Why is homeopathy still here while other things died?

[DRBUZZ0]

Why is it that homeopathy is so damn popular when the very premis is not only incorrect on a scientiffic level, but also completely ridiculous on the most fundamental logical level?

There was recently a story about how myths can be hard to get rid of because people have a selective memory that does not tend to remember negation.

Fair enough. But other concepts with equal or better grounding or equally justifiable logic died long ago and aside from a few very fringe followers, are rejected by most of the public.

http://depletedcranium.com/quackstuff.jpg

[LordoftheLeftHand]

I really don't know but I can make a guess. I think most people know the details of each of these except homeopathy. I think if the average person knew what it entails (the like cures like and the extreme dilutions) maybe it wouldn't be popular either.

LLH

[Madalch]

Leeches. Not leaches.

[DRBUZZ0]

Leeches. Not leaches.

sorry. I'll correct that. My bad

[Naughtyhippo]

I'm with LLH on this one - most people don't know what homeopathy actually is. I think it automatically gets lumped in with natural/herbal remedies like St. John's Wort in peoples heads. It doesn't help that the homeopathic products get put on the same shelf as herbal stuff in the pharmacy. Also, I believe Rolfie pointed out on one of the other threads on this, some things that label themselves as 'homeopathic' aren't - it's just a buzz word to help sell the product.

I certainly didn't know the difference untill I stumbled across some homeopathic literature on the internet.

[JoeEllison]

Why didn't the other things catch on?

Phrenology: nothing sexy about it, and the field is overflowing with psychobabble.

Leeches: eewwwwwwwwwwwwww!!

Radium-based cures: Godzilla.

[a_unique_person]

Apparently it qualifies as 'natural', and that's good enough for a lot of people. Phrenology can't actually be used to cure anyone, IIRC, although that doesn't explain iridology.

[Michael C]

The greatest strength of homeopathy is that it is harmless. This was a very big advantage in the nineteenth century, when a lot of conventional medicine did a great deal of damage, but it can still be important today. Many people are over-medicated and many drugs have dangerous side-effects. Even a doctor who doesn't believe in homeopathy may prescribe homeopathic treatment: it's a way to prescribe a placebo without being found out.

[JoeEllison]

Even a doctor who doesn't believe in homeopathy may prescribe homeopathic treatment: it's a way to prescribe a placebo without being found out.
You know, I never thought of that... I wonder how many doctors have gotten frustrated with hypochondriacs, and suggested shaken water to get them to shut up and stop bugging them?

[Jeff Corey]

Why is it that homeopathy is so damn popular when the very premis is not only incorrect on a scientiffic level, but also completely ridiculous on the most fundamental logical level?

There was recently a story about how myths can be hard to get rid of because people have a selective memory that does not tend to remember negation.

Fair enough. But other concepts with equal or better grounding or equally justifiable logic died long ago and aside from a few very fringe followers, are rejected by most of the public.

http://depletedcranium.com/quackstuff.jpg
Nice chart. It could be helpful for a critical thinking class, if expanded to include more practices, like chiropractic and reflexology, and references.

[Michael C]

You know, I never thought of that... I wonder how many doctors have gotten frustrated with hypochondriacs, and suggested shaken water to get them to shut up and stop bugging them?

My guess is that there's lot's of them. Listen to interviews with Peter Fisher, director of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital: I think he's not far from using homeopathy like that. He just doesn't want to admit it too openly.

[Mojo]

The greatest strength of homeopathy is that it is harmless. This was a very big advantage in the nineteenth century, when a lot of conventional medicine did a great deal of damage, but it can still be important today. Many people are over-medicated and many drugs have dangerous side-effects. Even a doctor who doesn't believe in homeopathy may prescribe homeopathic treatment: it's a way to prescribe a placebo without being found out.


Interestingly, research carried out for the West Kent PCT's consultation about funding of the Tunbridge Wells Homeopathic Hospital (see agenda item 5.2 (http://www.westkentpct.nhs.uk/home-page/about-us/pct-board/board-agenda---27-september-2007/)) found that while 52% of West Kent GP practices referred patients for homoeopathic treatment, less than 1% of patients in the practices that did so were referred, and this was almost always at the patient's request rather than as a result of a clinical decision.

[Mojo]

Why is homeopathy still here while other things died?


Maybe homoeopathy was used to treat the "other things" when they were ill.

[Kumar]

Why is homeopathy still here while other things died?

Point to be noted. :D

[hgc]

I think it's because homeopathy therapy comes in the form of internally consumed 'medicines': pills and drops. This method of dispensing treatment is standard and common for real medicine, and is thus easily confused for the real thing. Also, homeopathic practitioners often tell their patients to avoid this that and the other food, which real doctors do a lot too.

[DRBUZZ0]

Can anyone else think of some sort of "science" that is generally laughed at today? Not something like astronolgy, which many still seem to think is actually based on something, but something more like phrenology which is nearly universally seem as ridiculous

[Jeff Corey]

Can anyone else think of some sort of "science" that is generally laughed at today? Not something like astrology (fixed), which many still seem to think is actually based on something, but something more like phrenology which is nearly universally seem as ridiculous
See post #10. Also iridology, Though Field therapy, therapeutic touch, facilitated communication, high colonic irrigation, psychoanalysis...