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H3LL
17th May 2005, 04:26 AM
HELP PLEASE.

For me to better understand homeopathy I have put together a glossary. I hope it is useful to those that, like me, are new to homeopathy jargon.

I found the glossaries at Quackwatch (Homeowatch) to be poor and helped little in understanding the homeopathic community's jargon and waffle.

It would seem some homeopathic sites just make-it-up-as-they-go-along and consistency has never been their strong point.

I have expanded the glossary to be a little more comprehensive...But I need some help please.

I'm not sufficiently confident to mark some of the entries from h'pathy sites as a No for Accepted By Science.

Let me know any ideas, additions and comments on the project so far. I will update the Excel and html with good suggestions. Please provide the sources if you want it included. No source and it will not be included.

The glossary is also available as it's original Excel file HERE (http://sinotran.com/Homeopathic_Glossary.xls)

The glossary is also available as it's webpage HERE (http://sinotran.com/homeopathic_glossary.htm)

Please don't hotlink just yet. Thanks.

Below is not a picture...You can use the scroll bars to get it in view.


<html>
<iframe src='http://sinotran.com/homeopathic_glossary.htm' width='80%' height='500' frameborder='0' marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>
Your browser is not compatible with the frames used on this page, to view this page please clickHere ('http://sinotran.com/homeopathic_glossary.htm').
</iframe></html>

A tip on how to easily get it to auto-fit in an iFrame/webpage would also be nice. Thanks :D
Zamzara
17th May 2005, 04:50 AM
I would mention grafting, the principle that new remedies can be be prepared by storing the new sugar pills near to an existing pill.
Ashles
17th May 2005, 05:09 AM
Originally posted by Zamzara
I would mention grafting, the principle that new remedies can be be prepared by storing the new sugar pills near to an existing pill.
And "blanks" which are the unpotentised new sugar pills used in "grafting".

(I've only just heard of this practice myself)
Mojo
17th May 2005, 06:20 AM
You could also include miasms, which seem to be the cause of all disease. It might not be easy to find a coherent definition of what they are though; the term seems to mean different things according to which homeopath is defining them, although it originated with Hahnemann.
H3LL
17th May 2005, 07:01 AM
Mojo, Ashles, Zamzara...

All added and then some. I found another good glossary and have added about 20 words thanks to your suggestions. :)

BTW. The original post (OP) will always be valid for links etc. as I'm updating them directy on the server.

You will see your suggestions in the window now.

I still want suggestions as to what I can put a big, fat, red NO to accepted by science.

Thanks all.
H3LL
17th May 2005, 08:42 AM
I have updates the files and Version 1.06 is now available to view and download in the OP.

There are now approx. 130 terms defined.

Please now feel free to use it as you wish. Hotlinkers please PM me so that I can monitor my bandwidth and I know who you are.

More comments please.

Thank you.
kraatz
5th June 2005, 08:03 AM
Terribly trivial, but your entry for Avogadro's number shows 6.023 X 1023, probably because formatting issues with Excel will not let you show the superscript for powers properly. May I suggest an entry like so:

6.02*10^23

Like I said, minor, but I can already hear the chorus of retentive critics shouting "he doesn't even know THAT?!"
Beady
5th June 2005, 08:44 AM
Originally posted by H3LL
I still want suggestions as to what I can put a big, fat, red NO to accepted by science.

Err... How about the entry for "Homeopathy"?
Beady
5th June 2005, 08:46 AM
Originally posted by kraatz
Terribly trivial, but your entry for Avogadro's number shows 6.023 X 1023, probably because formatting issues with Excel will not let you show the superscript for powers properly. May I suggest an entry like so:

6.02*10^23

Like I said, minor, but I can already hear the chorus of retentive critics shouting "he doesn't even know THAT?!"

I believe the Engineering form of the number would be

6.02E23
kraatz
5th June 2005, 11:17 AM
Originally posted by Beady
I believe the Engineering form of the number would be

6.02E23

That will do nicely, and Excel will notate it properly if entered that way.

