgams are generally considered to be somewhat tougher wearing than most composite fillings. An advantage of amalgam fillings is the antiseptic properties inherent in them ...

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Dental amalgam controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - History of dental amalgam, Dental amalgam controversy - Appearance, Dental amalgam controversy - History of controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - Composition, Dental amalgam controversy - Regulation, Dental amalgam controversy - Environmental impact, Dental amalgam controversy - Amalgams and Alternative Medicine

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In 1895 the multitude of formulas for making amalgam were standardised: The gamma-2-phase amalgams contain approximately equal parts 50% of liquid mercury and 50% of an alloy powder containing: > 65% silver (Ag) < 29% tin (Sn) < 6% copper (Cu) < 2% zinc (Zn) < 3% mercury (Hg) Around 1970, the ingredients changed f ...

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Dental amalgam controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - History of dental amalgam, Dental amalgam controversy - Appearance, Dental amalgam controversy - History of controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - Composition, Dental amalgam controversy - Regulation, Dental amalgam controversy - Environmental impact, Dental amalgam controversy - Amalgams and Alternative Medicine

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In 1840 the only official dentist organisation in existence, the American Society of Dental Surgeons, which had promoted mercury amalgams since its inception, had members sign a mandatory pledge promising not to use mercury fillings because of fear of mercury poisoning in patients and dentists. It must be noted that in 1840 dentists mixed the amalgam themselves in their office, making the office a source of poisonous levels of mercury. The American Society of Dental Surgeons however pointed out that amalgams are toxic in the mouth and ...

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Dental amalgam controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - History of dental amalgam, Dental amalgam controversy - Appearance, Dental amalgam controversy - History of controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - Composition, Dental amalgam controversy - Regulation, Dental amalgam controversy - Environmental impact, Dental amalgam controversy - Amalgams and Alternative Medicine

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The World Health Organization, OSHA, and NIOSH, all agree that mercury is an environmental poison and have established specific occupational exposure limits. Mercury enters the environment as a pollutant from various different industries, since it has been applied to many different uses. For details see the article Mercury. The Environmental Protection Agency has declared amalgams removed from teeth to be toxic waste. Even the American Dental Association warns that amalgam filling material is hazardous to dental ...

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Dental amalgam controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - History of dental amalgam, Dental amalgam controversy - Appearance, Dental amalgam controversy - History of controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - Composition, Dental amalgam controversy - Regulation, Dental amalgam controversy - Environmental impact, Dental amalgam controversy - Amalgams and Alternative Medicine

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This change in the amalgam formula was introduced without having to undergo FDA approval because amalgams are classified as a device, not a substance. Device modification does not need FDA approval. As far as the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations is concerned amalgams are a prosthetic device. Amalgam Alloy, (a) Identification. An amalgam alloy is a device that consists of a metallic substance intended to be mixed with mercury to form filling material for treatment of dental caries. (b) Classification. Class II (21 CFR 872.3050 (2001)). This prevented amalgams from undergoing the testing which had ...

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Dental amalgam controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - History of dental amalgam, Dental amalgam controversy - Appearance, Dental amalgam controversy - History of controversy, Dental amalgam controversy - Composition, Dental amalgam controversy - Regulation, Dental amalgam controversy - Environmental impact, Dental amalgam controversy - Amalgams and Alternative Medicine

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Animal testing - United States. In the United States, animal testing is primarily regulated by the 1985 Animal Welfare Act, which is enforced by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It contains provisions to ensure animals used in research receive humane care and treatment. [16] However mice, rats and birds are exempt, meaning over 95% of research animals in the USA are not covered by this legislation. [17] However, the Act does require each institu ...

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Animal testing, Animal testing - Terminology, Animal testing - Regulation, Animal testing - United States, Animal testing - Europe, Animal testing - Japan, Animal testing - Number of animals used, Animal testing - Species used, Animal testing - Types of experiment, Animal testing - Advancing scientific knowledge, Animal testing - Studying disease and developing medicines, Animal testing - Assessing the safety of chemicals, Animal testing - Controversy, Animal testing - Advocates of animal testing, Animal testing - Opponents of animal testing, Animal testing - Allegations of abuse, Animal testing - Huntingdon Life Sciences, Animal testing - Covance, Animal testing - University of Cambridge, Animal testing - University of California Riverside, Animal testing - Columbia University, Animal testing - Cosmetic testing on animals, Animal testing - Alternatives to animal testing

Read more here: » Animal testing: Encyclopedia II - Animal testing - Regulation

Accurate global figures for animal testing are difficult to collect. The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) estimates that 100 million animals are experimented on around the world every year, 10–11 million of them in the European Union [35] (pdf) and 1,101,958 in the United States in 2004 [36] (pdf p.3). The Nuffield Council on Bioethics reports that "[e]stimates of the total number of animals used annually in research around the world are difficult to obtain and range from between 50 to 100 million animals" [37] (pdf). Animals bred for research then killed as surplus, or use ...

