World Homeopathy Awareness Week was two weeks ago. Unsurprisingly, it probably passed you by without having an effect.
You may be asking yourself, "What is homeopathy?" Well, allow me to expand on the details regarding this natural wonder of garbage medicine.
Homeopathy was “invented” in 1765 by German physician Samuel Hahnemann, and is based on the ridiculous principle similia similibus curentur, meaning “like cures like.” In other words, “what a medicine can cause in a healthy person, it can cure in someone who is sick,” according to Tempe-based Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine’s website.
Thus, according to the rules of homeopathy, it would follow that if tobacco causes cancer in healthy patients, then tobacco can cure cancer in sick patients, right?
If your cerebrum just fused after reading that last statement, stand still, and blink twice to let others around know you are still conscious.
Homeopathic medicines are generally sugar pills covered in the extreme dilution of an active ingredient. The dilutions are so great, however, that according to Avogadro’s Rule (get out those old chemistry textbooks) it is nearly impossible for a single molecule of the original compound to exist in the finished product.
Yes, you read that correctly, there is no active ingredient in homeopathic medicine.
This is no secret, though.
The SCNM website even notes the ineffectiveness of their medicine, “It is the healing reaction provoked by the homeopathic medicine that cures, not the medicine itself.”
It is comical to think that the FDA must regulate homeopathic remedies, since there is nothing there to regulate, except a possible sugar overdose.
Even that may be impossible, however, as hundreds of British protestors, organized by the Merseyside Skeptics Society, attempted a mass overdose on homeopathic remedies last January. Individuals swallowed whole bottles in a matter of minutes to protest against the selling of homeopathic products in one of their nations largest store chains — Boots, which is similar to Target here in the U.S.
The protest meant to showcase the ineffectiveness of homeopathic drugs.
As expected, there were no casualties.
So what’s the harm if people take medicines that have no effect?
According to Tim Farley, keeper of the website What’s the Harm, 437 people have been killed or injured using homeopathic medicine in the last 50 years. Farley’s website lists several cases where children are the victims of their own parents’ incredible stupidity, seeking out homeopathy as opposed to legitimate medicine.
These incidents are fueled by unfounded claims made by advocates that homeopathy works.
In February of 2010, the England’s House of Commons Science and Technology Committee completed a study to decide whether the government should continue funding homeopathy through its National Health System.
According to their conclusion, “The evidence base shows that homeopathy is not efficacious ... it does not work beyond the placebo effect” and “prescribing pure placebos is bad medicine.”
If these latest findings bring forth a decrease in homeopathic doctors and medicines in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, it will be good to finally see something that actually has an effect.
Noah is rebooting his cerebrum. You can reach him at noah.lewkowitz@asu.edu
