An old standby in the scam department is homeopathy.
Here's how homeopathy is supposed to work: It's based on the so-called "law of similars," in which a minute quantity of something that causes disease is supposed to cure it by stimulating the body's defenses against that disease. For example, onions, which cause eyes to tear, are used to treat hay fever in homeopathic cures. Homeopathic compounds are diluted 6, 10 or up to 30 times. How many molecules of a substance are left in the solution if one dilutes it so much? None or virtually none. It's all just water.
But chemistry is of no importance to homeopathy because the water is supposed to retain a "memory" of the original disease-causing substance. On Amazon, homeopathic remedies are often touted as having "no side effects." At least that's true: Of course they have no side effects, because homeopathic remedies are nothing but water.
Major drug store chains, supermarkets and other stores are shelving homeopathic remedies next to real medicine. The ethical considerations aside --it's really wrong to put stuff that doesn't work in the same place as medicines that do work-- don't be misled just because a so-called medicine is sold in a place like CVS. Take a good look at the label and if it has the word "homeopathic" on it, don't buy it.
Major drug store chains, supermarkets and other stores are shelving homeopathic remedies next to real medicine. The ethical considerations aside --it's really wrong to put stuff that doesn't work in the same place as medicines that do work-- don't be misled just because a so-called medicine is sold in a place like CVS. Take a good look at the label and if it has the word "homeopathic" on it, don't buy it.
I know it rubs a lot of people the wrong way to hear that homeopathy is quackery, but when it comes to taking care of your health, knowing what works and what doesn't has no price. For more information about homeopathy, visit Quackwatch. If you need a little kick in the pants to help you unbelieve, read Michael Shermer's Why People Believe Weird Things.
Bill,
ReplyDeleteYour comments show your lack of experienced information and research. It is unfortunate that you posted this as if you were knowledgeable on the subject. Someone should put Quackwatch on Quackwatch.
The Royal family in England uses homeopathic medicine and it is much used In England and Germany. There is a Royal Homeopathic Hospital in London.
I have found it to be superior in many instances where western medicine has not been helpful.
Look up Dr. Andrew Weil who founded a very popular alternative medicine division at the University of New Mexico. He is a Harvard educated MD who traveled around the world studying medicine in other countries. If you are interested I will give you the names of well respected MDs in this area who practice homeopathy.
It would be good to educate yourself before spreading an uninformed
opinion as if it were fact. Deborah Kavruck
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority
DeleteHere's how homeopathy is said to work: A substance that causes a disease is supposed to prevent or cure that disease when diluted in the extreme. (Homeopathy's "law of similars.") Water retains a memory of that substance even when diluted 30 or more times. (Homeopathy's "law of infinitesimals.")
ReplyDeleteThose are rather extraordinary claims, and extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. (Or really even basic proof.) To claim that water retains a "memory" of a substance when diluted so much that none of the original chemical remains flies in the face of known chemistry.
Bear with me for a moment as I quote from Homeowatch, http://www.homeowatch.org, a website devoted to preventing the spread of false medical information about homeopathy: “Oscillococcinum, a 200C product ‘for the relief of colds and flu-like symptoms’... is prepared by incubating small amounts of a freshly killed duck's liver and heart for 40 days. The resultant solution is...repeatedly diluted...If a single molecule of the duck's heart or liver were to survive the dilution, its concentration would be 1 in 100^200 [100 to the 200th power]. This huge number, which has 400 zeroes, is vastly greater than the estimated number of molecules in the universe.”
And that’s supposed to contain active medicine? It can’t possibly. And water can’t possibly “remember” the original duck liver molecules.
Here’s a question that homeopathic proponents can never answer satisfactorily: If homeopathic remedies are supposed to “remember” the original molecule, what happens with the memories of the plastic container or contaminants, such as pesticides and Bisphenol A (BPA) that’s in water? Do homeopathic remedies “forget” those bad things, and remember only the good stuff?
Saying "The Royal family in England uses homeopathic medicine" and "Look up Dr. Andrew Weil" isn't proof. Lots of people hold false beliefs.
The fact of the matter is that there isn't a single medical study proving that homeopathy works. Not one. While it might be nice if homeopathy worked, wishful thinking isn't what science and medicine are based on.
I have a question. How does homeopathy differ from non-Western medicine? Bill Moyers did an exceptional series called (I think) Healing and the Mind which explored alternative medicine. It was fascinating. He was inspired after watching his mother suffer through her cancer and debilitating cancer treatments. He wondered if perhaps our Western medicine could learn a bit from other, often more ancient forms of medicine. He decided to travel the world a bit and check it out.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth watching. One thing I can say -- and this from a true skeptic -- acupuncture has worked miracles for me in ways that doctors and prescriptions could not.
we are not talking about alternative medicine here. Acupuncture has shown some effectiveness in clinical trials. Homeopathy on the other hand is just water. Its friggin water being sold as medicine! People should be arrested for selling it!
DeleteIt amazing and troublesome that people believe that homeopathy, which runs counter to known science and for which there is no evidence, is believed at all. The notion that water can "remember" what's been in it, even after no trace of that substance remains is wishful thinking at its worst.
ReplyDeleteThe Royal family in England uses homeopathic medicine.
ReplyDeleteAnd Prince Charles talks to plants: "I happily talk to the plants and trees, and listen to them. I think it's absolutely crucial."
'Nuff said.
Bill, you demonstrate your ignorance and stupidity on this one. It doesn't matter at all how homeopathic remedies are made. For you to make that argument is really beyond stupidity. All that matters is whether it works. Hundreds of millions of people use homeopathic medicines. Do you think they are using them because they don't work? I don't use them now, but I did years ago for allergies and they worked better than "drugs" and with no side effects. If you want to argue that they are quackery because scientists don't know how they work, then please make a post about how aspirin is quackery, because scientists don't know how it works either. Aspirin is an ancient herbal remedy made into pill form. HOW it works is completely unknown.
ReplyDeleteAspirin is no mystery you moron. most medicine is made from plants. aspirin is one of them. aspirin slows the transmission of pain the same way Motrin and every other nsaid do. plus, aspirin contains an active ingredient... which is ASPIRIN! homeopathy is nothing but WATER! SELLING water as medicine is criminal!
DeleteAnother thing Bill, No one is forcing you to use homeopathic medicines. Why do you want to campaign to prevent others from getting access to medicines that they want. Is this a religious campaign for you? Do you find cures that work for other people that you seem incapable of understanding somehow offensive? I find your arrogance offensive.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter at all how homeopathic remedies are made...Aspirin is an ancient herbal remedy made into pill form. HOW it works is completely unknown.
ReplyDeletePeople believe all sorts of strange things, but that doesn't make them true. Thirty-one percent of Americans believe in astrology, 37 percent believe in haunted houses, and 20 percent of Americans still believe that President Obama is a Muslim.
As for aspirin, how it works is very well understood. Here's one link to that information: http://bit.ly/aMC494.
So Bill, are you saying that any medicines that you don't personally approve of should be banned from CVS, even though CVS realizes that their customers want them and that they can profit from them? How about a complete nationwide ban and send homeopathy to the black market?
ReplyDeleteDo you think CVS should also ban books on astrology and magazines with articles about haunted houses? Should CVS get Bill's approval for everything they market?
You seem to "believe" in modern medicine, even though the majority of positive effects from it can be attributed to placebo effect and even though more people die from using prescription drugs every year than die from cancer. No one ever died from homeopathy.
Your position is ludicrous Bill. Admit it.
I'm not Bill, but I'll put my two cents. CVS can sell whatever they like. the problem is when they try to sell water in the medicine isle right next to the real medicine. the products make claims like "nerve pain relief" which are completely unsubstantiated. there is not a single herb for sale that can make claims of healing or relieving although herbs ARE usefull. the herbs must be kept away from the meds isle. the only reason CVS gets away with selling homeopathy as medicine is cause of a quack federal homeopathy law that needs to be repealed. under this law though there must be "proofs" for each homeo product. CVS has none and won't answer. they are actually.illegally selling products of homeopathy that make claims but which have no "proofs". We are going to see to it they are prosecuted.
DeleteDear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteIt would improve your comments if you included your full name (anonymous comments don't have much merit) and include sources for your assertions. It's hard to accept the comments of somebody who chooses not to say who they are -- it makes it seem as if you're afraid to stand behind your statements.
I'm still waiting to see a study that shows that homeopathy works. Until then, it's mere wishful thinking that no amount of name calling or exaggeration can change.
As for CVS: They're free to sell whatever legal products they want. Just because CVS sells homeopathic remedies on the same shelf as actual medicine, doesn't make it right.
Yes, and they also sell men's cologne that is said to attract women, mascara that is said to make eyelashes longer and publications that present lies as truth, and AMA approved medicines that will be recalled and taken off the market in a few years once "science" realizes their poisonous effects. Get used to it.
ReplyDeleteYou call for a boycott based on your lack of understanding of homeopathy works is preposterous. Do you really think all those drugs, with all those warning labels on them have been "proven" to be effective? Utter nonsense.
The contents of my arguments have as much merit as if any name was attached to them, as you well know. If you need a name call me Frank.
I agree with Frank that homeopathy is like that other stuff that CVS sells that doesn't work. "A sucker is born every day" is very true when it comes to things like cologne that's supposed to attract women and homeopathy that's supposed to cure disease.
ReplyDeleteNice open mind feign, Tim.
ReplyDeleteJust to be clear, homeopathy doesn't claim to nor attempt to "cure disease". Homeopathy believes, as do all enlightened healing systems, that your body is capable of healing itself.
Homeopathic treatment is intended to stimulate your body's natural healing capacity.
Modern medicine is replete with failures of astounding magnitude. So called medicinal "cures" only work on a percentage of cases. Many many people do not receive any benefits from modern medicine for their ailments.
More and more people are realizing the shortcomings of modern medicine and looking for alternatives. The medical establishment finds this very threatening to their domination of the health care market.
I believe that people should have the freedom to try different healing modalities until they find something that works for them. Hundreds of millions of people all over the world have received benefits from homeopathy. It is not a religion to them. They aren't doing it because they "believe" in it. They are doing it because it has produced favorable results.
To say otherwise is complete ignorance.
Thanks for writing about this wasteful and potentially dangerous quackery. People should be informed enough to avoid this kind of magical thinking, but it certainly doesn't help when CVS puts this stuff on the shelves next to actual remedies. I find that most people who credit homeopathy don't understand regression to the mean, the effects of repeated dilution, or the ridiculous idea of "similars." They just think homeopathy means "natural." Of course it doesn't; it never did.
ReplyDeleteThe arrogance and close-mindedness of people who insist that their unscientific and anecdotal claims somehow support this fantastic reality are astonishing.
Unbelievable arrogance for you to post this article. Are you a doctor? Not a single one of my doctors would totally dismiss homeopathic remedies the way you do(and they're all pretty traditional doctors. Yes, I totally agree that all remedies should be properly labeled, but why should CVS be limited to traditional drugs? They sell cigarettes, for God's sake. I personally use different homeopathic and medical remedies, depending on which ones work better and are safer.
ReplyDeleteTo the person who thinks that it's arrogant to say that homeopathy is quackery: There is no evidence that homeopathy works. None. Zero. Zilch. Not only that, but homeopathy's principles fly in the face of what we know about science.
ReplyDeleteI didn't say that CVS shouldn't sell homeopathic products. I said that CVS shouldn't sell products that don't work on the same shelf as real medicine. It's wrong to do that.
I think that CVS has an ethical obligation to its customers not to deceive them.
Bill,
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of homeopathy does not work? For example, our pediatrician encouraged my children to use saline nose rinses for allergies, and it has worked perfectly for us. Far better than daily doses of claritin. Should the products necessary for that treatment be labeled as quackery? I believe they are sold in the allergy section. Just because there is no "proof," does not mean there is no benefit.
The tone of your post suggests to me that you had a bad experience when you tried to purchase one product and ended up with another. I'm sure that can be frustrating, but I think you should not dismiss all homeopathic remedies as quackery.
To the person who wrote "The tone of your post suggests to me that you had a bad experience when you tried to purchase one product and ended up with another." Wrong. I simply think it's wrong to sell fake medicine next to real medicine. It's deceptive. Sure, caveat emptor always applies when shopping, but that doesn't mean that CVS can't do the right thing, too.
ReplyDeleteSaline nose rinses are not homeopathic.
Homeopathic remedies are based on two ideas: "like cures like," and water retains a memory of a substance, even after multiple dilutions so that none of the substance remains. Nasal rinses don't involve either of those fanciful notions.
To the point about CVS selling cigarettes: CVS sometimes seems like a convenience store emphasizing cigarettes and junk food, which happens to have a pharmacy counter attached. Selling cigarettes in a pharmacy certainly sends a mixed message about smoking, paticularly to young people. (As the druggist at Center Pharmacy used to say, they try to sell products to make people better, not to make them sick and kill them.) As an anti-smoking measure, the DC Council should consider a law that provides that you can sell cigarettes or have a pharmacy license, but you can't do both.
ReplyDeleteOpening next month in Phoenix, AZ and recognized at the NASDAQ closing bell ceremony on Dec 29 is the first full-time homeopathic medical school offering doctoral programs in the United States since the 1920's.
ReplyDeleteThe American Medical College of Homeopathy (AMCH) will be recognized on December 29 during the Closing Bell Ceremony at the NASDAQ Stock Market. This is history in the making!!
Scientific Research in Homeopathy
ReplyDeleteTriple Blind studies, Double-Blind Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial, Systematic Reviews & Meta Analysis, Evidence-base
http://knol.google.com/k/dr-nancy-malik-bhms/scientific-research-in-homeopathy/pocy7w49ru14/2#
The link has been updated to http://drnancymalik.wordpress.com/article/scientific-research-in-homeopathy/
DeletePlease note that Dr. Nancy Malik is not an medical doctor and that the blog, http://drnancymalik.wordpress.com, is a promotional site for homeopathy.
DeleteFrankly, I think that putting "Dr." before one's name gives the false impression that the person is an MD. In other words, it's a fraud. (What degree does the so-called Dr. Malik have? She's a "Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery." In other words, a quack.)
The journal articles cited may sound impressive, but not a single one proves that homeopathic preparations work. Listing articles is not science. Remember, for a study to be valid, it must be reproducible.
Homeopathy is a cult, not medicine. It's a cult because its believers continue to think homeopathy works no matter what the evidence. Homeopathy is a cult because its proponents aren't willing to accept any evidence against homeopathy. Homeopathy starts from a conclusion and then cherry picks whatever so-called facts it wants to support that conclusion. Cults can be quite cunning, as homeopathic practitioners are.
Um, hello to the anonymous person who posted a link to a study about homeopathy. There's nothing of substance in this link -- it's just links to other articles compiled by a homeopathic practitioner in India.
ReplyDeleteA collection of articles is worthless. A single study proves nothing: All medical studies need to be reproducible to be accurate and correct.
And I have yet to see an scientific explanation of how homeopathy works.
In other words, homeopathy is junk.
There's as much evidence for homeopathy as there is for astrology and ghosts. People can believe what they want, but until somebody actually presents evidence that homeopathy works, homeopathy remains a cult-like belief.
ReplyDeleteNot only that, but homeopathy _does_ endanger the rest of us, because the kind of logic that leads to homeopathy also leads to vaccine-avoidance, which decreases herd immunity, which increases the chance that some non-vaccinated kid in Europe will come back to the US with measles and infect some pre-vaccination baby or immuno-compromised individual who can't take vaccines themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe FDA regulates medicines based on real drug trials for effectiveness and side effects. The FDA process isn't perfect, but no quack products that haven't gone through similar trials should be sold in the same section of the store. And there should be warning labels, much like we place on cigarettes.
-M
"The Royal family in England uses homeopathic medicine and it is much used In England and Germany. There is a Royal Homeopathic Hospital in London."
ReplyDeleteSo, presumably, the poster's argument is that this "proves" homeopathy is effective?
A naive, but harmless, assumption, right?
Wrong!
Google: What's the harm in homeopathy?
Regarding the Queen and the UK homeopathy situation.
The poster might want to get up to date on the changes being proposed by the UK Government.
Google: Science and Technology Committee - UK Parliament
"MPS URGE GOVERNMENT TO WITHDRAW NHS FUNDING AND MHRA LICENSING OF HOMEOPATHY"
"The Committee concurred with the Government that the evidence base shows that homeopathy is not efficacious (that is, it does not work beyond the placebo effect) and that explanations for why homeopathy would work are scientifically implausible."
Go for it Bill!
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that something will no acceptance in the scientific or mainstream medical community is defended by such a vocal minority that is either misled through their lack of scientific training or motivated by profit (as most of the above posters probably are).
The scientific Community would LOVE for homeopathy top work. Who wouldn't like to take some expensive drug, simply dilute it ad inifinitum and have it work as well? I certainly would! Treat all of AIDS in Africa with a liter of drugs? Awesome! The simply fact is that in peer-reviewed, double blind studies, it doesn't work consistently. And in the trivial cases where it initially appears to work it is not repeatable. See http://xkcd.com/882/ for and explanation of most "proof" of homeopathy.
I don't know why I write this though. Someone who wants to put their faith in sugar water isn't going to be persuaded by reason.
On second thought, good post Bill, but remember: "Never argue with an idiot, people might not know the difference." - R. A. Heinlein
I think they should sell homeopathic medicines (sic) next to the beer section. :-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, there is a clear distinction between medicine and public health and cosmetics, halloween costumes and candy. I think the line of demarcation should be with scientific peer reviewed studies, that support or do not support a product or device.
Hey, anonymous.. CVS has been running a secret experiment on you. The H.R. you're using are really just pure clear water. It was some study on the ploAcebo effect and the herding effect of lemmings, I think.
ReplyDeleteOK, study is over. Get some real medicine now.
hmmm... Consider that Homeopathic proponents were required to make specific testable claims on the packaging. Then, (before the tort reform that will never happen anyway), let consumers sue the heck out of the HR folks. They want to make money, its a UCC problem. hahaha SWEEEET!
ReplyDelete" Not a single one of my doctors would totally dismiss homeopathic remedies the way you do(and they're all pretty traditional doctors."
ReplyDeletePerhaps your various doctors are being polite and courteous to you, in discussing your beliefs? My doctor, and any number of others, would agree completely that homeopathy is nonsense. If someone comes in who has obviously formed a belief in that nonsense, you don't think maybe they would be circumspect in discussing it?
But you just go on believing what you want to believe, and in particular, keep believing that if you feel something *should* be true, then it *is* true. That's how homeopathy really "works", of course, via wishful thinking. If you ever want to take on the more challenging -- but far more rewarding -- task of understanding actual reality, it will still be there, ready for you.
I come here because a different xkcd comic piqued my interest (971 - the rollover text), did a google search, and stumbled across your entry.
ReplyDeleteSo, I apologize for being late to the party.
To the anon post by M: "because the kind of logic that leads to homeopathy also leads to vaccine-avoidance." Actually the irony here is that a vaccine basically follows the "law of similars." A vaccine is a bunch of virus proteins meant to introduce the immune system to a harmful virus. In the case of an attenuated virus, it's an actual "living" virus, just one that is less dangerous than the "wild" strains. The difference between homeopathy and vaccinations wrt the so-called law of similars is that the vaccinations have to be thoroughly tested, not only for the incidence of negative effects, but also prove that they work positively to obtain immunity to the real thing; homeopathy can be packaged up and thrown on a shelf without a second thought. In any case, I don't have a major problem with the "law of similars" other than considering it an immutable law of nature, rather than something that needs to be tested in each form. In terms of metals: if we were able to completely eliminate copper, zinc, magnesium and sodium from our diets we would die. But having trace amounts is good. Too much is obviously bad as well. Medicinal drugs (even water!) all have an associated LD50 - a dose over which half the subjects taking that dose will die. Clearly too much of a good thing is bad, so it's not too much a stretch of the imagination for a small amount of the bad to SOMETIMES be good (e.g. we even need some arsenic and cyanide in our bodies for the optimum health).
Re Queen and Weil: look up "appeal to authority" - just because a couple people believe in something doesn't mean we all should. Weil profits off his beliefs (he sells books, gets speaking gigs, acquires a fanbase which may appeal to an ego, etc), so can't be considered an impartial figure here.
In any case, some non-western treatments can and should be accepted by the western world (predominantly herbal treatments), at least once testing is done. But the law of infinitesimals of homeopathy has no chance to pass those tests. The very concept of "water memory" of liquid water is ludicrous. Even if it managed to keep a semi-crystalline network established, the instant it would be introduced to a new environment (or a new environment introduced to it) like the addition of a pure biological molecule (even if fully dessicated/lyophilized) the water would begin to "remember" the new molecule, and not its former environment. And as pointed out by other people posting, why does the homeopathy not remember the manufacturing process of the pill or the plastics used to contain "ingredients"?
I find this very interesting, I personally dont try to convience people of taking homeopathy or not taking it. Bill, I however found your argument lacking of everything starting with experience. You would have to first try homeopathy before judging it, if you have tried homeopathy and dont find it useful then I am sorry to tell you, you were either too resistant to the idea of it possibly working or just didnt do it in the right way.
ReplyDeleteThis been said, I come from a family that only uses homeopathy and my grandfather has never used other medicines beside this, he is almost 80 and it is one of the healthiest persons I know. On the other hand, I have a severe case of dermatitis problem, at one point I had tried everything of what you call real medicine just to find out it got worse and worse. I decided to follow my grandfather's recommendation (being a skeptical myself regardless of the countless times I treated myself with homeopathy when I was a kid) I decided to give homeopathy a try, and I was against all odds what I can say CURED! I haven't had any severe and painful dermatitis breakouts since I started using homeopathy.
Besides not only is it awesome, it doesn't have any side effects most of your so-called real medicines do... So I prefer my Quackry medicine over... SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDE: nausea, depression, suicidal thoughts, stomach pain, muscle pain.... etc etc etc
So why don't you try it sometime and see if it works... if it doesn't then I am sorry not everything is for everyone...
Anonymous comments supporting homeopathy are worthless. In addition, the comment above cites no sources, offers no evidence, and quotes no studies. You didn't even mention what so-called homeopathic remedy cured your dermatitis.
ReplyDeleteThe burden of evidence is on those who say that homeopathy works. Let's see studies, evidence, peer reviewed journals. Show me something. Saying it "works for me" isn't evidence; it's magical thinking. You wouldn't believe me if I said that rubbing a tomato against my forehead cures headaches (or at least I hope you wouldn't take my word for it.) You wouldn't believe me if I said you can get rid of headaches by singing "headache, headache go away," while sprinkling fairy dust over one's head. Oh and by the way, you can get real fairy dust at The Fairy Shop on Newbury Street in Boston. It must work because the store's been there for years.
Can you explain how homeopathy works, given that there's no "active ingredient" in it? Can you explain how the so-called memory of water works?
If there's a homeopathic cure for dermatitis, as you claim, don't you think we'd read about it somewhere in the mainstream media (not to mention a scientific journal or two)? Please, stop and think for a moment.
When I get a cold, guess what cures my cold? Nothing. What does that tell you? Not that there's some cure in the air that we breath in. Rather that our immune system overpowers the cold virus without any medical intervention. That's why homeopathy seems to work, at times: People usually get better on their own, with our without so-called homeopathic remedies. Coincidence isn't medicine.
It would be great if homeopathy worked. Imagine, so many ailments cured with nary a side effect. Cures everything! You don't need to see a doctor! Not fattening! But homeopathy doesn't work. Sorry.
