Number 5 is Alive

Mark Honeychurch - 18 September 2023

For the last few months, we’ve been asking if anyone has a copy of our missing NZ Skeptics Journal issues, and with the help of long-time member John Welch we were able to fill most of our gaps, with the exception of issue 5. Since then we’ve been wondering if maybe issue 5 didn’t exist, that maybe the elusive number 5 was skipped as a joke to wind up future archivists - an urban legend, the mysterious issue that nobody could find.

Last week, Bronwyn took a trip to the National Library to check out their collection of our Journal’s back issues. I think I may have squealed out loud when I received a message from her with a picture of the front cover of issue 5.

This was followed up with scans of all seven pages from the newsletter, which I’m currently in the process of OCRing and adding to our back catalogue. One article in particular stood out, from one of our frequent journal contributors, Jim Ring from Nelson - so I’ve added it to this newsletter. Jim wrote about the worrying state of acceptance of unproven alternative medicines, and how effective legislation is needed to protect consumers from the empty promises of scientifically impossible cure-alls. Reading this article nearly 4 decades later is especially disappointing given that, in last week’s newsletter, Katrina looked at the failings of our new Therapeutic Products legislation, especially when it comes to the sheer number of free passes given to Natural Health Products.

As well as Jim’s article from way back in 1987, I’ve written about a practical example of a dodgy claim made about an unproven medical device. This weekend I trialled one of the Father’s Day presents my delightful family gave to me - a snoring strap.

Bronwyn has written a great article about MMS, as the first in a series looking at dodgy cures sold to unsuspecting autistic people and their families.

Finally, I’ve written the second and final part of my Chinese scam story, where I was catfished and trained in how to make oodles of money from investing in gold.