/anal retention
H3LL
5th June 2005, 07:32 PM
Thanks Beady and kraatz.

Glossary of Homeopathy Terms v1.07 now done and uploaded.

All links and views are up-to-date in the OP.

"Homeopathy" now a "No". Silly me :hit:

I used both the 6.02*10^23 and the 6.02E23, just to be clear (set the Excel cell to Text instead of General.. Worked a treat).
H3LL
5th July 2005, 03:35 AM
*Bump*

I'm still looking for some more critical input, or am I wasting my time?

Thanks.
exarch
14th July 2005, 09:51 AM
The entry for "Vigor vitae" says "See: Life force", but there is no such entry, although there is one for "vital force".

Also, any entry pointing to another entry with a big, fat, red "NO" next to it should also have a big, fat, red NO itself (e.g. life force).
Ashles
14th July 2005, 10:01 AM
Surely 'Isopathy' is not accepted by science?

It doesn't appear to be from its entry in Scepdic (http://skepdic.com/isopathy.html).
H3LL
14th July 2005, 04:40 PM
Thanks exarch and Ashles.

Changes now made.

Glossary of Homeopathy Terms v1.08 now done and uploaded.

All links and views are up-to-date in the OP.
Jon.
14th July 2005, 04:47 PM
To be fair, shouldn't you put big green labels saying "yes" next to entries that science does accept, like Avogadro's number?
H3LL
14th July 2005, 05:26 PM
Originally posted by Jon.
To be fair, shouldn't you put big green labels saying "yes" next to entries that science does accept, like Avogadro's number?

I tried for a short time, but it became too 'busy'.

To label each entry required several different types and gave me the possible problem of acceptable science (perhaps such as your suggestion) used in unacceptable ways and how to label names.

A further dilemma was how to label such things as Centesimal. There is nothing wrong, as such, with the process, as it's just that...a process but to label it with a Yes would send confusing signals.

It all became rather complex so I decided on clarity.

I think it works as is, but I'm open to other practical suggestions that accurately label each item without obfuscation.
Jon.
14th July 2005, 05:48 PM
I understand your dilemmas. It just doesn't seem fair to have the bright red labels condemning some terms and not to acknowledge the scientific validity of others.

I'm certainly not trying to lend any scientific credence to homeopathy, but the way it's done now looks too one-sided, as though you have an agenda other than simply presenting the facts.
H3LL
14th July 2005, 06:35 PM
Originally posted by Jon.
.....but the way it's done now looks too one-sided, as though you have an agenda other than simply presenting the facts.

I have no facts only evidence. If I had no agenda the prominent Homeowatch link would be absent.

Many of the descriptions are from high hit-rate homeopathy sites, which of course have no agenda other than presenting the facts. :D

I have tried not to label 'No' where there is room for interpretation and grey areas and overall, I think I have been kind to homeopathy.

I'm under no illusion that any homeopath will display my glossary although they may use it privately.

I acknowledge your point but have no other practical solution at this time.

I'm open to suggestions.
Jyera
14th July 2005, 10:27 PM
How about "Homeopath"?

I have seen an article referring to a person as a Homeopath.
The person who was referred to was also referred to as Dr. ...

The article talked about the treatment for piles.
And place TCM and Homeopathy and Modern-Medicine side-by-side as options.

So Homeopath could mean
1. someone who is willing to use Homeopathy.
2. someone who advocate and support Homeopathy.
3. someone a qualified/certified to do homeopathy.
4. a physician who use homeopathy as part of the medical treatment.
5. a person obsessed about Homeopathy.
etc.


Instead of "Accepted by science" .
It is important to know if "Homeopath" is Accepted by medical doctor as competent peer.
CurtC
14th July 2005, 10:59 PM
Those two-dot-i's at the end of all the italicized words make them hard to read.
YouBelieveWHAT?
14th July 2005, 11:51 PM
Excellent work H3LL,

Like youself I'm a newbie when it comes to Homeopathy, so I'm very grateful that you've spent the time to put this together!:D

Actually, in a thread I started a couple of weeks ago where I was asking about interpreting the statistical analysis of test results (not being medical or mathematical by training), I was attacked by Olaf/QII for having an agenda, so I feel as if I've undergone a "rite of passage" and can now take my place with the other "Homeopathy sceptics" here!

