Saturday, July 4, 2009
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Pathogens & People:Internet helps spread delusion that Morgellons a disease

Published 07/01/07

I thought the following might be an interesting experiment: Invent a disease and a set of vague symptoms. Build a Web site and start a tax-exempt charity for the disease. Send out press releases about the newly discovered disease and its disturbing symptoms and provide a link to the Web site. Then sit back and see how many people come to the site or call the foundation claiming to have the disease.

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Such an experiment probably would reveal quite a bit about the powers of suggestion, hypochondria and the expanding reach of the Internet.

Unfortunately, someone has done my experiment.

A South Carolina housewife came up with a...

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