Battle of Homeopathy

Homeopathy works for babies and even pets. Certainly, intellect and patient belief system are not in play here. Homeopathy became popular in the United States and Europe in the 1800s.

The strongest advocates were European royalty, American entrepreneurs, literary giants, and religious leaders. As it gained widespread popularity, it became the object of animosity and opposition from mainstream medicine.

The conflict between homeopathy and orthodox medicine was protracted and bitter.

The battle goes on

We know who won the first round of this conflict. The results of the second round is left to be seen.

Hopefully, we will soon discover that a "fight" over healing is inappropriate and that various approaches to healing are necessary to build a comprehensive and effective healthcare system.

The history of homeopathy begins with the discoveries of its founder, Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician disillusioned with the medical practice of the time. He first coined the word "homeopathy".

"Homoios" in Greek means similar. "Pathos" means suffering. This refers to the pharmacological principle, the law of similars, that is its basis.

The law of similars was previously described by Hippocrates (the Father of Medicine) and Paracelsus, and was utilised by many cultures, including the Mayans, Chinese, Greeks, Native American Indians and Indians.

But it was Hahnemann who codified the law of similars into a systematic medical science. His first comments about the applicability of the law of similars were in 1789, when he translated a book by William Cullen - leading physicians of the era.

At one point in the book, Cullen ascribed the usefulness of Peruvian bark (Cinchona) in treating malaria due to its bitter and astringent properties.

Similars

Hahnemann wrote a bold footnote in his translation, disputing Cullen's explanation. He asserted that the efficacy of Peruvian bark must be for other factor.

He noted that there were other substances and mixtures of substances decidedly more bitter and astringent than Peruvian bark that were not effective in treating malaria.

He described himself taking repeated doses of this herb until his body responded to its toxic dose with fever, chills and other symptoms similar to malaria.

Hahnemann concluded that this herb was beneficial because it caused symptoms similar to those of the disease it was treating. That was a mind blowing and paradigm changing idea that day! Hahnemann was clearly a brilliant mind.

He was translating Cullen's work, which indicates that he was one of the more respected translators of his day. When he was only 24, Hahnemann could read and write in at least seven languages.

He ultimately translated over 20 major medical and scientific texts. This story reveals Hahnemann as both an avid experimenter and a respected chemist.

He had authored a four-volume set of books called The Pharmaceutical Lexicon, which was considered one of the standard reference texts for apothecaries or pharmacists.

Rebel

Hahnemann was an audacious rebel. He was unafraid to speak his mind, even if it meant correcting the analysis of a very respected physician.

He was unafraid to question commonly accepted truths. After translating Cullen's work, Hahnemann spent the next six years actively experimenting on himself, his family and a small but growing group of followers.

In 1796, he wrote about his experiences with the law of similars in Hufeland's Journal, a respected medical journal in Germany.

Coincidentally, in 1798, Edward Jenner discovered the value of giving small doses of cowpox to people in an effort to immunise them against smallpox. While Jenner's work was generally accepted into orthodox medicine, Hahnemann's was not. Hahnemann was particularly disliked by the apothecaries because he recommended the use of only one medicine at a time and prescribing limited doses of it.

As he recommended only small doses of each medicine, the apothecaries could not charge much for them. And because each medicine required careful preparation, Hahnemann found that the apothecaries were not always making them correctly or were intentionally giving his patients different medicines.

As he grew to distrust the apothecaries, he chose to dispense his medicines, an illegal act at the time in Germany. The apothecaries then accused Hahnemann of "entrenching upon their privileges by the dispensing of medicines".

He was arrested in Leipzig in 1820, found guilty and forced to move.

Prosecuted

He moved to Kothen, where he was delegated special permission to practice and dispense his medicines by Grand Duke Ferdinand, one of the many European royalties who supported homeopathy.

Despite the persecution, homeopathy continued to grow, not just because it offered a systematic approach to treating sick people, but also because orthodox medicine was ineffective and dangerous in some instances, especially for chronic diseases.

