JayB Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 Wikpedia "Homeopathic remedies are made from substances that, in undiluted form, cause symptoms similar to the disease they aim to treat." This is about the only thing Wikpedia said that I have been led to beleive about homeopathy. "like cures like" in your terms. I do not know where you get "There has never been a single case where a homeopathic remedy worked according to the principles that the practice is based upon." when you yourself state that there has not been exhaustive emperical research done (paraphrase). So you ask why I accept it in some circumstances? In one case that worked for me, my blood sugar had spiked and then crashed. A surgeon wanted to remove my gall-bladder. Another wanted to stimulate my pancrease with some kind of pharemiceutical. A homeopath suggested I take a remedy that would cause my blood sugar to spike in a small way and diminish this over a week until my pancrease was processing insulin at the correct levels again. Placebo or not, my blood sugar stabilized and I have not had a problem since. It is similar in a broad way to the idea of vaccinating against a flu virus. You give the patient a dose of the virus (dead cells) that stimulate the body to react and correct the problem. In my case, it was training the body to react to a stimulus in a costructive way. It did not leave me without a gall bladder nor possible kidney damage from a long term chemical dose. Good doctors and good homeopaths will someday meet near the middle. There are clearly more cases where doctors and science are a better choice but why throw out the baby with the bath water. Your approach seems to border on a religous application of science regardless of the outcome. Take the cholesterol medications that were recently revealed to cut cholesterol but not reduce plaque buildup. The companies that sell the stuff knew about it for over two years as per their "scientific studies" but didn't bother to tell anyone. It was revealed by an independent researcher (read competitor) and the FDA is investigating. Poor application of science there no? But that does not make all science bad does it? Â I accept that this is the only thing that you've been led to believe about homeopathy, but what you have been led to believe about homeopathic medicine, and the principles that it's based upon are different. Â "Like cures like," and the more dilute the remedy, the more potent effect. Ergo, in order for a homeopathic remedy to work per the principles that the practice is based upon, in any case where a concentrated dose generates an effect - you'd have to see increasing effects at progressively lower doses. This has never happened, and will never happen - because homeopathy is based on 18th century folklore that has long since lapsed into fraud. Â Â Â Â Â Â Quote
G-spotter Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 the more dilute the remedy, the more potent effect. Â This is a misrepresentation. Rather, homeopathy as I understand it, as a disinterested outside observer, is that one dilutes the remedy only enough to make it safe. Â In New Zealand homeopathic medicine is covered under health plans, and a bunch of Kiwi climbers I met when I was down there used homeopathic remedies like arnica. They seemed to think it worked. Â Understanding how something works is not a prerequisite for using it in medicine. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to use anaesthetics in regular medicine - after more than a century there is still no scientifically accepted explanation for how exactly they work, just rules of thumb like "if it dissolves in olive oil, it may work". Â So rather than attacking homeopathy for not having a mechanism, it makes sense to me to test it and see what conditions it results in a positive outcome for. From what I understand it is successful in treating chronic conditions like allergies that regular medicine has a poor track record with alleviating. In short, a good complementary system of therapy to regular medicine, rather than a replacement - much like acupuncture, chiropractors, naturopathy etc. Quote
chucK Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 Did you really write that Dru? It don't sound like u. Quote
JayB Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 the more dilute the remedy, the more potent effect. Â This is a misrepresentation. Rather, homeopathy as I understand it, as a disinterested outside observer, is that one dilutes the remedy only enough to make it safe. Â In New Zealand homeopathic medicine is covered under health plans, and a bunch of Kiwi climbers I met when I was down there used homeopathic remedies like arnica. They seemed to think it worked. Â Understanding how something works is not a prerequisite for using it in medicine. