In February 1945, Lieutenant Onoda was part of a Japanese contingent that fought American troops in a four-day battle on Lubang. Most of the Japanese troops were killed; the survivors split up into small bands. The following month, 41 Japanese soldiers surrendered. Only one small band, Onoda and two fellow soldiers, refused to surrender.
Lieutenant Onoda spent the next 30 years engaged in guerilla fighting in the mountains against the villagers of the island.
Despite leaflets dropped by aircraft in 1952 declaring the war over, and numerous search parties, the trio refused to believe the war was over.
By 1972, both of Onoda's companions had been killed by gunfire in battles with villagers. Alone now, he still fought on. Personal entreaties by relatives went for naught. It wasn't until Onoda's commanding officer stood before him and ordered him to surrender that the saga ended.
Reminiscent of poor Hiroo, although less dramatic, is L.A. Chotkowski,MD, who on August 26, 1997 sent this memo to the "scientific community":
| What's New in Medicine L.A. Chotkowski, M.D., F.A.C.P. 1143 Chamberlain Highway Kensington, CT 06036 Tel. (860) 828-5016 8-26-1997
Dear Member of the Scientific Community: I am writing a book titled, "Chiropractic: the Greatest Hoax of the Century?", which concludes that, "There is no such entity as the chiropractic theory of subluxation of the spinal vertebra, pressing on a nerve, causing disease of various organs supplied by that nerve, and that chiropractic adjustments of such theoretical subluxations cannot alleviate disease or maintain health." I am seeking opinions from various prominent authorities and organizations in the scientific field that would support this view, and would appreciate an opinion from you. Yours truly, L.A. Chotkowski,M.D . |
Like Lt. Onoda, Dr. Chotkowski appears to be fighting a "war" that is over. As Dr. Chotkowski states, he already has his "conclusion," but would like "opinions from various prominent authorities and organizations in the scientific field that would support this view."
The result of Dr. Chotkowski's efforts is a 197-page paperback in which he does everything he can to suggest that medicine will still win the war. It is littered with pathetic attempts to rationalize selected information.
The responses to Dr. Chotkowski's appeal were predictable. Most of his information came from chiropractic's long-time adversary, the National Council Against Health Fraud. But some of his colleagues tried to coax him off his island to surrender.
Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop,MD, noted:
"You've taken on a difficult task. Although many people might agree with your general endeavor and the title of your book, the time for that is probably past."
Noted RAND researcher Paul Shekelle,MD,PhD, warned:
"The net weight of evidence for acute low back pain continues to be positive in favor of manipulation."
Anthony Rosner,PhD, research director of the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research, tried to enlighten Dr. Chotkowski with no less than 11 referenced research studies, but to no avail.
Oddly enough, Dr. Chotkowski spends quite a bit of text attacking Practice and Principles of Chiropractic by Scott Haldeman,DC,MD,PhD. Dr. Chotkowski also tries to rationalize the chiropractic's victory in Wilk et al. v. AMA et al. These chapters in particular are testaments of futility.
Dr. Chotkowski's final comment in his book are perhaps the most revealing:
"The solution to the chiropractic dilemma is suggested in the book, namely that chiropractic admits that the theory is a hoax, and convert chiropractic colleges into scientific institutions patterned after medical schools as the osteopaths have done."
Had Dr. Chotkowski seriously considered Dr. David Eisenberg's most recent study of "alternative medicine" use in the U.S.,1 he would have discovered that the number of visits to "alternative care providers" in 1997 was nearly double the number of visits to all "primary care physicians." He would have understood that the American public is making choices that are causing medical schools to add "manipulation" and other forms of "alternative" care to their curricula. He would see the world as it is now, not how it was 30 years ago.
Perhaps someone can get through to Dr. Chotkowski. The war is over.
Reference
1. Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Ettner SL, Appel S, Wilkey S, Rompay MV, Kessler RC. Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990-1997. JAMA 1998;280:1569-75.
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