I do have one suggested correction: you have "Geginwirking" in the list. Now, I'm just learning German at the moment (I have the headaches to prove it!), so I may be wrong, but I think the word should be "Gegenwirkung".

Perhaps a "real" German can advise?

YBW
Badly Shaved Monkey
15th July 2005, 12:06 AM
Well done. Useful and it helps point out a lot of the idiocies buried in their impressive sounding jargon.

I've just had a quick look, will read it more closely.

Nosode: Should mention that this is controversial among homeopaths because it runs counter to a number of their basic rules.

Constitutional Remedy: a method of constantly picking the punter's pocket because you have to take it permanently. Again, however, it runs counter to many of their basic principles and gets them into a real knot over how to define health and disease. Read posts by Hans Weibrecht at the hom sites to see how strongly one of their own opposes the idea.
Badly Shaved Monkey
15th July 2005, 12:10 AM
Uncommon Symptoms: within their system searching for uncommon symptoms is key to getting the similililililmum. This is no more than common sense because the symptoms listed for remedies have vast areas of overlap so the only way to match them best to the patient it to look for the more unusual features that a patient might show. If homeopathy was true this is very sensible. In practice it is widely flouted and by their own principles this should mean that many of the prescriptions they make are badly matched and should not work. It's always strange that they don't often seem to recognise these failures. I wonder why.
Badly Shaved Monkey
15th July 2005, 12:11 AM
Proving: Fair to say experiment, but should note the open and unblinded nature of them. Note that no successful blinded proving has ever been reported.
Badly Shaved Monkey
15th July 2005, 12:14 AM
Dis-ease: a peculiar convention they use to avoid getting into conventional medical definitions of diseases, but which allows them to ape many of real medicine's terms. It also reflects their problems of defining health and disease.
Badly Shaved Monkey
15th July 2005, 12:17 AM
Antidote: should note that many common things are listed as universal antidotes, but also that many people allegedly are 'cured' in spite of continuing to take all those antidotes.
Badly Shaved Monkey
15th July 2005, 12:19 AM
Centessimal: some spellinge mistakes. I think it has 2 s's, but I stand to be corrected.

"See: Centicimal Potency."
Badly Shaved Monkey
15th July 2005, 12:44 AM
Memory: Memory of water. Not a basic homeopathic principle but frequently cited as the method by whch remedies hold their power.

It does not flout the rules of chemistry that some there may be some subtle process present in solutions diluted past the presence of the last molecule of solvent, but the evidence is flimsy that it exists at all. If it existed and was strong, it would flout many basic scientific principles including the fact that you would never be able to successfully clean your laboratory glassware with the effects of your last experiment hanging over you indefinitely.

Its frequent citation is also disingenuous because most remedies are taken as pills from which a liquid drop of remedy has been evaporated. It is thus used to create a smokescreen of scientifickiosity behind which the truth is concealed.
Badly Shaved Monkey
15th July 2005, 12:47 AM
Combination Remedy
Single Remedy

A correctly chosen single remedy should only ever be used according to good hom practice. Many over the counter hom products are combinations. Again, this is a point of deep disagreement amongst the homs, but they can't come out and say combination remedies don't work, 1. because they can't tell if they don't, 2. they can not show any better that their single remedies do work.
H3LL
15th July 2005, 02:11 AM
Originally posted by Jyera
How about "Homeopath"?

I have seen an article referring to a person as a Homeopath.
The person who was referred to was also referred to as Dr. ...

The article talked about the treatment for piles.
And place TCM and Homeopathy and Modern-Medicine side-by-side as options.

So Homeopath could mean
1. someone who is willing to use Homeopathy.
2. someone who advocate and support Homeopathy.
3. someone a qualified/certified to do homeopathy.
4. a physician who use homeopathy as part of the medical treatment.
5. a person obsessed about Homeopathy.
etc.