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to use anaesthetics in regular medicine - after more than a century there is still no scientifically accepted explanation for how exactly they work, just rules of thumb like "if it dissolves in olive oil, it may work". Â So rather than attacking homeopathy for not having a mechanism, it makes sense to me to test it and see what conditions it results in a positive outcome for. From what I understand it is successful in treating chronic conditions like allergies that regular medicine has a poor track record with alleviating. In short, a good complementary system of therapy to regular medicine, rather than a replacement - much like acupuncture, chiropractors, naturopathy etc. Â Â Â I have met people who swear by faith healing, and seem to think it works as well. Unfortunately for them, and for homeopaths, this isn't sufficient. Â I encourage you to put "Homeopathy" and "Law of Infinitessimals" into Google to see if I am actually misrepresenting the relationship between concentration and efficacy per homeopaths. Â The debate here isn't whether compounds contained within solutions sold as "homeopathic" remedies can produce an effect. The question is whether the fundamental principles which serve as the basis for the practice are scientifically valid and empirically testable. Â What differentiates the empiricism that you are making reference to in scientific medicine is that while it readily incorporates new therapies before the mechanism by which they work is understood - it has both methods and requirements for proving that they actually work. Homeopathy does not. Â Scientific medicine also provides a means of determining and understanding the specific mode of action of a particular drug or treatment, which makes it possible to improve the understanding of the disease process, as well as a rational framework for developing new treatments. Can you provide me with a single instance in which homeopathic methods have led to either? Â The other belief implicit in your statement is that scientific medicine will permanently reject treatments that have a proven efficacy - irrespective of the weight and quality of the evidence - simply because they are developed in another discipline. If something actually helps alleviate the suffering associated with a particular disease - or completely cures it - reproducibly in double blind clinical trials, you seem to be suggesting that: Â -Both research and practicing physicians will simply ignore it. -Pharmaceutical companies will dismiss the opportunity to profit from it. Â This could go on for a while, but it's getting late. When you develop a homeopathic remedy for the fat-virus, let me know. Â Â Â Â Â Quote
JayB Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 It's also worth noting that in your post one could substitute "dowsing rods" for homeopathy, and "gas deposits" for "treatment" and maintain the same level of logical and scientific rigor. Â I implore you to make an equally impassioned defense of dowsing as a "complimentary" method that belongs right alongside the methods of modern geology at the next conference or job interview you attend. Quote
Dechristo Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 The following came from a quick perusal of http://www.homoeopathica.org.nz/ :  "Homoeopathy can look like a herbal therapy because a homoeopathic remedy can be made from healing herbs; and it can seem to be a branch of naturopathy because it is a natural, alternative, holistic therapy looking after both men’s and women’s health as a cure or as a disease preventative. But a homoeopath is not a herbalist or a naturopath but someone who can offer a patient the services of a branch of medicine with a method of prescription based on matching symptoms, whether visible or internal or mental, with symptoms the same therapeutic agent has been known to cause. This information, to enable successful treatment using homeopathic remedies, has been found by trials on humans. A homeopath does not promote a product because it has been in the news, or in a magazine article, but makes selections on serious scientific methods."    * The oldest national medical professional organization in the United States is the American Institute of Homeopathy   * "Homoeopathy - effective natural remedies that have no side effects" Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, M.D. Professor of Illinois Medical School   * The medicinal tree bark cinchona, which led to the founding of homoeopathy is commonly used in tonic water and bitters even today.  * The founder of homoeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, gave the name allopathy to the conventional system of medicine   * Homoeopathy .... cures a larger percentage of cases than any other method of treatment and is beyond doubt safer and more economical and the most complete medical science. Mahatama Gandhi  * Homoeopathy is a mode of treatment available on the National Health Service in Britain and is fully funded by the Government.   * Gradually more and more countries like Australia, Canada and USA are accepting homoeopathy as a main stream mode of treatment.   * In Brazil there are more than 10,000 prescribers of homoeopathic remedies, in Mexico, approximately 3,000 physicians, in India, and all over the world, many physicians count on the efficacy of homoeopathic remedies.   * "Homoeopathy is the safest and more reliable approach to ailments and has withstood the assaults of established medical practice for over 100 years." Yehudi Menuhin World famous violinist   * Worldwide, homoeopathy has continued to grow and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is the most widely practiced form of medicine, second only to allopathic medicine.   * Hemlock which has been used since ancient times as a poison, is commonly used as a homoeopathic remedy to treat conditions like breast engorgement.   * UK doctors using homoeopathy cost the Government 12% less than doctors who do not use homoeopathy. (Natural Medicine Society News, June 1992).   * Homoeopathy promotes the use of a number of day to day food substances, herbs and plants as remedies to treat complex conditions. Common substances used as homoeopathic remedies are table salt, ginger, peppermint, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, pumpkin, etc.   * The World Health Organisation (WHO) have called for closer incorporation of homoeopathy into "western medical systems" (WHO Bulletin, 1999, 77, 2, 160-165   * Homoeopathy provides effective healing for only cents a day, and is safe enough to give to infants.   * In Spain, homoeopathic training has been offered for over 15 years in collaboration with the most prestigious universities and in collaboration with the Physicians Association. The number of physicians prescribing homoeopathic remedies is estimated to be about 4,000.   * It is a common myth that homoeopathy is only good for treating chronic diseases. As more and more people worldwide are discovering, homoeopathy has a fantastic effect in acute conditions.   * 40% of French doctors use homoeopathy, and the patients using homoeopathy cost the French Government half of that for patients who use orthodox treatments. (Archives of Family Medicine, 1998, 7, 537-40)   * Homoeopathic treatment in a number of conditions can prevent the need for surgery. Common examples being treatment of tonsillitis, appendicitis, etc.   * Garden plants like marigold, periwinkle, primrose, peony, poppy are commonly used as medicines in homoeopathy   * There are homoeopathic hospitals in Britain run by the British National Health Service, and private homoeopathic hospitals.   * Homoeopathy is a gentle and powerful form of healing that has withstood the test of time.   * In Italy, 7,500 physicians prescribe homoeopathic remedies. Training is offered in the major cities.   * Homoeopathy has none of the side effects, dependency or tolerance problems of pharmaceutical drugs.   * 65 to 80% of the world's population (about 3 billion people) rely on traditional (alternative) medicine as their primary form of health care according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).   * The users of homoeopathy have a higher level of satisfaction with their treatment than those using orthodox medical treatment. (British Homoeopathic Journal, October 1989, 78, 219-229)   * "The introduction of homoeopathy forced the old school doctor to stir around and learn something of a rational nature about his business. You may honestly feel grateful that homoeopathy survived the attempts of the orthodox physicians to destroy it." Mark Twain   * It has been a common myth that homoeopathic remedies take a long time to act.   * 69% of French physicians think that homoeopathic treatment is "effective" (Étude MV2 9/97)   * 42% of British doctors refer their patients for homoeopathic treatment. In the UK, homoeopathy is the only form of natural medicine supported by the National Health Service (Natural Medicine Society News, June 1992)   * The European Parliament has called for homoeopathy to be integrated into medical practice. (Archives of Internal Medicine, 159, 17, September 27, 1999)   * 45% of Dutch doctors use homoeopathy (Family Practice, 1990, September, 7, 3, 227-232)   * The French Medical Association has called for homoeopathy to be included in all medical degree training. (Archives of Internal Medicine, 159, 17, September 27, 1999)   * 66% of UK pharmacies sell homoeopathic medicines. (The Pharmaceutical Journal, October 16, 1999, 263, 644-646   * Homoeopathy is the most frequently used natural medicine in Italy and the typical user, as in other western countries is well educated, 35-44 and female. (European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2002, April, 58 (1), 61-4).   * There are more than 250,000 registered homoeopaths in India.   * In Italy, 16,000 pharmacies stock homoeopathic medicines and the homoeopathy market in Italy generates a turnover of 129 million Euros. (Financial Times, May 3, 2002)  * Homoeopathy's effectiveness has been demonstrated in hundreds of clinical trials.   * In Switzerland, in the 10 years to 2002, interest in homoeopathy has risen by 300% and homoeopathy is rebatable by most health insurance providers. (Swiss Radio International, May 2, 2002)   * 39% of Belgium paediatricians are in favour of homoeopathy (Homoeopathy, 2002, 91, 262).   * A student in a homoeopathy college in India goes through the same curriculum as a student in a conventional medical college. A graduate from an Indian homoeopathic college is awarded the title of "Doctor".   * "There have been two great revelations in my life: The first was bepop, the second was homoeopathy." Dizzy Gillespie Great jazz musician    Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 There's exists neither a faith based nor science based cure for how badly you guys suk. Quote