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Animal testing, Animal testing - Terminology, Animal testing - Regulation, Animal testing - United States, Animal testing - Europe, Animal testing - Japan, Animal testing - Number of animals used, Animal testing - Species used, Animal testing - Types of experiment, Animal testing - Advancing scientific knowledge, Animal testing - Studying disease and developing medicines, Animal testing - Assessing the safety of chemicals, Animal testing - Controversy, Animal testing - Advocates of animal testing, Animal testing - Opponents of animal testing, Animal testing - Allegations of abuse, Animal testing - Huntingdon Life Sciences, Animal testing - Covance, Animal testing - University of Cambridge, Animal testing - University of California Riverside, Animal testing - Columbia University, Animal testing - Cosmetic testing on animals, Animal testing - Alternatives to animal testing

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Rats and mice are used in large proportion because they are small, cheap, easy to handle and care for, and can produce up to 100 babies in a year. Albino rabbits are used in eye irritancy tests because they have less tear flow than other animals. Beagles and non-human primates are used in toxicity tests, surgery, dental experiments, and brain research. Most of the NHPs used are baboons, macaques, marmosets, and chimpanzees. The use of great apes, also known as Hominidae — humans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and orang utans — is prohibited in ...

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Animal testing, Animal testing - Terminology, Animal testing - Regulation, Animal testing - United States, Animal testing - Europe, Animal testing - Japan, Animal testing - Number of animals used, Animal testing - Species used, Animal testing - Types of experiment, Animal testing - Advancing scientific knowledge, Animal testing - Studying disease and developing medicines, Animal testing - Assessing the safety of chemicals, Animal testing - Controversy, Animal testing - Advocates of animal testing, Animal testing - Opponents of animal testing, Animal testing - Allegations of abuse, Animal testing - Huntingdon Life Sciences, Animal testing - Covance, Animal testing - University of Cambridge, Animal testing - University of California Riverside, Animal testing - Columbia University, Animal testing - Cosmetic testing on animals, Animal testing - Alternatives to animal testing

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There are a range of scientific uses of animals, which can be split into three broad and at times overlapping categories. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics, in its The ethics of research involving animals - a guide to the report (accessible from here [48]) has categorised them according to the subheadings below. Animal testing - Advancing scientific knowledge. ‘Basic research’ increases scientific knowledge about the way animals and humans behave, or develop and function biologically. It is not ne ...

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Animal testing, Animal testing - Terminology, Animal testing - Regulation, Animal testing - United States, Animal testing - Europe, Animal testing - Japan, Animal testing - Number of animals used, Animal testing - Species used, Animal testing - Types of experiment, Animal testing - Advancing scientific knowledge, Animal testing - Studying disease and developing medicines, Animal testing - Assessing the safety of chemicals, Animal testing - Controversy, Animal testing - Advocates of animal testing, Animal testing - Opponents of animal testing, Animal testing - Allegations of abuse, Animal testing - Huntingdon Life Sciences, Animal testing - Covance, Animal testing - University of Cambridge, Animal testing - University of California Riverside, Animal testing - Columbia University, Animal testing - Cosmetic testing on animals, Animal testing - Alternatives to animal testing

Read more here: » Animal testing: Encyclopedia II - Animal testing - Types of experiment

Animal testing - Advocates of animal testing. Testing advocates argue that: It would be unethical to test substances or drug with potentially adverse side-effects on human beings. [56] Controlled experiments involve introducing only one variable at a time, which is why animals are experimented on while confined inside a laboratory. Human beings could not be confined in this way. [57] There is no substitute for the living systems necessary to study interaction among cells, tissue, an ...

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Animal testing, Animal testing - Terminology, Animal testing - Regulation, Animal testing - United States, Animal testing - Europe, Animal testing - Japan, Animal testing - Number of animals used, Animal testing - Species used, Animal testing - Types of experiment, Animal testing - Advancing scientific knowledge, Animal testing - Studying disease and developing medicines, Animal testing - Assessing the safety of chemicals, Animal testing - Controversy, Animal testing - Advocates of animal testing, Animal testing - Opponents of animal testing, Animal testing - Allegations of abuse, Animal testing - Huntingdon Life Sciences, Animal testing - Covance, Animal testing - University of Cambridge, Animal testing - University of California Riverside, Animal testing - Columbia University, Animal testing - Cosmetic testing on animals, Animal testing - Alternatives to animal testing

Read more here: » Animal testing: Encyclopedia II - Animal testing - Controversy

Undercover investigations by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have documented and filmed what appear to be examples of animal abuse in laboratories. Animal testing - Huntingdon Life Sciences. PETA filmed staff inside a British laboratory owned by Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), Europe's largest animal-testing facility, punching puppies in the face, screaming at them, and simulating sex acts while taking blood samples. [65] (vid ...