Indeed, there is general agreement among medical historians today that orthodox medicine of the 1700s and 1800s in particular frequently caused more harm than good. Besides bloodletting and leeches, orthodox physicians used medicines made from mercury, lead, arsenic and various strong herbs to help purge the body of foreign disease-causing matter.

Despite the fact that historians and scientists today consider medicine of the 18th and 19th Century as unscientific and barbaric, orthodox physicians had the audacity to call homeopathy "quackery", "unscientific", "cultish", and "devilish".

Homeopathy lost out with the masses. But it remained popular with the elite as it was effective, safe and did not cost much.

Indeed, the great Mahatma Ghandi, while studying law in the UK, noticed homeopathy was "safe, cheap and effective" and brought it back for the masses in India. Wide range Homeopaths treat a veritable array of problems.

These include allergies, anorectal disorders, asthma, arthritis, back pain, neuralgia, colic, coughs and colds, cystitis, depression, eczema, gynaecological problems, hair loss, heartburn, hyper-pigmentation, insect bites, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, leg cramp, menopausal problems, migraines, morning sickness, nausea, obesity, phobias, pre-menstrual syndrome, sexual disorders, stress, teething pains, tumours and warts.

Most homeopaths regularly treat chronic or recurrent conditions such as eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, fatigue disorders, asthma, migraine, dysmenorrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, recurrent upper respiratory or urinary tract infections and mood disorders. Patients with ill-defined illness that defy conventional diagnosis are also treated.

Significantly, homeopaths treat children more often than other complementary practitioners.

Homeopathy is most popular in the UK, where the Royal Family has had homeopathic physicians since the 1830s. In England, as many as 45 per cent of conventional doctors (MDs) refer patients to homeopaths.

The treatment is part of the National Health Scheme (NHS). This is of course, highly unscientific and anecdotal in nature. But the Queen Mother lived to 100 and wherever she went, she took her homeopathy kit. And she walked upright although she had arthritis.

Source:asiaonehealth

The homeopathy alternative

2010/04/19

Rajem M.

In England, as many as 45 per cent of conventional doctors refer patients to homeopaths

LAST week, I talked about my moment of “epiphany” that resulted in me turning dramatically to the world of natural medicine.

I realised quickly that much of the world used natural medicine most of the time.

So did our grandmothers and their grandmothers.

But homeopathy itself stood very uncomfortably as it was seen as “nothing” in sugar globules.

Indeed, in a 1997 letter to the editor of The Lancet, titled Homeopathy — Much Ado About Nothing?, Nasir Ali Asfar of the Department of Pharmacology, Zainudduin Medical College in Karachi, bluntly suggested that it was placebo and based on superstition. Placebo Sure, it is based on “energy medicine”.

The Queen Mother took her homeopathy kit wherever she went. She lived to 100

There is sometimes nothing left of the “active substance” of numerous dilutions.

So the claim of placebo comes to mind as it may be seen playing on the patient’s mind and belief systems.

There is a problem with this argument.

Homeopathy works for babies and even pets.

Certainly, intellect and patient belief system are not in play here.

Homeopathy became popular in the United States and Europe in the 1800s.

The strongest advocates were European royalty, American entrepreneurs, literary giants, and religious leaders. As it gained widespread popularity, it became the object of animosity and opposition from mainstream medicine.

The conflict between homeopathy and orthodox medicine was protracted and bitter.

The battle goes on We know who won the first round of this conflict.

The results of the second round is left to be seen.

Hopefully, we will soon discover that a “fight” over healing is inappropriate and that various approaches to healing are necessary to build a comprehensive and effective healthcare system.

The history of homeopathy begins with the discoveries of its founder, Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician disillusioned with the medical practice of the time.

He first coined the word “homeopathy”.

“Homoios” in Greek means similar.

“Pathos” means suffering.

This refers to the pharmacological principle, the law of similars, that is its basis.

The law of similars was previously described by Hippocrates (the Father of Medicine) and Paracelsus, and was utilised by many cultures, including the Mayans, Chinese, Greeks, Native American Indians and Indians.

