to think homeopaths really just make money out of the gullible?

[WidowWadman]

A remedy made from diluted bits of the Berlin Wall - seriously, that's surely just a test to find out how far they can push it, isn't?

[EllieArroway]

Amber

If one of your children had pneumonia and was fighting for their life in hospital, would you refuse antibiotics for them?

If your children have no taken them thus far, it's because they haven't needed them.

[SolidGoldBrass]

Well, some homeopaths are as thick and gullible as their patients, so not consciously conning the fuckwits who go to them. But most are just cheerful con artists, and some are even well-intentioned con-artists as in they know they are peddling crap but also know that a bit of 'there there', some harmless advice about eating well, taking exercise and relaxing etc, is what the patient is really paying for.

[RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief]

I find this website tells me all I need to know

www.howdoeshomeopathywork.com/

I am an expat and as a result am forced to live in "woo" land because there are far too many trailing spouses who like to get a correspondence course in woo and then peddle it to other trailing spouses with far too much money and time on their hands and lots of imaginary ailments (albeit not enough time to do some critical thinking it seems). Ah well- look at it this way. It generates some much needed GDP.

[CarpeVinum]

The best "shark jumping" homeopathy, was the remedies that were prepared and distributed by hooking up on a gizmo to a puter that "collected" the "vibrations" so a remedy could be ....wait for it....emailed to you


It was a few years ago now, and may have died a death, but at the time the lack credudulous response from the "homeo-medical" community was breath taking. It was all "exciting advancement" and precious little "WTF?"

If memory (my own, not the magic memory of water) serves, distribution was in the mpeg format.

The reality is that we have no "new" water. It has all been going round and round the water cycle since the water cycle started (expcet the stuff locked away for millions of years in glaciers perhpas). All known substances have been diluted, bashed arpund, diluted some more, bashed some more, diluted and so on and so on into the entire body of available water we have on the planet.

If the belief of "water memory" were valid every single drop of water coming put of a tap, plopping on our heads as rain, or going up our nose when in the sea or a pool would be the highest possible potency of all possible rememdies. We'd be effectively overdosing on all known rememdies with each sip from a glass or unexpected mouthful of seawater.

I swear it's like hoempaths have never looked at the water cycle, the force of impact water goes through when in it, all the contact with all known elements and compunds over millions of years and gone "hang on a minute".

Or maybe they think the bible that the original rememdies got bashed on was a special kind of "impact" that nature couldn't hope to replicate when it rained drops from on high onto the ground or crashed waves repeatedly against rocks for centuries.

[RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief]

carpe I have a friend who pays someone to "send her energy". I shit you not.

[meddie]

This is my favourite homeopathic sketch of all time

[EllieArroway]

The best "shark jumping" homeopathy, was the remedies that were prepared and distributed by hooking up on a gizmo to a puter that "collected" the "vibrations" so a remedy could be ....wait for it....emailed to you

[BoreOfWhabylon]

But, but, but... even if there were any validity in the 'memory of water' bollocks, they now dispense sugar pills instead of water (so much more convenient) so does sugar now have a 'memory' too?

[DystopianReality]

I's quite simple really.

The belief that homeopathy works is just that. It is a belief, a faith. Telling homeopathy believers that is doesn't work is like telling religious believers that there is no god; they will come up with numerous examples that there is.

It is a delusion. However, if you want to take out the fact that it can't work scientifically, it can and will work for certain things, but the belief in it is crucial.

Moreover, complementary therapies and conventional ,orthodox medicine are not mutually exclusive.

The only thing lots of us object to is the applying of 'stupid science' to it, and the exploitation of vulnerable people to it's brainwashing leading them to spend money in an unimformed way.

[Snorbs]

The sugar pills have had magic water dripped on them.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Yes Snorbs but the magic water has evaporated, so the magic sugar must be remembering the memory of the magic water

[EllieArroway]

I'm glad water doesn't have a memory - think of all the shit, puke and piss memories I'd have to ingest with my morning coffee.

Luvverly.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

for Ellie

Meeeeeemorieeeeeees
Like the corners of my miiiiiiiind
Misty water-coloured meeeeeeeeeemorieeeeeees...

[EllieArroway]

[AmberSocks]

hypothetically,why would my children get pneumonia?thats what im saying,prevention,rather than cure.

I havnt said anywhere im against medicine,i do believe it has its place,and i would use it after doing research for alternatives and if it was the last/only resort.

[Snorbs]

Bore, I see your point. Hmm. It really is just an incredible load of bollocks, isn't it? Or maybe it's such an incredibly small amount of bollocks that its effects are magnified hugely...

[seeker]

My 12 year old hasn't ever had antibiotics either- and my 17 year old has only ever had them once..

This is because a) they are both very lucky in having excellent health (if I was superstitious I would touch wood at this point) and b) because I believe that generally speaking most things a normal healthy child gets wrong with them get better on their own with a bit of warmth, rest and cosseting. Sort of homeopathy without the sugar pills and the magical thinking, really.

[DystopianReality]

Amber Because they can and might.

As someone who has had their 1 year old in ITU with pneumonia (following a very light anaesthetic 3 days earlier for a blocked tear duct), the very last thing I was going to do was to explore alternatives before opting for intrvenous life-saving antibiotics. Septicaemia doesn't give you the luxury of time

[TheCraicDealer]

i would use it after doing research for alternatives and if it was the last/only resort.

Steve Jobs thought that too, and he left it too late. Just sayin'.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Snorbs
And I do so love it when people see my point

[EllieArroway]

hypothetically,why would my children get pneumonia?thats what im saying,prevention,rather than cure

Yes, of course prevention is always better than cure. That's why we send them to school in warm coats, make them eat their veggies and wash their hands after the loo.

But human beings are susceptible to illness - and healthy children do get pneumonia or other infections, I'm afraid. We are very, very lucky that this is no longer a death sentence as it would have been in the past. And we have antibiotics to thank for that.

I am studiously ignoring your assertion that you haven't had your children vaccinated, by the way, because I don't want to derail. I can only hope that that's because you've been given sound medical advice not to for some reason and not because you've believed some bullshit off the internet.

[ilovexmastime]

This April Fool's blog posting tells you what real scientists think of homeopathy:

min-eng.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/could-homeopathy-provide-key-to.html?m=1

I particularly like the made-up scientist's names and the fact that the Bodmin Institute is actually an old mental assylum!

[cory]

I would be very interested to hear what I should have done to have prevented the pneumonia I contracted aged 14. I had an excellent diet, wore sensible clothes, did healthy exercise and was not subjected to any abnormal conditions of any kind. I just got pneumonia following a cold. I heard afterwards that that particular virus had led to pneumonia in several other local teens. What sort of prevention would we be talking about if vaccination is not permissible either?

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Loved the names!

[RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief]

My study of homeopaths has led me to the conclusion that their proliferation comes from people wanting respect without the responsibility or hard work, so if you say you're a doctor, people tend to have quite a lot of respect, but at the same time you have to work long hours, the pay's not great (vs other careers you'd be bright enough to do) until you're a consultant and if you get it wrong, or just not 100% right, you might kill someone. If you're a homeopath, you can pretend to be wise and educated, get the gratitude of gullible people and there's no risk of killing anyone with your magic water, plus you can probably earn what a junior doctor earns working 10-4pm. The best thing is it only takes you 6 mo to train vs. 6 years.