Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij



Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij (VtdK; English: "Association against Quackery") is the oldest skeptical organization in the world, having been founded in 1880 in the Netherlands, and it is still active.

The initial interest of the society was in practicing medicine without a license and in the manufacture of "secret remedies" (patent medicine). Since 1881, the society has published the journal Nederlands Tijdschrift tegen de Kwakzalverij (NTtdK). In the first year of the NTtdK, it expressed skepticism about the efficacy (but not the safety) of the deadly herbal medicine Aristolochia.

By the 1950s, the society's interest focusted on magnetic therapy, parapsychology, non-medical manipulative therapy, and herbal medicine. Since the 1980s, the society has fought against alternative medicine, including acupuncture, homeopathy, manipulative therapy, anthroposophical medicine, and naturopathy.

Twenty most notorious healers
In 2001, the VtdK published a report of the twenty most notorious Dutch healers (quacks) of the 20th century". The list featured: • 2

Maria Sickesz
A substantial amount of Dutch press coverage was given to the 2001 report, and needless to say the living quacks in the report were not happy about it. The report itself was very specific about the definition of quack as not implying fraud, but news reports generally referred to a more general definition that did include fraud, an important legal distinction. Maria Sickesz (#7, above) sued the VtdK in 2005 for making an onrechtmatige daad (unlawful act) against her. Sickesz lost the case initially, but won on appeal in 2007. The case was finally settled by the Court of Cassation in favor of VtdK in 2009 based on which is regarding to freedom of expression and information. The court battle brought financial difficulty to VtdK, bringing it close to bankruptcy.

Sylvia Millecam
Dutch actress Sylvia Millecam was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and initially sought conventional medicine after the initial diagnosis. After several visits to the doctor she chose alternative medical treatments exclusively, including from Jomanda (#16, above) and many alternative medicine practitioners, three of whom had medical licenses. Her treatment included electro-acupuncture, "cell specific cancer treatment" and "salt therapy". During treatment, she was repeatedly told that she did not have cancer, but eventually her condition became much worse and she entered a hospital after her tumor had grown past the point of being treatable, dying there in 2001. After her death, a public prosecutor pressed charges against two of the professionals and Jomanda, but later dropped charges because Millecam had made her own decision regarding treatment. Following this, VtdK and (another Dutch skeptical organization) forced the prosecutor to continue the case. The result of the prosecution was that two of the three medical professionals temporarily lost their licenses to practice as a result of her death, and the acquittal of Jomanda.

Meester Kackadorisprijs
Since 2004, the society has awarded an annual "'Meester Kackadorisprijs' to institutions, individuals or companies that have contributed significantly to the spread of quackery in the Netherlands." The prize is named after a quack doctor in a 1631 short comedy.

External link

 * Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij