Straight-talking homeopaths
From the February 2 New Scientist:
Thanks to Alex Gough for pointing us in the direction of FairDeal Homeopathy, online purveyors of homeopathic remedies. Their website is intriguing, and not at all what you might expect.
"Homeopathy is not a substitute for evidence-based medicine and proper medical opinion," it states flatly. It goes on to argue that insofar as homeopathy "works", it works through "a complicated interaction with the human body and mind known as the 'placebo effect'".
"What conditions can FairDeal Homeopathy treat*?" is the next question. The asterisk refers to a note at the bottom of the page saying "*'Treat' in no way implies 'cure'". As for the answer: "FairDeal homeopathy," we are told, "can be used to treat any self-limiting condition." Such conditions are defined as "ones that, if left alone, will get better anyway".
Is this website a spoof? When Gough asked the owners they were most offended. "A spoof?" they replied. "Tsk tsk! We dispatch homeopathic remedies* the same working day! Real pills! In real little bottles and everything! How authentic do you want us to be?" Once again, a note at the bottom of their email explains the asterisk: "*No curative properties implied. Guaranteed as effective as all other homeopathic remedies. May taste of sugar."....
According to the "Testimonials" section of the website, such a remedy certainly worked for a Mr S. Scott: "I ordered your product to help treat a mild cold that I was experiencing and that evening I began to feel much better. By the time your product arrived I was nearly fully cured. I cannot recommend this enough, thank you FairDeal Homeopathy."
Principles of homeopathy
Homeopathy is non-toxic system of medical science originated in Germany by Dr. Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) (the founder and father of homeopathy). He was M.D. in conventional medicine. The term “homoeopathy” was coined in 1807.
The four fundamental principles of Homeopathy are: -
1. Law of similars/Like cures like (1796): Disease can be cured by a medicinal substance given in micro doses that produces similar symptoms in health people when given in large doses.
2. Law of minimum dose (1801): Since the homoeopathic medicines act at a dynamic level, only a minute quantity of the medicine is administered which is enough/sufficient to stimulate the dynamically deranged vital force/innate healing powers to bring about the necessary curative change in a patient
3. Law of simplex (1810): At any given time, only one remedy can be the exact similar to the presenting disease condition of the patient. So a single remedy (one remedy at a time) is given based upon their constitution/totality of the symptoms which includes physical, mental, and emotional aspects/symptoms.
4. Hering’s law of five directions of cure (1845): Cure progresses from above downwards, from within outwards, ceter to periphery, from more important organ to less important one, in reverse order of coming of the symptoms
Homeopathy heals
Evidence-based modern homeopathy is the scientific revolution (fastest growing medicine in the world) in the 21st century
Homeopathy saves
Homeopathy (Micro Doses Mega Results) cures even when Conventional Allopathic Medicine (CAM) fails
you can't define everything
i had an experience with a homeopathic doctor:
had some fungus on big toe right foot - was recommended this doctor - went there - he asked me what i thought of homeopathy and i said (truthfully) "nothing" - he wondered why i'd come to him them, i answered "thoght i'd try anyway, not expensive" - he asked me about my medical and personal history for quite some time and then gave me some pill, wouldn't tell me what, then he said "something's gonna happen in the next 2 days, but i can't say what" - i thought "okay, we'll see" and forgot about it - after 2 days out of the blue my right leg started feeling funny and i noticed that i could suddenly could completely straighten the right knee again (background: skiing accident 25 years ago, after which the right leg could not be straightened out again completely anymore, so i had had to stop doing karate - doing the kicks did not work.)
i had completely forgotten to tell this doctor about this, after all this time i had almost forgotten that my right knee stayed slightly bent at all times; it now took me a couple of months to adapt to the new situation. so the doc was right: something *had* happened, and it was something i had never expected, after 25 years i had already accepted that i'd stay with the slightly bent leg for the rest of my life; on the other hand the fungus-problem - for which i had come - did not change.
that's the whole story - and it's an experience, no more, no less.
resume: still don't think much of homeopathy, but:
there are more things between heaven and earth ...
human beings, and existence itself, are a bit more complicated than we usually allow ourselves to realize.
the placebo effect works
the placebo effect works perfectly well on children. know from my own experience :)
the placebo effect works
the placebo effect works only in case when the patient expects or believes that the medicine he/she is given works.
Robert
Placebo Effect...
"The Placebo Effect" is the term doctors use when they mean, "we have no idea why you're better, but hey, you are better!" ;~D
Obviously, for some
Obviously, for some "entrepreneurs," the placebo effect itself is the product.
bringing the stupid, a la PT Barnum
They may be *delivering* homeopathic products (or not: they seem conflicted as to whether or not such things as "homeopathic" products exist), but CLEARLY their actual product is the placebo effect itself.
Whether the "products" they sell & ship are of any worth to an homeopath is immaterial to them...doubtless they hope it's immaterial to their prey, as well.
Still, the basic message re-proves at least of Barnum's maxims: bully for "Fair Deal", proud purveyor of things labeled "homeopathic".
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