As Jack had read an entire chapter on it the previous evening in Trick or Treatment, he had a rapid answer he wouldn’t have had otherwise. “It’s a type of alternative medicine based on the very unscientific idea that “like treats like.” In other words, if a plant causes nausea when it’s been eaten, then the same plant will cure nausea when it’s taken in a very diluted amount, and I’m talking about a severe dilution such that there might be only a molecule or two of the active ingredient.”

“That sounds rather strange,” Alida commented.

“Tell me about it,” Jack said with a laugh. “But as I said, at least I thought it was safe until you gave me this case.” He again waved the death certificate in his hand. “This case underlines the fact that people can buy into alternative-medicine therapies like homeopathy to the extent that they might forgo conventional medicine, which, in certain circumstances, can offer a cure only if the conventional therapy is started early enough, like with certain cancers. This case that you gave me is such a case.”

“That’s terrible,” Alida voiced.

“I agree,” Jack said. “So thank you for your help.”

“You’re most welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“There’s been talk of digitalizing OCME records. Has that started?”

“Most definitely,” Alida said.

“How far along is it?”

“Not very far. It’s time consuming, and there are only three of us.”

“How many years do you go back?”

“We haven’t even done a year yet.”

Jack rolled his eyes in disappointment. “Not even a year yet.”

“It’s a very laborious process.”

“How could I search through all the OCME records for deaths associated with alternative medicine, like the two you pulled for me?”

“I’m afraid it would have to be record by record, which could literally take years, depending on how many people were tasked to do it.”

“That’s the only way?” Jack asked. It was not what he wanted to hear.

“That’s the only way until all the records are digitalized. And even with the digital records, you’d only find those charts where the medical examiners added the words alternative medicine in the cause-of-death box.”

“Or chiropractic or homeopathic, et cetera, et cetera,” Jack added. “Whatever type of alternative medicine was involved.”

“Correct, but I wouldn’t imagine too many medical examiners would add such a thing. After all, on the death certificates of people dying of therapeutic complications, you don’t see conventional or orthodox medicine stipulated as a contributing factor, or orthopedic surgery, or any other specialty, for that matter. The only possible place it might turn up, if the medical examiner didn’t include it on the death certificate, would be in the investigator’s report under ‘other observations.’ Even then it would be unlikely, since in my experience, investigators rarely write anything there at all.”