But it was Hahnemann who codified the law of similars into a systematic medical science.

His first comments about the applicability of the law of similars were in 1789, when he translated a book by William Cullen — leading physicians of the era.

At one point in the book, Cullen ascribed the usefulness of Peruvian bark (Cinchona) in treating malaria due to its bitter and astringent properties.

Similars Hahnemann wrote a bold footnote in his translation, disputing Cullen’s explanation.

He asserted that the efficacy of Peruvian bark must be for other factor.

He noted that there were other substances and mixtures of substances decidedly more bitter and astringent than Peruvian bark that were not effective in treating malaria.

He described himself taking repeated doses of this herb until his body responded to its toxic dose with fever, chills and other symptoms similar to malaria.

Hahnemann concluded that this herb was beneficial because it caused symptoms similar to those of the disease it was treating.

That was a mind blowing and paradigm changing idea that day! Hahnemann was clearly a brilliant mind.

He was translating Cullen’s work, which indicates that he was one of the more respected translators of his day.

When he was only 24, Hahnemann could read and write in at least seven languages.

He ultimately translated over 20 major medical and scientific texts.

This story reveals Hahnemann as both an avid experimenter and a respected chemist.

He had authored a four-volume set of books called The Pharmaceutical Lexicon, which was considered one of the standard reference texts for apothecaries or pharmacists.

Rebel Hahnemann was an audacious rebel.

He was unafraid to speak his mind, even if it meant correcting the analysis of a very respected physician.

He was unafraid to question commonly accepted truths. After translating Cullen’s work, Hahnemann spent the next six years actively experimenting on himself, his family and a small but growing group of followers.

In 1796, he wrote about his experiences with the law of similars in Hufeland’s Journal, a respected medical journal in Germany.

Coincidentally, in 1798, Edward Jenner discovered the value of giving small doses of cowpox to people in an effort to immunise them against smallpox. While Jenner’s work was generally accepted into orthodox medicine, Hahnemann’s was not. Hahnemann was particularly disliked by the apothecaries because he recommended the use of only one medicine at a time and prescribing limited doses of it.

As he recommended only small doses of each medicine, the apothecaries could not charge much for them.

And because each medicine required careful preparation, Hahnemann found that the apothecaries were not always making them correctly or were intentionally giving his patients different medicines.

As he grew to distrust the apothecaries, he chose to dispense his medicines, an illegal act at the time in Germany.

The apothecaries then accused Hahnemann of “entrenching upon their privileges by the dispensing of medicines”.

He was arrested in Leipzig in 1820, found guilty and forced to move.

Prosecuted He moved to Kothen, where he was delegated special permission to practice and dispense his medicines by Grand Duke Ferdinand, one of the many European royalties who supported homeopathy. Despite the persecution, homeopathy continued to grow, not just because it offered a systematic approach to treating sick people, but also because orthodox medicine was ineffective and dangerous in some instances, especially for chronic diseases.

Indeed, there is general agreement among medical historians today that orthodox medicine of the 1700s and 1800s in particular frequently caused more harm than good.

Besides bloodletting and leeches, orthodox physicians used medicines made from mercury, lead, arsenic and various strong herbs to help purge the body of foreign disease-causing matter.

Despite the fact that historians and scientists today consider medicine of the 18th and 19th Century as unscientific and barbaric, orthodox physicians had the audacity to call homeopathy “quackery”, “unscientific”, “cultish”, and “devilish”.

Homeopathy lost out with the masses.

But it remained popular with the elite as it was effective, safe and did not cost much.

Indeed, the great Mahatma Ghandi, while studying law in the UK, noticed homeopathy was “safe, cheap and effective” and brought it back for the masses in India.

Wide range Homeopaths treat a veritable array of problems.

These include allergies, anorectal disorders, asthma, arthritis, back pain, neuralgia, colic, coughs and colds, cystitis, depression, eczema, gynaecological problems, hair loss, heartburn, hyper-pigmentation, insect bites, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, leg cramp, menopausal problems, migraines, morning sickness, nausea, obesity, phobias, pre-menstrual syndrome, sexual disorders, stress, teething pains, tumours and warts.

Most homeopaths regularly treat chronic or recurrent conditions such as eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, fatigue disorders, asthma, migraine, dysmenorrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, recurrent upper respiratory or urinary tract infections and mood disorders. Patients with ill-defined illness that defy conventional diagnosis are also treated.

Significantly, homeopaths treat children more often than other complementary practitioners.

Homeopathy is most popular in the UK, where the Royal Family has had homeopathic physicians since the 1830s.

In England, as many as 45 per cent of conventional doctors (MDs) refer patients to homeopaths.

The treatment is part of the National Health Scheme (NHS).

This is of course, highly unscientific and anecdotal in nature.

But the Queen Mother lived to 100 and wherever she went, she took her homeopathy kit.

And she walked upright although she had arthritis.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Reads the Body to Detect Disease

How Traditional Chinese Medicine Reads the Body to Detect Disease

Most people don't realize that their face provides information about what's going on beneath the surface. Your body speaks a unique language to communicate the imbalances within it. Chinese medicine has mastered the art and science of reading the body's language over its five thousand year practice. Each part of your face reflects a different element from the Chinese 5-Element network (fire, earth, water, metal, and wood), which in turn, corresponds to a particular organ grouping. Your reflection offers visual cues to what may be happening within your internal systems--such as your heart, stomach, hormones and even your mind and spirit.

In some situations visual cues will immediately alert you of an issue, and you can take measures immediately. But the real value of self-inspection is in detecting subtle imbalances and dealing with them preventively through diet, herbal supplementation, and lifestyle practices. By reading your body, you can take care of small problems before they become big health issues.

The Forehead

According to Chinese medicine, the forehead corresponds to the fire element. This is associated with the heart and small intestine organ network, as well as the mind and spirit.

Forehead: Fire Element - Heart/Small Intestine

When examining your forehead, look for redness or small blood vessels that appear as discoloration, which could indicate a heart problem. Skin discoloration could also be caused by a recent emotionally-charged experience, such as a breakup or loss. It is common for people whose emotions are regularly in turmoil to have a constant furrow between their eyebrows.

A heart attack can often be foretold by a subtle bluish-green hue on the forehead. If you have discoloration on your forehead accompanied by heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and tingling or pain in your left arm, schedule an appointment with a cardiologist or visit an emergency room, if necessary.

Your Nose

Your nose corresponds to the earth element, indicating a connection to the stomach, spleen and pancreas network.

Nose: Earth Element - Spleen/Pancreas/Stomach

Symptoms of internal discord typically show up as a pimple on the tip or side of your nose. Think back to your meals from the previous day. Did you eat a lot of spicy, deep-fried, fatty, or rich foods? How about chocolate? If the answer is "yes," your choice of cuisine could be the problem. As a result, you may suffer from indigestion,constipation, or diarrhea.

Broken capillaries or redness across the bridge of the nose could reveal alcohol abuse, or it may simply mean excessive worry and stress, which taxes your earth element network. I had a patient who would de-stress from her taxing executive job with alcohol and sweets, and her nose always gave these indiscretions away. I recommended she calm her nerves in healthier ways, like meditation and other stress-releasing techniques.

Your Chin

The chin area is related to the water element, which is internally associated to your kidney and bladder organ network, including the hormonal system and glands.

Chin: Water Element - Kidney/Bladder

Blemishes, discoloration and dark patches of skin around the chin and mouth could indicate problems within the kidneys or bladder. Recurrent acne breakouts around your chin may signify a hormonal imbalance. The problem is most often due to the body producing excess estrogen or testosterone and tends to be coupled with irregular menstruation in women and prostate symptoms in men.

Be sure to also look at your philtrum, the indentation just above your lips. This small area relates to the uterus and ovaries in women and the prostate and genitals in men. Horizontal lines, blemishes or discoloration across the philtrum may indicate infertility issues due to problems such as endometriosis or uterine fibroid cysts.

