Selling hope to the dying
A salesman selling " A pulse generator sending rectangular pulses." Screenshot/ Kastljós
An episode of current-affairs programme Kastljós on RÚV last night has created quite a stir. A man, terminally ill with MND, had a camera hidden in his clothes when meeting with a salesman trying to sell him an alternative treatment which he said had cured cancer, HIV and other diseases. The footage was shown on the programme. Another salesman was shown selling ionised water and pendulum treatment.
Snake oil salesmen profiting from the terminally ill?
The conversations of two MND patients and the "snake oil salesmen," as they were titled in the Kastljós episode show how one of them tells a patient that he will be out running in no time. The salesman, Júlíus Júlíusson, did however stress that it was not certain that his therapy would produce any results.
One of the contraptions offered for sale - From the website Zappkit.com
Guðjón Sigurðsson, who was diagnosed with MND eleven years ago is horrified at how people abused the situation of terminally ill people in this way, people who will grab any last chance at hope and for more time with their loved ones.
A pendulum and ionised water
Among the treatments offered to Sigurðsson was a rebalancing programme and ionised water. Kastljós sent the water to be diagnosed, which showed that the water was exactly the same as Icelandic tap water except that it cost 3000 ISK per bottle.
The salesman then proceeded to use a pendulum to show Sigurðsson the amount of energy in metal discs which are used as part of the treatment. Three metal discs had to be purchased for the treatment amounting to 400 thousand ISK and the whole "starter package" costs around 600 thousand ISK (4000 EUR).
Sigurðsson was also offered a plasma tube which is supposed to cure diseases with electrical currents. Amongst the companies selling such equipment is Allt hitt ehf. which specialised in frequency machines that you can plug into your smartphone.
Accuse Kastljós of prejudice against alternative healing methods
Doctors contacted by Kastljós insisted that none of these remedies had been proved to work although possibly in some cases they could treat pain.
The two salesmen featured in Kastljós in this manner tried to get a prohibition order on the episode aired last night. They have also released a statement where they condemn how the issue was tackled by the programme which they say has a narrow minded view on alternative healing methods. "These methods are sometimes thousands of years older than traditional western medicine. " They also accused the editors of Kastljós of "dragging very sick people around the city to obtain information for the episode in an illegal manner. "
