Reply #12: i realize that "toxin" has a different meaning in general [View All]

[treepig]

usage than its more rigorous definition in specific biological fields, just like "theory" means "wild, half-assed guess" in general usage but has quite a different scientific meaning. however, since this article clearly was not aimed at the scientifically literate i'll stop quibbling over semantics. however, i don't think it's mere quibbling to wonder why a 1941 study is cited to make the point that polio is not contagious - while neglecting more than half a century of follow-up studies that establish its route of person to person transmission. that's just plain dishonest.

also, if DDT does cause polio - why is there a 0% correlation between countries where it has been used recently and where polio is currently endemic?

anyhow, upon further perusal of the web, i find there is quite the cottage industry of ascribing polio to pesticide use - of course, the specific pesticides blamed have to be carefully winnowed to provide graphs where usage somewhat approximates the pesticide in question, such as DDT, as can be seen at the following page and links therefrom:

http://www.geocities.com/harpub/overview.htm

rather interestingly, the name peter duesberg pops up repeatedly in the polio-virus-does-not-cause-poliomyetes mythology. turns out my gut instinct at the forces behind this movement, alluded to in post #2 above, were surprisingly accurate.