According to Chinese medicine, people who have a small chin are genetically predispositioned to weakness in their kidney and bladder network. However, this doesn't mean that small-chinned people will develop kidney disease. The information is simply an alert that a tendency may exist, and patients can choose to make lifestyle changes to prevent the development of a condition.

Your Right Cheek

Your right cheek corresponds to the metal element, meaning this area of your face is connected to the lung and large intestine network.

Right Cheek: Metal Element - Lung/Large Intenstine

Problems in the lung and large intestine network present themselves as discoloration, blemishes and skin problems on your right cheek. A mild acne breakout, eczema patch or slight redness may mean a cold is coming on. Lung illness or upper respiratory ailments also trigger visual symptoms on the right cheek.

People who are prone to respiratory allergies or asthma have a tendency to have a reddish, scaly eczema, a slight rash or slight bluish-green hue along the right cheek--showing too much heat or inflammation in the respiratory system, or a lack of oxygen from bronchial constriction. One of my many pediatric patients who suffered from allergic asthma always displayed an eczema-like patch right before a flare up of her allergy attack, a very useful tip off. I instructed her mother to treat her right away with herbs for allergies to avert an asthma attack.

Your Left Cheek

The left cheek corresponds to your wood element, or the liver-gallbladder network.

Left Cheek: Wood Element - Liver/Gallbladder

Broken capillaries and redness, especially up next to the bridge of your nose, indicate heat, inflammation or congestion of toxins in the liver. Bulging veins, redness, and rash sometimes signal high blood pressure and pent-up anger. A yellowish hue under the left eye may indicate gallstones or high triglycerides or cholesterol, which are processed by the liver-gall bladder network.

Problems in this part of the face can also reveal emotional issues, such as anger and depression, since the liver and gallbladder network includes the nervous system.

Please keep in mind that there are many ways that your body alerts you to imbalances. As you learn this visual method, you'll want to be able to confirm your findings from one body part with observations from others, such as the eyes, tongue, and nails. Want to learn more? Get your own copy of Secrets of Self-Healing, where you can find in-depth information.

Keep all five elements healthy and get a whole body tune-up with a balanced combination of 44 traditional Chinese herbs that support healthy function of the bodily systems, the Five Elements of Health Formula.

I hope this article helps you find out what your face is telling you! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

-Dr. Mao

This blog is meant to educate, but it should not be used as a substitute for personal medical advice. The reader should consult his or her physician or clinician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field is ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.

The Placebo Effect: It Works Because You Say So

The Placebo Effect: It Works Because You Say So

You go to a doctor. The doctor gives you a pill. You get better. Then you find out the doctor gave you a sugar pill and you got better anyway. There are two reasons this can happen. The first is because you might have gotten better without bothering to go to the doctor at all. The second is called the Placebo Effect. Many scientists believe it is what makes homeopathy and herbal cures work, and it has some folks in the UK pretty ticked off.

On January 30, a group called 10:23 is organizing an event to protest an English drug store chain's decision to sell homeopathic remedies. Boing Boing carried the story that 300 unbelievers across the UK are each planning to swallow an entire bottle of homeopathic pills. It's a mass "overdose" intended to show that homeopathic remedies are nothing but sugar pills and fake medicine. The event should be interesting, particularly if any of the protesters go into a sugar-induced coma.

Homeopathy is based on three central ideas: First, the Law of Similars: whatever causes your symptoms can also cure them. If you can't sleep, try caffeine. Second, the Law of Infinitesimals. When you dilute a cure in water, it gets stronger. Third, the Law of Succussion, which states that each time you dilute your cure in water you are to tap the bottle to "potentize" it. Homeopaths believe this allows the water to retain the memory or vibration of the cure.

If you believe in homeopathy, this information is unbearably exciting. If you don't, it sounds like superstition and "magik" from 1796, which is when homeopathy was invented by one Samuel Hahnemann.