If Homeopathy is right then physical chemistry taught in all educational institutions of the world is wrong. And if physical chemistry is wrong then all the industries of the world - chemical, pharmaceutical, ayurveda, metalugical, petroleum, petrochemical ... - will have to be scrapped. Is it not much easier to scrap homeopathy which has caused much harm by delays caused in accessing professional treatment. Homeopathy per se is harmless - after all it consists of administering plain water labeled as medicine. It is also a very cheap form of treatment. But the real harm it causes comes from the delay Homeopathic treatment causes in accessing professional treatment. Thus there are cases of people dying because they first resorted to Homeopathy and by the time they resorted to professional medicine it was too late. Homeopathy is placebo and it delivers beneficial effects like any placebo upto a certain point. After that it can be dangerous like any placebo mainly due to the delays narrated above
ReplyDeleteHomeopathy is giving sleepless nights to paediatricians all over India like me. Homeopathy is a paediatrician’s nightmare. We are fed up and disheartened with treating and saving the lives of helpless children being botched up by homeopathy.
Now, homeopathy was invented more than 200 years ago. In that time, if homeopathy is the success as its proponents claim, there should have been thousands; even hundreds of thousands of studies should have come out in its favour. But not a single example has been forthcoming. Just hot air and drivel, casting aspersions and creating diversions from the inescapable fact that homeopathy is fraudulent practice.
IF YOU WANT TO USE WATER AS MEDICINE ITS YOUR BUSINESS. WHEN YOU SELL ME WATER AS MEDICINE AND MAKE BIG CLAIMS IT MAKES YOU A CRIMINAL!!!
ReplyDeleteBAN HOMEOPATHY PRODUCTS THAT ARE NOT CLEARLY ADVERTISED AS 100% WATER!
Everybody PLEASE complain to CVS and Rite-Aid and any other pharmacy that sells this crap and does not put it in its own "homeopathy placebos" section FAR away from the real medicine with actual ingredients! They must label it just WATER"!
ReplyDeleteFurther, I always thought I would be arrested if I got caught selling "medicine" labeled "Nerve Pain Reliever" and listing "active ingredients" that dont exist, are not actually IN the product, and selling this distilled water (if it is even distilled!) as medicine! Police please arrest these fake medicine peddlers!
f you went in to your local auto repair outfit and said you wanted your oil changed and they said "Its good you came in. We have this extra special liquid that will fix your engine for sure". "it's $15 an ounce but worth it". So you bought a bottle of the stuff and then later found that it was PURE WATER - would you be pissed? Would you go back and yell at them. I would and you would to. You were cheated.
ReplyDeleteThen why is it that when I went to CVS and bought an antacid mouth spray for $15 / oz and then found out that it was PURE WATER and I yelled at them they felt they were the ones being mistreated. They said that they were only working at CVS and could not be held responsible for cheating their customers.
CVS sells many homeopathy substances they call remedies one of which is the antacid I paid $15 for. On there own web site they say this:
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"Scientific Evaluation of Homeopathy
Despite its widespread acceptance in some countries, most modern scientific authorities do not take homeopathy seriously, putting it in the same category as perpetual motion machines, ghosts, and ESP. There are several reasons for this intense skepticism, but the most important focuses on a basic fact of chemistry. Simply put, there is absolutely nothing material in a “high-potency” homeopathic remedy; some force of nature unknown to modern science would have to be involved if homeopathy is effective.
Here is why. In the process of making a 30x homeopathic remedy, the original substance is diluted by a factor of one part in 10 30. This is such an enormous dilution that not even one single molecule is likely to remain. Such a remedy is merely pure sugar (if the form is a sugar pill) or pure water (if the form is a tincture). Even higher dilutions are in use, some so vast that you could use the entire earth as the starting material, and still not end up with a single molecule of the original material in the resulting remedy."
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They admit they are cheating their customers but still they do it. If you are buying homeopathy you are being cheated. Go yell at them.
http://health.cvs.com/GetContent.aspx?token=f75979d3-9c7c-4b16-af56-3e122a3f19e3&chunkiid=38314
I will never truly understand the motivations behind why people defend products they know to be fake.
ReplyDelete