The Curmudgeon

YOU'LL COME FOR THE CURSES. YOU'LL STAY FOR THE MUDGEONRY.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Witch Hunt

If true, the allegations against Dr Joyce Pratt, of Birmingham, could provide a useful pointer towards a future of science "balanced" by religion in Tony's Faith Emporium. It is alleged that Dr Pratt told a woman in search of contraceptive advice that she "had something awful inside her" and advised her to get a second opinion from a priest at Westminster Cathedral, with a view to a possible exorcism. She also supposedly bandied about accusations of witchcraft and conspiracy to murder, though staff and agencies' use of the word "her" fails to make entirely clear who was the alleged witch or who the alleged victim. The road of faith was ever strewn with thorns, and the good doctor is charged with acting in a fashion "irresponsible, unprofessional, intimidatory to her patient and liable to bring the profession into disrepute" and is further accused of not co-operating with the efforts of her employer and primary care trust to investigate the claims. It is possible they were interested only in material evidence, which has had a regrettable but no doubt temporary vogue in such matters ever since we left behind the good old days of Matthew Hopkins and Malleus Maleficarum.

Strangely enough, what with the case being still sub judice and all, none of Tony's disciples has yet felt morally bound to express an opinion, as some of them undoubtedly would have done were Dr Pratt accused of wearing inappropriate headgear to work. Perhaps they feel over-qualified to discuss medical matters, which are, after all, little more than a lot of theories.

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