But what if it's not about what's in the pills at all? What if their potency is predicated upon the intent of the user, the mystique surrounding the pills, or the package they came in? In 1955, an anesthesiologist named Henry Knowles Beecher said that a drug or doctor's success is due to the patient's expectation of a desired outcome. His research suggested that more than 30 percent of the time, patients felt better when they believed the treatment was going to make them feel better. Subsequent researchers say Beecher's research was flawed, but there's no denying that when people in white coats and medical degrees on the wall say reassuring words, people feel better. It also works when the people are wearing feathers and a loin cloth if that's the cultural norm of what a healer looks like.

Expectations are powerful: Reference a puzzling study from the 1920s. A research team wanted to know if making factory lighting brighter would improve worker productivity. It did. But then worker productivity also improved when researchers made the lighting dimmer. The secret? The workers came to expect that any change would make them more productive, no matter whether they could see or were working in the dark.

We're still in the dark regarding the Placebo Effect. It might prove to be the real mechanism for understanding healing energy based on intention and belief. It might be a vestige of old superstitions and "magik." It certainly reveals a lot about how people heal.

A Brief Overview of Homeopathic Hemorrhoid Treatment

Tuesday, January 26 2010 @ 01:33 AM Central Standard Time

Homeopathy is another form of hemorrhoid treatment aimed at relieving the symptoms. The practice has been used for more than two centuries as a form of alternative remedy for a wide range of diseases. This here is a simple referential guide to give you a general idea of homeopathy. It’s still essential to consult a medical professional first to know the best treatment course for your hemorrhoids. Homeopathy Homeopathy, as previously mentioned, is an alternative medicinal procedure that differs from traditional medical treatment. Unlike its counterparts, homeopathic hemorrhoid treatment uses diluted substances to jumpstart the body’s healing abilities. The alternative medicine is based on the theory that like cures like. Although homeopathic hemorrhoid treatment is generally free from harmful side-effects, instances of toxicity are still possible, which is why trying the treatment method on your own without help from a certified homeopathic practitioner is clearly not advised. Curative elements of homeopathy Homeopathic hemorrhoid treatment is always in the form of diluted preparations. The key to a successful and safe homeopathic therapy is to incredibly dilute the curative components used. At first glance, the ingredients of homeopathic preparations will seem odd and dangerous, especially at high quantities. But the process of preparing these ingredients greatly reduces the risks. On the other hand, the remedies shouldn’t be handled alone as it’s easy to make a harmful error. Furthermore, homeopathic practitioners use a potency scale to gauge the strength of the remedies. The acceptable potency level is 30 and below, anything higher is reserved for extreme cases and should only be administered by an experienced homeopathic practitioner. The preparations are also always taken orally, which should cause the recipient to exercise control whenever taking the diluted solution. Too much homeopathic remedy may either cause specific levels of toxicity or even subpar effects. Fortunately, instructions are always provided for self-medicating patients. Beyond homeopathy Like other hemorrhoid cures, immediacy is of critical importance. Result is the single-most crucial component any hemorrhoid remedy must provide. In the case of homeopathic hemorrhoid treatment, three doses without any result should prompt you to stop the therapy. This type of treatment is used to address a specific combination of symptoms: The right combination of ingredients for pain will be different for the medication used for itching or bleeding. It is helpful to know everything you can about this treatment approach before trying it out on your own, or better yet, consult an experienced homeopathic therapist first to learn more about this alternative solution to hemorrhoids. Mark Michael Ferrer Hemorrhoid Treatment

Sceptics plan 'mass overdose' in protest against homeopathic medicine

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:12 PM on 22nd January 2010

• 

Hundreds of people will swallow a bottle of pills in protest against the prolific sale of homeopathic medicine

Hundreds of homeopathy sceptics are planning a 'mass overdose' of pills in protest at the continued marketing of the 'useless' medicines by high street chemist Boots.

More than 300 people will each swallow an entire bottle of pills or drink large quantities of homeopathic fluids in order to prove their claim that the medicines are ineffective.

The protest will take place on high streets across the country at 10.23 on January 30.

The group behind the stunt, known as 10.23, has lobbied the NHS to reduce its £4billion annual budget on homeopathic medicines and is now targeting Boots.

