Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Homeopathy: Success of Dilution or Delusion



Many skeptics have questioned the legitimacy of homeopathy since the war between its practice and allopathic treatment has started. Critics have cited placebo effect for every success story it gains while triumphing on the complaints thrown at it. While it expands to include other oriental practices and increases its followers from the royal family of England to the rich and the famous Hollywood celebrities, its anti-believers painstakingly call it fraud and publish it on different media forms. The latest lash came from Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales when he opened a public chat in Quora making sure that everyone gets the point that he sees homeopathy as “mere scam and quackery” after rejecting the pleas to change the description of homeopathy in its Wikipedia page.  It seems to be a dim year for homeopathic practitioners as they see everyone as their enemy. They even accuse the Peterson Group, a non-profit organization website claiming neutral and objective opinions on all Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medical practice after it published reviews on the decision of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to rewrite the regulations implemented on the processes of homeopathy in the United States.

Indeed, it is a very controversial year for homeopathy. Public support is sliding while its legislative connections seem to be thinning.  Moreover, a lot of its loyal supporters now think that its theoretical foundation is now logically inconsistent and self-contradictory to the point of absurdity. Despite the news only emphasizing doubts from its American followers, it seems that other countries which adapt western practice and beliefs now have uncertainties of its effectiveness. The government of Jakarta, Indonesia is even currently reviewing their own regulation on the practice. If he is still alive today, what would Samuel Hahnemann still think of the practice?

Critics argue that Hahnemann is aware that his dilutions are mere product of his imagination and ambition to be world renowned. For instance, dilutions were extreme.  “Active preparations” were made by repeated tenfold dilutions of the original extract.  Hahnemann was not bothered by the fact that at these dilutions none of the original substance remained; he claimed that the power of the curative solution did not come from the presence of an active ingredient, but from the fact that the original substance had in some way imprinted itself on the solution.


Until now, the arguments still do not rest but many believe that homeopathy is already on the losing side. 

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Ethics of Homeopathy


Health treatments are treated with extreme caution while taking note of all the warnings and avoiding all the dangers. However, there are more than isolated cases where treatments are being abused and neglected. Because of this, certain standards are being set and regulated.

While conventional medicine has health ministries and private organizations to control their by-laws which the public are mostly familiar with, another system of health treatment is struggling to make their own known.

Different entities have accused homeopathy as unethical and is a disgrace as no scientific evidence is yet to exist to prove its efficacy. Moreover, more and more people are seeking this kind of treatment, deterring others to seek evidence-based treatments and receive the “proper” diagnosis and prescription they need. Conventional medicine believes that failure to comply set rules and procedures in determining the real problem can potentially harm people’s lives.

Homeopaths, however, assured the Peterson Group that they still stand firm on their own discipline and has introduced their own code of ethics which has been a cause of conflict and numerous complaints from practitioners of conventional medicine.

Homeopathy’s Code of Ethics has been drawn by the Council of the Homeopathic Medical Association in accordance with Objects of the Association. The main purpose of this code is to provide a high ethical and professional standard of conduct among its members to “….follow in order to preserve and enhance the practice of homeopathy as a healing art, and to protect the general public”. The full responsibility of ensuring the welfare of the public falls entirely to the homeopathic practitioner. Penalties and punishments are also conducted.

According to the review, general guideline includes, “Failure by a Member to adhere to the Code will result in disciplinary action. If the unsatisfactory conduct is continued, or if there is gross negligence or misconduct, the name of the practitioner will be removed from the register and the appropriate authorities will be informed of such action. All privileges of membership will be withdrawn”.

Despite this, there is no stopping the criticisms.

Skeptics argue that it is ethically dubious to spend funds on something which has been proven fraud time and again. The government of Jakarta, for instance has let homeopathic clinics around the city with the same tax deductions with semi-public conventional hospitals. Studies for the efficacy of homeopathic remedies are being conducted in Indonesia. The results have been null and are obviously waste of the citizens’ money.