Instead of "Accepted by science" .
It is important to know if "Homeopath" is Accepted by medical doctor as competent peer.

Gosh, a simple question with a more complex answer.
I used the define: facility on google and was unhappy with the result a practitioner of homeopathy and a couple of very biased and loaded definitions. Searching with the string "What is a homeopath" gave me more, but no real clear definition.

I like what you have (#5 is a bit dubious) but really need some links to help support the definition. Thanks.

I've added Homeopath: a practitioner of homeopathy until I get more.


Originally posted by CurtC
Those two-dot-i's at the end of all the italicized words make them hard to read.

It's the character used for the arrow in the Wingdings font. I wanted something that would transfer easily from Excel to HTML without having to re-write all the arrows.

Is the Wingdings font missing from your system?

Do you get the same problem with the Excel file?

Are others experiencing similar problems?


Originally posted by YouBelieveWHAT?
Excellent work H3LL,

Like youself I'm a newbie when it comes to Homeopathy, so I'm very grateful that you've spent the time to put this together!:D

Actually, in a thread I started a couple of weeks ago where I was asking about interpreting the statistical analysis of test results (not being medical or mathematical by training), I was attacked by Olaf/QII for having an agenda, so I feel as if I've undergone a "rite of passage" and can now take my place with the other "Homeopathy sceptics" here!

I do have one suggested correction: you have "Geginwirking" in the list. Now, I'm just learning German at the moment (I have the headaches to prove it!), so I may be wrong, but I think the word should be "Gegenwirkung".

Perhaps a "real" German can advise?

YBW

I took it from the http://www.wholehealthnow.com/homeopathy_pro/pro_glossary.html site (must change link). On English sites I get two hits for Geginwirking and two for Gegenwirkung describing the same thing.

I'll add both spellings. Thanks.

Originally posted by Badly Shaved Monkey
Well done. Useful and it helps point out a lot of the idiocies buried in their impressive sounding jargon.

I've just had a quick look, will read it more closely.

Nosode: Should mention that this is controversial among homeopaths because it runs counter to a number of their basic rules.

Constitutional Remedy: a method of constantly picking the punter's pocket because you have to take it permanently. Again, however, it runs counter to many of their basic principles and gets them into a real knot over how to define health and disease. Read posts by Hans Weibrecht at the hom sites to see how strongly one of their own opposes the idea.

Additions with references added on Nosode (Homeopath writer) and Contitutional Remedy (Quackwatch). Thanks.

Originally posted by Badly Shaved Monkey
Uncommon Symptoms: within their system searching for uncommon symptoms is key to getting the similililililmum. This is no more than common sense because the symptoms listed for remedies have vast areas of overlap so the only way to match them best to the patient it to look for the more unusual features that a patient might show. If homeopathy was true this is very sensible. In practice it is widely flouted and by their own principles this should mean that many of the prescriptions they make are badly matched and should not work. It's always strange that they don't often seem to recognise these failures. I wonder why.

A tough one. I got the definition from Baker at Homeowatch. This was rather hard to pin down.

Originally posted by Badly Shaved Monkey
Proving: Fair to say experiment, but should note the open and unblinded nature of them. Note that no successful blinded proving has ever been reported.

Added [Open, unblinded]. I'm pushing the agenda envelope to the limit here. :D

Originally posted by Badly Shaved Monkey
Dis-ease: a peculiar convention they use to avoid getting into conventional medical definitions of diseases, but which allows them to ape many of real medicine's terms. It also reflects their problems of defining health and disease.

I'm not getting any joy on this one. Any good definitions (not a debunk)?

Originally posted by Badly Shaved Monkey
Antidote: should note that many common things are listed as universal antidotes, but also that many people allegedly are 'cured' in spite of continuing to take all those antidotes.

Added "Can also be used as a remedy" - Would that be correct?
H3LL
15th July 2005, 02:19 AM
Originally posted by Badly Shaved Monkey
Centessimal: some spellinge mistakes. I think it has 2 s's, but I stand to be corrected.

