Bienvenue dans la section "Chiropratique" du Dr Sylvain Desforges, chiropraticien

Sometimes, the hardest enemies to fight are the snipers who lurk in the shadows, the ones who aim at our backs and then quickly retreat to the protection of the enemy lines.

Ron Slaughter is that kind of enemy. I have deliberately not dignified his name with the title "doctor." He does not hold the medical degree which he apparently lusts after, so he cannot be called an M.D. And, he does not uphold the dignity or integrity of his chiropractic degree, so he should not be called a D.C.

Who, in fact, is this Ron Slaughter? Very little has been written of his background or credentials other than some vague and contradictory references to him as a "practicing D.C." (National Council Against Health Fraud [NCAHF] Newsletter, Vol. 18, July 1995) or a "retired chiropractor" (Consumers Digest, July 1, 1994).

In 1994, he also tried to introduce a new profession called "orthopractic" into the U.S. by setting up a U.S. chapter of the Orthopractic Manipulation Society of North America, a Canadian-based organization led by another vocal chiropractic opponent, Murray Katz, M.D. Orthopractors, by their proud admission, "specifically reject the chiropractic subluxation theory" (NCAHF Newsletter, July 1, 1994).

But, not surprisingly, orthopractic failed to generate any interest and died a merciful (but none too early) death. Since Slaughter obviously doesn't talk about that particular escapade with reporters, it isn't well known.

What is known -- because it seems to show up with startling regularity -- is that he is the president of a group called the National Association for Chiropractic Medicine (NACM).

Few people know much about this phantom group, either. The phone number provided in Smart Money magazine's article is answered by a machine telling people to send a stamped, self-addressed envelope for information. Yet, the public is being deliberately given the impression that its members are the only safe, effective and responsible D.C.s in the country. In fact, Smart Money urged patients to make sure they only go to doctors who are members of this "elite" force of super-D.C.s.

During the past several years, Slaughter and the NACM have been referred to in numerous anti-chiropractic articles in the print media. In 1995, he was mentioned as a source of anti-chiropractic information in the now-infamous Woman's Day attack on chiropractic for children. Most recently, he aided and abetted in the development of the nauseating Smart Money report.

Here are a few of the things Slaughter has been quoted as saying about chiropractic:

From Remedy magazine, Nov./Dec. 1996:

"As a result of their unscientific practices, most chiropractors can be unethical and dangerous to the general population."

"In general, people in this age group (over 50) should not have manipulation near their necks because of the risk of stroke."

From Smart Money, January 1997:

"A patient would always be better off consulting their family physician first about a condition."

"No child under 12 should ever be taken to a chiropractor unless recommended by a pediatrician."

"It's bunk" (commenting on the use of chiropractic adjustments to help children with chronic ear infections, bed-wetting and asthma).

From Consumers Digest, July 1, 1994:

"In the absence of absolute knowledge of what's wrong with your back -- and where no contraindications exist -- three to six manipulations are worth a try if you have a practitioner you can trust. People who are going to get well will get well quickly, or they will see improvement."

Yet, nowhere in any of these magazines is there a single mention of Slaughter's education, credentials, publications, offices, honors or awards, or professional affiliations other than the "NACM" which he founded.

This, in itself, is extremely odd since magazines love to flaunt the expertise of the people they quote. But in each instance where Slaughter is quoted, he is identified only as the president of the NACM, with no figures as to how many member doctors actually belong to the group.

How did they find him? Why did they quote him? I have my own theories as to why so many reporters suddenly turned to a man who is little known -- and not at all respected -- by his peers.

I'm willing to bet that in the AMA's public information office, there is a rolodex with media contact numbers. In it, marked "chiropractic" is Slaughter's name. Whenever a reporter or writer wants to do research on chiropractic, chances are the first call will be to the AMA. "Who should I talk to about chiropractic?" the reporter will ask -- and you know what the answer will be.

In my opinion, most of these articles are instigated by the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

As I told Steven Swartz, editor-in-chief and president of Smart Money in my response to his publication's hit piece: "That verdict (in the AMA v Wilk case) caused a shift in the medical establishment's tactics. No longer could the AMA and other medical organizations prohibit their doctors from working with chiropractors, nor could they openly continue their campaign of misinformation designed to destroy chiropractic's reputation. Instead, the campaign went undercover, with magazines like Smart Money being used as pawns in a continuing war."

But by far the most insidious pawn in this dirty little war is Ron Slaughter, who has become the mouth piece for every misrepresentation and outright lie the medical establishment wants to shove down the throat of the public.

The only way we can defeat this particular sniper is to make sure that his lack of expertise and credibility is totally exposed to both the media and the public. We have to make sure reporters and editors around the country realize that Slaughter is a straw man, with no right or reason to speak for chiropractic.

Naturally, since the AMA wants and has cultivated a puppet who they hope will help destroy chiropractic from within, the information we present to the media and the public must be so convincing they can't ignore it even if they want to (and I assure you, they will want to ignore and suppress the truth).

To accomplish this, the World Chiropractic Alliance's Anti-Discrimination Council (ADC) wants your help. We need you to:

*** Supply us with any and all information you have on Ron Slaughter and his group NACM. This includes any articles in which he has been quoted or any documented statements he has made about chiropractic. No gossip or innuendo -- we need FACTS we can document and prove.

*** Send us a statement of your personal opinion of him, his organization, and the statements he makes to the press (be sure your comments are printable!).

*** Ask the leaders of your national, state and regional chiropractic associations to send us official statements concerning their reactions to Slaughter and his comments.

*** Contact Slaughter directly (713-280-8262) and let him know what you think of how he is presenting chiropractic to the public.

Armed with this information, the WCA/ADC will take aggressive steps to make sure that future articles on chiropractic contain only valid and responsible statements from experts who have credentials and credibility. In addition, we will alert the public to their identity and professional standings through articles in Health Watch.

For more than a century, the chiropractic profession has been the target of devious assassins who have crept through the shadows as they've tried to destroy us. But, thanks to the passion and courage of dedicated doctors, we have survived and grown stronger. Slaughter will be no different. It will be interesting to see, once we've exposed him and made him ineffective as a weapon against chiropractic, whether his allies in the medical profession will still welcome him into their camp.

I wouldn't take any bets on it.