Autism: A Conspiracy of Silence
Autism: A Conspiracy of Silence
Jagannath Chatterjee
Orissa Post, 14.05.2012, Page 8,
Editorial Page
www.orissapost.com
April was Autism Awareness Month
and yet autism is virtually unknown outside of the circle of families that
harbour those unfortunate children who have been inflicted with this strange
disorder. Strange, because these children are rarely affected from birth; they
proceed normally and then suddenly change in front of their hapless parents
eyes to become a shadow of their former selves. Then begins a struggle the
magnitude of which can be appreciated only by those touched by the disorder; they
be victims, their parents or caregivers. The doctors generally shrug their
shoulders and refer these children to various therapists ignoring the extensive
physical damage lurking in them.
Autism, dubbed a neuro-behavioral
development disorder, is a painful condition involving the body, mind and emotions,
which is an epidemic today. From roughly 1 in 10,000 when first discovered by
psychiatrist Leo Kanner in 1943, who remarked that it was a novel disorder not
previously noticed, it has steadily climbed to 1 in 88, 1 in 54 among
boys. Doctors in the USA following the condition put the unofficial figure
based on more recent data as 1 in 25. In South Korea a recent Autism Speaks
study pegged the figure at 1 in 38. Going by the official figure in India, it
is admitted that there are upwards of 1.35 crore children who are autistic in
India.
This epidemic that is raging
across countries, across continents and has crossed all barriers religious, ethnic,
and social is termed a “silent epidemic” signifying the deafening silence that
has greeted its spread. As we shall see, autism is not only a silent epidemic;
it is also a conspiracy of silence.
Autism is a complex disorder
the likes of which have been seen earlier on three occasions. A similar
disorder appeared in children when they were treated with Calomel, a mercury
containing compound used to de-worm children used up to 1954. It was seen in
Japan during the Minamata Bay Poisoning episode in 1956 that was caused by a
mercury spill into the Bay by a chemical factory and in Iraq in 1971 when
villagers fed on consignment carrying wheat treated with mercury that was meant
for sowing and not for consumption.
Mercury, the second most
dangerous neurotoxin known to man, is a part of our toxic environment. Its
ubiquitous presence in hospital settings, its emission from coal based power
plants, its use as a dental amalgam in dental fillings, its presence in mercury
vapour lamps, and its use as a preservative in various vaccines have always
been a source of concern. While the other uses carry environmental risks and
therefore are protested by environmental groups, the mercury used in vaccines
is overlooked.
As per official spokesmen, as
it is injected into children and is not released into the atmosphere, this form
of mercury poses no problem. Moreover as the mercury used in vaccines is ethyl
mercury, and not methyl mercury as experts point out, it is perceived to be
less toxic. This is despite an American Academy of Pediatrics study published
in the medical journal Pediatrics, Vol 108 in July 2001, stating very clearly
that “Mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children, and
efforts must be made to reduce exposure to the extent possible to the pregnant
women and children as well as the general population”.
The intense toxicity of ethyl
mercury has been borne out by many significant scientific studies conducted by
independent scientists. The 1985 Magos et al study clearly points to the fact
that this form of mercury caused extensive damage to organs it pervades,
particularly the kidney and brain. A 2005 study by Burbacher et al revealed the
ethyl mercury converted to inorganic mercury more readily than methyl mercury
and is thus effectively trapped in the brain causing a steady damage. The
Bernard et al study of 2001 titled “Autism: a novel form of mercury poisoning”
cited more than 200 similarities between mercury poisoning and autism.
Apart from these, experiments
on monkeys have shown that vaccinations can induce autism-like symptoms. What
is more important is that 83 cases of vaccine induced autism-like symptoms have
been admitted by the Vaccine Courts in the USA and these cases have been
awarded compensation. Despite tough laws virtually denying parents of vaccine
damaged children their right to file court cases demanding compensation, more
than 5000 such cases are pending before the courts.
There have been studies however
which have sought to exonerate vaccines from blame. Of particular interest are
two groups of studies conducted by the CDC of the USA, considered to be the
final authority on the subject of vaccines.
The first one was by Dr Thomas
Verstraeten of the CDC who found a very strong association between mercury
containing vaccines and autism after analysing available data through
computerised hospital databases. He sought “help” from other scientists and
effectively watered down the study but “the association would not go away”. So
an invitation only conference was arranged by the CDC in Simpsonwood, USA, in
the year 2000 where a decision was taken by medical scientists, industry
representatives and doctors to further dilute the study and destroy the link between
vaccines and autism before its publication in the Journal Pediatrics in 2003.
There were then the “Danish
Studies” which were conducted under the aegis of Dr Poul Thorsen, and which
“effectively proved” that vaccines do not cause autism. These studies were
extensively quoted by the authorities to quell the growing furor against
vaccines worldwide. The euphoria did not last however as the US Police went
after Dr Poul Thorsen as it was found that he had not conducted a portion of
the studies but produced false documents to siphon off a major chunk of CDC
funds used to finance the studies. Dr Thorsen has since been indicted in 13
counts of fraud and nine counts of money laundering that could effectively put
him behind bars for life.
If the above is not a
conspiracy then what is? Angry parents have termed their children as “poisoned
for profit”. In fact an US Government investigation categorically stated that
those who ought to have monitored the entire situation have been “asleep at the
switch”. It is still more shameful that in this entire sordid episode it is the
public who have educated themselves to become investigative scientists. Those
qualified experts who ought to have blown the whistle on the entire murky
episode have preferred to stay mum and chosen to instead attack those heretics
who have dared point out the truth.
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