The popular chemist boasts large quantities of remedies including arnica, St John's wort, flower remedies and calendula cream.

The system of complementary medicine claims to treat and prevent disease by using greatly diluted forms of herbs and minerals.

It has grown into a multi-million pound industry in the UK, with Prince Charles among its advocates.

But critics say there is little scientific backing for its claims to ease conditions including asthma, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis and depression.

Group 10.23 has accused Boots of profiting from what is an 'unscientific and absurd pseudoscience.'

Martin Robbins, a spokesman for the society, said: 'The remedies themselves may not be directly harmful, but there is a real danger in misleading customers into thinking that homeopathy is somehow equivalent to real medicine.

'Patients may believe that they are treating themselves or their children adequately, and delay seeking appropriate treatment; or they may receive dangerous advice after consulting with homeopaths rather than their GPs.'

Boots sells a wide range of homeopathic medicines including rhus tox, belladonna, sulphur and nux vom

He added: 'The 'overdose' is a dramatic way of demonstrating to the public that these remedies have literally nothing in them. If eating an entire box of homeopathic sleeping pills fails to send one person to sleep, then how on Earth can their sale be justified?'

The debate over homeopathic medicine was reignited in October when Boots' professional standards director Paul Bennett told a committee of MPs that there was no medical evidence that homeopathic pills and potions work.

'There is certainly a consumer demand for these products,' he said. 'I have no evidence to suggest they are efficacious.

'It is about consumer choice for us and a large number of our customers believe they are efficacious.'

Mr Bennett made his comments to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, which is investigating the scientific evidence behind homeopathy.

This week Mr Bennett defended the chemist's right to sell homeopathic remedies.

'Boots UK is committed to providing our customers with a wide range of healthcare products to suit their individual needs, we know that many people believe in the benefits of complementary medicines and we aim to offer the products we know our customers want,' he said.

'Our pharmacists are trained healthcare professionals and are on hand to offer advice on the safe use of complementary medicines.'

The protests will take place in Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham, Southampton and London, with sympathy demonstrations in Australia, Canada and the United States.

New Biological Models Of Homeopathy Published In Special Issues

Main Category: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine

Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry; Allergy
Article Date: 20 Jan 2010 - 1:00 PST

The journal Homeopathy has published a two part special issue focusing on biological models of homeopathy. The special issue highlights experiments on homeopathic treatments in biological models, ranging from whole animals and plants to cell cultures and enzymes, showing a remarkable range of findings.

Homeopathy is a form of complementary medicine which is controversial because of its use of extremely dilute medicines. Although there is considerable clinical research, homeopathy remains the subject of a heated debate. The special issue makes an important contribution to this debate, by reviewing laboratory experiments with high dilutions. It includes reviews and new findings in biosystems, ranging from whole animal behavioral, intoxication and inflammation models through diseased and healthy plant models, to test tube experiments using isolated cells, cell cultures or enzymes.

Featured articles include one on the basophil degranulation test, a test tube model of allergy, developed by Jean Sainte Laudy. These results have now been confirmed in multi-centre and independent experiments. Other articles include systematic reviews of healthy and diseased plant models and experimental work on the effect of homeopathic arsenic on wheat seedlings. There are reviews of mouse and rat models of homeopathic responses and a review, including original results of animal models of homeopathic treatment of anxiety-like behaviours.

Other articles focus on the basic concept of homeopathy 'like cures like': in a series of cell-culture experiments Fred Wiegant's team at the University of Utrecht demonstrated the importance of similarity. Christian Endler and his multinational team conclude that seven different biological models of high dilution response with positive results have been reproduced in multi-centre and/or independent experiments.

Editor-in-Chief Dr Peter Fisher commented: 'Throughout its 200 year history claims that homeopathy has 'real' (as opposed to placebo) effects have been hotly contested. Our special issue brings together a wide range of scientific work in biological systems, where there can be no placebo effect, showing that there are now several biological experiments which yield consistently positive results with homeopathic dilutions'.

Source: Fiona Macnab
Elsevier