"See: Centicimal Potency."

Dictionary.com only accepts centesimal.
Homeopathic sites (even the big ones) have centesimal, centessimal and centecimal.

As I said before, consistency is not their strong point.

Added centessimal as an alternative spelling.
H3LL
15th July 2005, 02:23 AM
Thank you all for you help.

Changes now made.

Glossary of Homeopathy Terms v1.09 now done and uploaded.

All links and views are up-to-date in the OP.
H3LL
15th July 2005, 02:42 AM
Originally posted by Badly Shaved Monkey
Memory: Memory of water. Not a basic homeopathic principle but frequently cited as the method by whch remedies hold their power.

It does not flout the rules of chemistry that some there may be some subtle process present in solutions diluted past the presence of the last molecule of solvent, but the evidence is flimsy that it exists at all. If it existed and was strong, it would flout many basic scientific principles including the fact that you would never be able to successfully clean your laboratory glassware with the effects of your last experiment hanging over you indefinitely.

Its frequent citation is also disingenuous because most remedies are taken as pills from which a liquid drop of remedy has been evaporated. It is thus used to create a smokescreen of scientifickiosity behind which the truth is concealed.

Added - Definition taken from About.com/Wiki. Reference About.com
RamblingOnwards
15th July 2005, 02:50 AM
A suggestion for the 'busy-ness' -

take out the word 'no' and put in a colour key :

RED - not scientifically accepted fact, description or treatment.
GREY - Process or word usage ideosyncratic to homeopathy.
WHITE - Generally accepted fact, process or definition.
H3LL
15th July 2005, 02:56 AM
Originally posted by Badly Shaved Monkey
Combination Remedy
Single Remedy

A correctly chosen single remedy should only ever be used according to good hom practice. Many over the counter hom products are combinations. Again, this is a point of deep disagreement amongst the homs, but they can't come out and say combination remedies don't work, 1. because they can't tell if they don't, 2. they can not show any better that their single remedies do work.

Defined easily and a quote added.
H3LL
15th July 2005, 03:03 AM
Originally posted by RamblingOnwards
A suggestion for the 'busy-ness' -

take out the word 'no' and put in a colour key :

RED - not scientifically accepted fact, description or treatment.
GREY - Process or word usage ideosyncratic to homeopathy.
WHITE - Generally accepted fact, process or definition.

Thanks. :D

I have to smile, as you are doing the same thought processes that I went through which seemed fine until I tried to apply them.

What do you do for a definition that is not scientifically accepted and ideosyncratic to homeopathy?

I kept coming up against similar problems until the key was too complex to have any real value.

I ended up deleting it all and went for the KISS approach and kept it simple.

It's very maddening. :)

<hr>

ETA: Thank you all again for you help and input.

Changes now made.

Glossary of Homeopathy Terms v1.10 now done and uploaded.

All links and views are up-to-date in the OP.
Badly Shaved Monkey
15th July 2005, 09:24 AM
Originally posted by H3LL
ETA: Thank you all again for you help and input.


BTW, what does ETA stand for. I've only recently seen it being used. THNX
Anders W. Bonde
15th July 2005, 09:42 AM
E[/E]dited [B]To [B]A[/]dd...
Anders W. Bonde
15th July 2005, 06:40 PM
Oops! :BLUSH:

That should have been:

Edited To Add...
CurtC
15th July 2005, 10:15 PM
Originally posted by H3LL
It's the character used for the arrow in the Wingdings font. I wanted something that would transfer easily from Excel to HTML without having to re-write all the arrows.

Is the Wingdings font missing from your system?Yes, I do have the Wingdings font. I also have something called Wingdings 2 and Wingdings 3. I'm using Firefox 1.0.4 if that matters.

Looking at the Excel file, I see a fat left-arrow.
H3LL
16th July 2005, 02:23 AM
Originally posted by CurtC
I'm using Firefox 1.0.4 if that matters.

