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Letters |5 November 2002

Lyme Disease Controversy: Use and Misuse of Language

Raphael B. Stricker, MD

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  • California Pacific Medical Center; San Francisco, CA 94108
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TO THE EDITOR:
In dividing physicians who treat Lyme disease into “rationalists” and “empiricists,” Dr. Sigal (1) makes one of the oldest mistakes in science: He assumes that we know practically everything about Lyme disease and that empiricism based on clinical observation, animal modeling, and newer research techniques cannot add to this knowledge. The corollary to this narrow reasoning is that if we could eliminate descriptive terms for empirical observations in chronic Lyme disease, the disease itself would disappear. This deconstructionist view is scientifically irrational.
In addition to espousing an untenable philosophy, Sigal makes two fatal clinical errors: He ignores...
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Stricker RB. Lyme Disease Controversy: Use and Misuse of Language. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:776. doi: https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-137-9-200211050-00029

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Published: Ann Intern Med. 2002;137(9):776.

DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-137-9-200211050-00029

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