Russ, thanks for the information, and you make some good points, especially on the quackwatch deal. I'd like to reiterate that I believe Huggins may very well be spot on in regards to amalgam issue; what I am questioning is the lengths to which he seemingly goes with the mercury business, and the outrageously expensive procedures he reccommends raise all kinds of red flags. One of the tricks of the trade for con artists, disinformationists, and cults (i.e., scientology) is to give the air of authenticity and objectivity by sprinkling little bits of truth with exaggerations, half-truths, and distortions. I'm not saying that is the case with Huggins, but the initial warning signs are there. My approach is to proceed with extreme caution, as there are plenty of people out there (especially in the "medical" profession) who will take advantage of ill, desperate people who are just looking for an answer to all of their problems (cancer patients in particular), and ultimately what they are left with is shallow pockets and dashed hopes. Caveat Emptor, that's all I'm saying.

Your arguments regarding "conspiracies" breaks down a bit, in my opinion. On the one hand, you keep repeating the mantra "follow the money", as if anyone who makes a buck is automatically a knowing participant in some conspiracy to rob people. But what if we follow the money trail to Dr Huggins? Do you hold him to the same standards? What about the alternative medicine field? This is a huge, money making industry - if we follow the money, are also left concluding that this is part of some conspiracy as well between the makers of such products and their vendors? For that matter, are you profiting from the sales of the books that you are pretty aggressively pushing here? That's a rhetorical question, but see how that "follow the money trail" thing can be.

In regards to the many people you know who have experienced improved health as a result of the removal of amalgams, I can only say "good for you!". Anecdotal evidence should certainly not be ignored in assessing the effectiveness of amalgam removal. I hope I experience the same results. Speaking of which, another question I have is that some people spend thousands and thousands of dollars on expensive dental procedures and protocols and experience absolutely no improvement whatsoever. How do we account for these cases, if mercury poisoning is indeed the cause?

Thanks for the info the WBC question. Indeed, I found a similar citation online as well: http://www.spiritofhealing.com/articles/html/diseases_caused_by_mercury.html

Tom