Museum of Questionable Medical Devices
http://www.mtn.org/quack/welcome.htm
Health Quackery: Spotting Health Scams
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Remember stories about the old snake oil salesman who traveled from
town to town making claims for his fabulous product? Well, chances
are today’s quack is using the same sales tricks. Look for red flags
in ads or promotional material that: Promise a quick or painless
cure, Claim to be made from a special, secret, or ancient formula =97
often only available by mail or from one sponsor, Use testimonials or
undocumented case histories from satisfied patients, Claim to be
effective for a wide range of ailments, Claim to cure a disease (such
as arthritis or cancer) that is not yet understood by medical
science, Offer an additional “free” gift or a larger amount of the
product as a “special promotion,” or Require advance payment and
claim limited availability of the product.