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Animal testing, Animal testing - Terminology, Animal testing - Regulation, Animal testing - United States, Animal testing - Europe, Animal testing - Japan, Animal testing - Number of animals used, Animal testing - Species used, Animal testing - Types of experiment, Animal testing - Advancing scientific knowledge, Animal testing - Studying disease and developing medicines, Animal testing - Assessing the safety of chemicals, Animal testing - Controversy, Animal testing - Advocates of animal testing, Animal testing - Opponents of animal testing, Animal testing - Allegations of abuse, Animal testing - Huntingdon Life Sciences, Animal testing - Covance, Animal testing - University of Cambridge, Animal testing - University of California Riverside, Animal testing - Columbia University, Animal testing - Cosmetic testing on animals, Animal testing - Alternatives to animal testing

Read more here: » Animal testing: Encyclopedia II - Animal testing - Allegations of abuse

Cosmetics testing is particularly controversial. It is banned in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK [78] (pdf), and in 2002, after 13 years of negotiations, the European Union agreed to ban cosmetic testing on animals in 2009, with a ban on products still tested on animals being introduced by 2014. News reports say France is the main reason behind the delays, with the French cosmetics industry allegedly exerting pressure on the government. [79] Cosmetic testing on animals includes: testing a finished product such as lip ...

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Animal testing, Animal testing - Terminology, Animal testing - Regulation, Animal testing - United States, Animal testing - Europe, Animal testing - Japan, Animal testing - Number of animals used, Animal testing - Species used, Animal testing - Types of experiment, Animal testing - Advancing scientific knowledge, Animal testing - Studying disease and developing medicines, Animal testing - Assessing the safety of chemicals, Animal testing - Controversy, Animal testing - Advocates of animal testing, Animal testing - Opponents of animal testing, Animal testing - Allegations of abuse, Animal testing - Huntingdon Life Sciences, Animal testing - Covance, Animal testing - University of Cambridge, Animal testing - University of California Riverside, Animal testing - Columbia University, Animal testing - Cosmetic testing on animals, Animal testing - Alternatives to animal testing

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Most scientists and governments say they agree that animal testing should cause as little suffering to animals as possible, and that animal tests should only be performed where necessary. The "three Rs" [83] are guiding principles for the use of animals in research in many countries: Reduction refers to methods which enable researchers to obtain comparable levels of information from fewer animals, or to obtain more information from the same number of animals. Replacement refers to the use of non-animal met ...

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Animal testing, Animal testing - Terminology, Animal testing - Regulation, Animal testing - United States, Animal testing - Europe, Animal testing - Japan, Animal testing - Number of animals used, Animal testing - Species used, Animal testing - Types of experiment, Animal testing - Advancing scientific knowledge, Animal testing - Studying disease and developing medicines, Animal testing - Assessing the safety of chemicals, Animal testing - Controversy, Animal testing - Advocates of animal testing, Animal testing - Opponents of animal testing, Animal testing - Allegations of abuse, Animal testing - Huntingdon Life Sciences, Animal testing - Covance, Animal testing - University of Cambridge, Animal testing - University of California Riverside, Animal testing - Columbia University, Animal testing - Cosmetic testing on animals, Animal testing - Alternatives to animal testing

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There are two groups calling themselves "naturopaths" who have recently been engaged in legal battles. The term when originally coined by John Scheel, and popularized by Dr. Benedict Lust (a German name, meaning "love", pronounced "loost") was to apply to those receiving an education in the basic medical sciences with an emphasis on natural therapies: Naturopathic physicians "Traditional" nat ...

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Naturopathic medicine, Naturopathic medicine - History of naturopathic medicine, Naturopathic medicine - Naturopathic physicians and traditional naturopaths, Naturopathic medicine - Naturopathic physicians, Naturopathic medicine - Traditional naturopaths, Naturopathic medicine - The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine, Naturopathic medicine - The healing power of nature, Naturopathic medicine - Identify and treat the cause, Naturopathic medicine - First do no harm, Naturopathic medicine - Treat the whole person, Naturopathic medicine - The physician as teacher, Naturopathic medicine - Prevention, Naturopathic medicine - Regulation in North America, Naturopathic medicine - Regulation in the United Kingdom, Naturopathic medicine - Scope of practice, Naturopathic medicine - Criticism

Read more here: » Naturopathic medicine: Encyclopedia II - Naturopathic medicine - Naturopathic physicians and traditional naturopaths