Homeopathic Madness

[Mobyseven]

I had a good friend and a biology teacher suggest I visit a homeopath tonight.

Admittedly he has been influenced by a mutual friend who LOVES her woo, but I was even more surprised that he didn't know WHAT homeopathy was and refused to be told. The conversation went something like:

HIM: You should check out [homeopath's name].

ME: Homeopathy?

HIM: You don't believe in that? You're doing yourself a grave disservice.

ME: But homeopathy's a bit...you know - the law of infinitesmals, the law of similars, like cures like and all that.

HIM: No, but he uses all sorts of herbs and all that too.

ME: But that's not homeopathy, that's naturopathy.

HIM: No, it's homeopathy.

ME: *Quizzical look, changes subject*


I never thought I'd hear something like that out of his mouth either.





This isn't so much me asking for help, as just a rant. I feel like I've lost another friend to woo...

[chocolatepossum]

In my experience virtually nobody knows the first thing about what homeopathy is. They think it's the same as herbal remedies or something. It's only since I discovered the JREF that I've been more clued up myself.

[Big Al]

Also, it's been around since the early 1800s. If it was so marvellously effective from the get-go, one wonders why there was ever any need for beta-blockers, penicillin, streptomycin or any of the other "allopathic" wonder-drugs that have saved countless lives.

[Big Les]

That may be the problem; the majority of people I've met think "homoeopathy" is "herbal medicine". It's like the many casual 9/11 conspiracy believers you'll meet; they've formed an opinion without having done the requisite research.

If you get the opportunity, try distancing herbal stuff from homoeopathy; they're really not the same thing at all, as you know.

[Big Al]

Well, it's herbal medicine without the herbs. And I'm not even overly impressed with real herbal treatment: many of the "traditional" herbal remedies are indeed quite pharmacologically active, but with serious side-effects. Most "evil, unnatural" drugs are the active ingredient of such herbs without the various other "chemicals" that provoke side-effects.

Check out http://www.ephedrine-ephedra.com/pages/dangerous_herbals_678.html

[TheGline]

My own mother was dabbling in this whole galaxy of stuff for some time -- homeo, acupuncture, and whatnot, mostly as a way to try and do something about a collection of ills that were eventually traced -- by a real doctor -- to anemia and a thyroid problem. She got treatment for both of those things and has been doing better lately than she has in years.

Needless to say, she quietly dropped the homeo and acupuncture and hasn't talked about either of them in a long time.

[Mojo]

Well, it's herbal medicine without the herbs. Or sometimes without things that aren't herbs:

http://www.hominf.org/proving.htm
http://www.btinternet.com/~wellmother/venusbase.htm

:rolleyes:

[Mobyseven]

True, all of you. The thing that really took me aback was his unwillingness to concede that homeopathy and naturopathy were two seperate things, and that his concept of homeopathy was not in fact correct...

This is someone who used to educate people in BIOLOGY!

[Zep]

It's pride only.

Ask him to explain the differences to you, not the other way round. Then he will need to confront the problem out of his own mouth and see that he has it wrong or fuzzy, or simply look foolish by refusing.

Simplest questions he needs to answer, IN ORDER:

(1) When do herbal remedies become too dilute to no longer be effective? How weak before they are no longer viable at all? Get him to defend his position.

Then (2) If homeopathy is even MORE dilute than that point (and so ineffective by his own definition), how does he sensibly advocate its effectiveness?

[Mobyseven]

Zep: Thanks for the questions - I'll use them if it ever comes up again.

Bed time for my timezone now...

[logical muse]

And then get him to ask the friend who loves her woo the same questions.

She might say that the difference is that the herbal remedy hasn't been shaken properly.

[Luke T.]

I was reading a local paper this morning and was shocked to find a column written by a woman touted as a "doctor of homeopathic medicine" and "doctor of oriental medicine". This particular column was about treatments for people who have cold feet and hands, which to my ignorant perception suggests a circulation problem.

But no, apparently it could be caused by a "cold Spleen" or "cold Kidney" or some other cold organ which affect the flow of Qi(Chi) in the body and is remedied by acupuncture. She actually capitalized the organ names. Like this adds authenticity.

I was feeling a little cold myself after reading that column. I fear for those who take her brand of "medicine".

[Luke T.]

Geez, just a quick google shows that hip cancer can cause cold hands and feet.

Also, meningococcal disease.

Freaking quacks getting column space!

[mollyblack]

My sister's a medical doctor and she's HEAVILY into woo. There's naught I can do about it and drives me mad. She goes from one to the next. Now she's thinking of investing in a $20k machine that does "advanced biofeedback" and does things no machine can really do. She's also into AK (vs regular kiniseology) and ... well, the list grows larger by the year.

[Cuddles]

This particular column was about treatments for people who have cold feet and hands

Gloves?

[ponderingturtle]

My sister's a medical doctor and she's HEAVILY into woo. There's naught I can do about it and drives me mad. She goes from one to the next. Now she's thinking of investing in a $20k machine that does "advanced biofeedback" and does things no machine can really do. She's also into AK (vs regular kiniseology) and ... well, the list grows larger by the year.

Well it sounds like there is only one thing to do. Start a betting pool on how long she keeps her licence.