I checked with Firefox and the arrows do disappear.

There are no settings I can find to help.

I initially thought it would be an iframe problem (Firefox has had issues with that in the past), but it's the same on the webpage version. My only guess is that it's poor handling of styles.

The Wingdings font is clearly stated in the style section:


.font11
{color:windowtext;
font-size:9.0pt;
font-weight:400;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none;
font-family:Wingdings;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-charset:2;}


and seems OK in the body code:

Yet another issue with FireFox I'm afraid. You'll have to take it up with them. They do listen (eventually).

I'll look into an alternative in the meantime unless another web wiz on here knows a solution.

This might work:
←
And I will set up a macro do do the exchanges. [grumble] :D
H3LL
16th July 2005, 02:27 AM
←Yes ← it ← works← in← FireFox,← but← it← should← as← it's← an← HTML← character← code← (8592).

:) ←←←←

It doesn't look so good though :(
exarch
16th July 2005, 05:57 AM
Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but when you have a reference number in the last cell, sometimes it's clickable, and sometimes it doesn't refer to the location the number supposedly refers to (i.e. 12 should refer to dictionary.com, but the link refers to homeowatch). (cfr. Boeninghousen)

Unless this is done on purpose? Which I doubt.
H3LL
16th July 2005, 08:52 AM
Originally posted by exarch
Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but when you have a reference number in the last cell, sometimes it's clickable, and sometimes it doesn't refer to the location the number supposedly refers to (i.e. 12 should refer to dictionary.com, but the link refers to homeowatch). (cfr. Boeninghousen)

Unless this is done on purpose? Which I doubt.

That'll teach me to rush. A bit of a mistake when I did data sorts I think, coupled to stupidity. :)

I will correct the errors tomorrow (will be v1.11). At least they are sorted in the right order now.

Sorry about that and thanks for the heads-up.
definitely
17th September 2005, 07:37 PM
There has been a small debate here regarding the word "Geginwirking". I hereby confirm what YBW has already pointed out: it is simply wrong. It is NOT an alternative spelling, it does not exist in the German language and should certainly not be included in the list. The word is Gegenwirkung. I'm afraid counting hits on websites in English is the wrong method in cases like this, check with a German dictionary instead.
Dr. MAS
26th January 2006, 10:47 PM
Do present our motive too.

Skeptic I = Who demands "evidence" on the "given evidence". :D
Skeptic II = have the opinion "Provide an evidence otherwise you are wrong".
Skeptic III = I will not accept anything.
Skeptic IV = We cannot be wrong.
Mojo
27th January 2006, 03:00 AM
Thanks for bumping the thread, MAS. I'd almost forgotten about H3ll's useful glossary.

Now, about that "given evidence" you mention: any chance that you are actually going to bother posting any of it? All we've had from you so far is a bunch of unsupported assertions, which are evidence of nothing beyond your ignorance of basic chemistry.
dogbite666
27th January 2006, 03:23 AM
Do present our motive too.

Skeptic I = Who demands "evidence" on the "given evidence". :D
Skeptic II = have the opinion "Provide an evidence otherwise you are wrong".
Skeptic III = I will not accept anything.
Skeptic IV = We cannot be wrong.

Skeptic V = Who demands you present the evidence you claim to be able to show.

Can you show the world the evidence of your claim Dr MAS? You have been asked repeatedly on this forum to provide a simple double blind, placebo controlled test protocol which will show that homeopathy works. You haven't done this because you can't, yet you continue to obsfucate and taunt those who do not agree that people who make outlandish claims should be allowed to continue to prescribe their treatment without proof.

You are making yourself look like the biggest fool on this forum Dr MAS. You are displaying the childish, adolecent behavoir which is associated with the credulous.

You have 3 choices Dr Mas.

1. provide a protocol and apply for the JREF challenge.
2. Continue to make a fool of yourself.
3. go away.

I'm guessing you'll opt for number 2.
Dr. A Sheikh
27th January 2006, 10:48 AM
MAS given choice to you to design a protocol for him with justification.