Homeopathy gets diluted to nothing
From the
BBC News:
Homeopathy's benefit questioned
A leading medical journal has made a damning attack on homeopathy, saying it is no better than dummy drugs.
The Lancet says the time for more studies is over and doctors should be bold and honest with patients about homeopathy's "lack of benefit".
A Swiss-UK review of 110 trials found no convincing evidence the treatment worked any better than a placebo.
Advocates of homeopathy maintained the therapy, which works on the principle of treating like with like, does work.
Continuing dispute
Someone with an allergy, for example, who was using homeopathic medicines would attempt to beat it with an ultra-diluted dose of an agent that would cause the same symptoms.
The row over homeopathy has been raging for years.
In 2002, American illusionist James Randi offered $1m to anyone able to prove, under observed conditions in a laboratory, that homeopathic remedies can really cure people.
To date, no-one has passed the preliminary tests.
In the UK, homeopathy is available on the NHS. Some argue that it should be more widely available, while others believe it should not be offered at all.
I can see where the mumbo-jumbo of Homeopathy gained traction during it's early history in the 1800's. Get a charismatic "Doctor" and the patient would feel cured of many minor ailments. "Well, it still hurts -
but not as much as it did before the treatment..."
With today's availability of scientific thought and modern statistical analysis, it is downright amazing that anyone still believes this bunkum.
A wonderful site for debunking Homeopathy can be found here:
Homeowatch
Posted by DaveH at August 27, 2005 4:49 PM