Boxes may contain glow-in-the-dark spy rings and medical licenses

Did you hear the one about the kid who found an official State of Nevada homeopathic medical license and a whistle in a Cracker Jack box?

He kept the whistle.

That should clear up any confusion about my feelings about the medical practice that falls under the general heading of homeopathy. You can save the letters to the editor and the tales of your Aunt Edna's arsenic and old sweat socks miracle cure. Just count me as a skeptic.

If you believe a drop of often poisonous liquid in a solution diluted by 20 swimming pools of water somehow can cure a disease, then homeopathy may have a place in your medical regimen. Even if the treatment is nonsense, the mind is a powerful healer for true believers. Good for you.

As an unlicensed but practicing skeptic, imagine my lack of surprise to learn of the ongoing battle between esteemed members of Nevada's homeopathic physicians, especially the seemingly endless dustup between Dr. F. Fuller Royal and his estranged son, Dr. Daniel Royal.

Fuller Royal is a senior member of the homeopathic community. Daniel Royal operates the New Hope homeopathic facility in Las Vegas with his consulting partner, Dr. Dean Friesen.

Past board president Daniel Royal was suspended by the board from the practice of homeopathy on Sept. 18 for allowing Friesen to practice medicine without a license. A search warrant seeking documents from New Hope's Henderson address was written by state special investigator Michele Chase on Oct. 9.

When asked about the problems, Daniel Royal said he knew of no complaint pending against him, but admitted his troubles stem from issues with his father.

"That's a large part of it," he said. "Maybe he has some jealousy. I haven't been able to meet with him face to face."

From sources I've been able to verify, there is now no suspension against Dr. Daniel Royal.

On Oct. 18, a representative of the attorney general's office met with board members in a "non-meeting" convened "for the purpose of the Board receiving privileged communications from their attorney regarding potential litigation," Chief Deputy Attorney General Christine Guerci-Nyhus wrote to board members on Oct. 24. "The Office of the Attorney General also asked that you set an Emergency Meeting of the Board for 8 p.m. that evening to consider the Summary Suspension previously imposed upon Daniel Royal."

The attorney continued, "Based on the review conducted by the Office of the Attorney General of the proceedings to date of these matters as well as a review of your meeting minutes from 2006 present, it appeared that the Board allowed an individual holding a bias against Daniel Royal to be a member of the Investigative Committee. It also appeared from that review that two members of the four-member panel that suspended Daniel Royal were also biased."

The board was accused of denying Daniel Royal's due-process rights. A vote of the unbiased board members, at the strong urging of the attorney general's office, lifted the summary suspension of Dr. Royal, who told me Friday he's still considering legal action.

Biased boards and father-son squabbles aside, what about the reason for the suspension: that Friesen was accused of practicing medicine without a license at Daniel Royal's clinic?

I called New Hope Medical Friday and asked to speak with Dr. Friesen. He took the phone and said, "This is Dr. Friesen."

Then I asked him to clear up my confusion about his status as a medical doctor.

"Oh, no," he replied. "I'm a clinical pharmacist."

"Are you a licensed pharmacist?" I asked.

"No, I'm not licensed," Friesen said. "I function as a consultant."

"Do you think it's fair to call yourself a doctor?" I asked.

"Academically, that is it, yes," he said after a pregnant pause. He assured me his "doctor of pharmacy" credentials are made clear at the clinic.

Dr. Daniel Royal defends his partner by saying the allegations against him were made by a former girlfriend who was bitter because Friesen would not marry her.

Who knows, maybe her mother wanted her to marry a real doctor.

The derailed love connection only adds to the oddly comical antics emerging from homeopathic la-la land these days.

My biases admitted, maybe Friesen should buy a box of Cracker Jack.

He might get lucky.

John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. E-mail him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295.