Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij

The VtdK logo

This might be Skepticism

But we're not sure

Skeptic's Annotated Bible Prometheus Books Atheism Plus Skeptical Libertarian International Fact-Checking Network Encyclopedia of American Loons

Who's asking?

Penn & Teller John Thomas Sladek Elizabeth Loftus Neil deGrasse Tyson The Thinking Atheist Nodes of Science v - t - e

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 20^th century". The list featured:

1. Cornelis Moerman (1893–1988): Moerman Therapy, cancer quackery
2. Jules Samuels (1888–1975): endogenous endocrine therapy using electromagnetism
3. Johan Borgman (1889–1976): paranormal healing
4. H. van der Upwich (1898–1997): raw food, fad diet, all illness is due to indigestion
5. Het Staphorster Boertje (1840–1922): herbal medicine
6. J.G. Defares (1927–2015): cell therapy, hormone replacement therapy, orthomolecular medicine, enzyme therapy, Filatow tissue therapy, Bogolometz-Korenchevsky serum therapy, Aslan procaine therapy
7. Mevr. M. Sickesz [Maria (Mayita) Sickesz] (1923–2015): orthomanual medicine (a variation of osteopathy that is supposed to be a panacea)
8. P.J. van der Schaar: ozone therapy, cell therapy, chelation therapy
9. Ad J. Lodewijkx: orthomolecular medicine, fad diet
10. Femia Haverhoek: homeopathy, clairvoyance
11. Gerard Croiset (1909–1980): paranomral healer
12. A.J. Houtsmuller (1924–2015): Moerman therapy, fad diet, megavitamin therapy
13. H.J. Eilers: patent medicine containing petroleum, cod liver oil and cinnamon oil for treating tuberculosis, multiple convictions for practicing medicine without a license
14. H.P.J.A. Maas: homeopathy, acupuncture, paranormal, anthroposophical medicine
15. Greet Hofmans (1894–1968): faith healing
16. Jomanda (a.k.a. Johanna Wilhelmina Petronella Damman) (1948–): spiritualist healer
17. F.J.M. Neelissen (1938–): homeopathy, acupuncture, focus diagnostics dental woo
18. J.G. Mieremet (1885–1967): magnetic therapy, dowsing
19. Rama Polderman (1924–2004): homeopathy, chakras, color therapy
20. Jelle Veeman (1922–): paranormal healer, magnetic therapy, third eye

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 Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, 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" (Zoetron therapy) 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 Stichting Skepsis (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.

See also

• Quackwatch
• Simon Singh, a skeptic who was sued by the British Chiropractic Association

External link

• Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij