salimma's Journal: Quack medicine

From New York Times (free registration required):

Herbs? Bull Thymus? Beijing Leaps at Anti-SARS Potions

...
  Nevertheless, the lively market in SARS nostrums rolled along, with hot items like Xiong Xian Tai, an extract of newborn bull thymus that is given by injection and costs more than $100, and Zhuan Yi Yin Zi, a drink made from the spleens of healthy animals.
...

Sometimes I am really embarrassed of the land of my ancestors. Quack medication is still all the rage, what with so-called 'self-made' businesspeople not having a proper understanding of science; in fact, often looking down on it.

And it is always some poor animals that falls prey; the ignorance combined with the hunger for the exotic. The basking sharks are going extinct in British waters mainly due to export to Asia, and monkey brains and bear paws are delicacies.

Not to mention tiger penises for virility, vinegar for foiling SARS, and you get the picture.

At least the French don't tend to go for endangered species... then again, to think about it, Europeans did manage to exterminate quite a few species themselves, either for sport or through negligence.

As a disclaimer I should add that I am no vegetarian. Oh dearie, I think I can expect to be flamed to death over this. Is there any culinary group I have not insulted in some way? And I do mean every word I just said...

Your meat-eating, pro-animal-welfare contrarian