bstach Posted January 18, 2008 Author Posted January 18, 2008 I will share my observations about how well the homeopathic teething remedy is working and let you draw your own conclusions:  Mom - much more relaxed knowing she has given her son something for the teething and its not a drug like tylenol or alcohol (cuz alcohol is baaad, mmmkay); she is sleeping better  Baby - I haven't noticed any difference...he still wakes up in the middle of the night crying and moaning.  For what its worth, I rubbed Irish Whiskey into his gums once and it didn't seem to have much effect...but the few shots I had helped me. Quote
JayB Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 " FASEB J. 2005 Jun;19(8):960-2. Epub 2005 Mar 22. Â Identification of mTOR as a novel bifunctional target in chronic myeloid leukemia: dissection of growth-inhibitory and VEGF-suppressive effects of rapamycin in leukemic cells. Â Â The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has recently been described to be constitutively activated in Bcr-Abl-transformed cells and to mediate rapamycin-induced inhibition of growth in respective cell lines. We have recently shown that rapamycin down-regulates expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a mediator of leukemia-associated angiogenesis, in primary CML cells. In the present study, we analyzed growth-inhibitory in vitro and in vivo effects of rapamycin on primary CML cells and asked whether rapamycin-induced suppression of VEGF in leukemic cells is related to growth inhibition. Rapamycin dose dependently inhibited growth of primary CML cells obtained from patients with imatinib-responsive or imatinib-resistant disease as well as growth of Bcr-Abl-transformed imatinib-resistant cell lines. Moreover, we observed potent cytoreductive effects of rapamycin in a patient with imatinib-resistant Bcr-Abl+ leukemia. The growth-inhibitory effects of rapamycin on CML cells were found to be associated with G1 cell cycle arrest and with induction of apoptosis. In all cell types tested, rapamycin was found to down-regulate expression of VEGF. However, exogenously added VEGF did not counteract the rapamycin-induced decrease in proliferation. In conclusion, rapamycin inhibits growth of CML cells in vitro and in vivo and, in addition, down-regulates expression of VEGF. Both effects may contribute to the antileukemic activity of the drug in CML." Quote
Bug Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 It's also worth noting that in your post one could substitute "dowsing rods" for homeopathy, and "gas deposits" for "treatment" and maintain the same level of logical and scientific rigor. I implore you to make an equally impassioned defense of dowsing as a "complimentary" method that belongs right alongside the methods of modern geology at the next conference or job interview you attend. Your bias toward scientific studies is blindig you to new possibilities. I have dowsed for water. It was a mind blower. Can't explain it tho so it must have been a hallucination right? I pity you your narrow perspective. Seriously. It is sad in its limitations. Quote
chucK Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 I think you might be talking naturopathy. According to this thread (the only reference I have for the definition of homeopathy) I don't see how you could have a homeopathic remedy for teething pain (discomfort associated with the teeth erupting through the gums) . Perhaps homeopathy would prescribe giving him just a little teething pain? Perhaps rub some sand on his gums? Maybe the homeopathic remedy you tried was pumice . Â And JayB what are you trying to do with your quote, compete with KkkKk's annoying foreign language posts? Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 (edited) Â Clearly, exogenously added vascular endothelial growth factor in ex raided trials failed to increase free expression of rapa-2PAC (Dr. Dre, et al) inhibited proliferation of MC Ren, particularly when live G-units down regulate suppression of anthropogenic GW acceleration. UPMC transformed cells exhibit no imatinib-resistance when Master P cycloreductive effects are present. Â Dumbass. Edited January 18, 2008 by tvashtarkatena Quote
JayB Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 It's also worth noting that in your post one could substitute "dowsing rods" for homeopathy, and "gas deposits" for "treatment" and maintain the same level of logical and scientific rigor. I implore you to make an equally impassioned defense of dowsing as a "complimentary" method that belongs right alongside the methods of modern geology at the next conference or job interview you attend. Your bias toward scientific studies is blindig you to new possibilities. I have dowsed for water. It was a mind blower. Can't explain it tho so it must have been a hallucination right? I pity you your narrow perspective. Seriously. It is sad in its limitations.  "A mobile element based phylogeny of Old World monkeys  Abstract  SINEs (Short INterspersed Elements) are a class of non-autonomous mobile elements that are <500 bp in length and have no open reading frames. Individual SINE elements are essentially homoplasy free with known ancestral states, making them useful genetic systems for phylogenetic studies. Alunext term elements are the most successful SINE in primate genomes and have been utilized for resolving primate phylogenetic relationships and human population genetics. However, no previous termAlunext term based phylogenetic analysis has yet been performed to resolve relationships among Old World monkeys. Using both a computational approach and polymerase chain reaction display methodology, we identified 285 new previous termAlunext term insertions from sixteen Old World monkey taxa that were informative at various levels of catarrhine phylogeny. We have utilized these elements along with 12 previously reported loci to construct a phylogenetic tree of the selected taxa. Relationships among all major clades are in general agreement with other molecular and morphological data sets but have stronger statistical support. " Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 (edited) Â We then chained sixteen Old World Monkeys to each other and observed an elevated frequency of philandery marked by robust non-term limited insertions, including non-standard morphologies, even post mortem relationships when subjects were taxaed beyond their alunext terms. Â Â Edited January 18, 2008 by tvashtarkatena Quote
Dechristo Posted January 18, 2008 Posted January 18, 2008 We then chained sixteen Old World Monkeys to each other and observed an elevated frequency of philandery marked by robust non-term limited insertions, including non-standard morphologies, even post mortem relationships when subjects were taxaed beyond their alunext terms. Â Â I believe you may have confused this thread with the "Goddamm Bush" thread. Quote
catbirdseat Posted January 19, 2008 Posted January 19, 2008 The following came from a quick perusal of http://www.homoeopathica.org.nz/ : "Homoeopathy can look like a herbal therapy because a homoeopathic remedy can be made from healing herbs; and it can seem to be a branch of naturopathy because it is a natural, alternative, holistic therapy looking after both men’s and women’s health as a cure or as a disease preventative. But a homoeopath is not a herbalist or a naturopath but someone who can offer a patient the services of a branch of medicine with a method of prescription based on matching symptoms, whether visible or internal or mental, with symptoms the same therapeutic agent has been known to cause. This information, to enable successful treatment using homeopathic remedies, has been found by trials on humans. A homeopath does not promote a product because it has been in the news, or in a magazine article, but makes selections on serious scientific methods."    * The oldest national medical professional organization in the United States is the American Institute of Homeopathy   * "Homoeopathy - effective natural remedies that have no side effects" Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, M.D. Professor of Illinois Medical School   * The medicinal tree bark cinchona, which led to the founding of homoeopathy is commonly used in tonic water and bitters even today.  * The founder of homoeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, gave the name allopathy to the conventional system of medicine   * Homoeopathy .... cures a larger percentage of cases than any other method of treatment and is beyond doubt safer and more economical and the most complete medical science. Mahatama Gandhi  * Homoeopathy is a mode of treatment available on the National Health Service in Britain and is fully funded by the Government.   * Gradually more and more countries like Australia, Canada and USA are accepting homoeopathy as a main stream mode of treatment.   * In Brazil there are more than 10,000 prescribers of homoeopathic remedies, in Mexico, approximately 3,000 physicians, in India, and all over the world, many physicians count on the efficacy of homoeopathic remedies.   * "Homoeopathy is the safest and more reliable approach to ailments and has withstood the assaults of established medical practice for over 100 years." Yehudi Menuhin World famous violinist   * Worldwide, homoeopathy has continued to grow and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is the most widely practiced form of medicine, second only to allopathic medicine.   * Hemlock which has been used since ancient times as a poison, is commonly used as a homoeopathic remedy to treat conditions like breast engorgement.   * UK doctors using homoeopathy cost the Government 12% less than doctors who do not use homoeopathy. (Natural Medicine Society News, June 1992).   * Homoeopathy promotes the use of a number of day to day food substances, herbs and plants as remedies to treat complex conditions. Common substances used as homoeopathic remedies are table salt, ginger, peppermint, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, pumpkin, etc.   * The World Health Organisation (WHO) have called for closer incorporation of homoeopathy into "western medical systems" (WHO Bulletin, 1999, 77, 2, 160-165   * Homoeopathy provides effective healing for only cents a day, and is safe enough to give to infants.   * In Spain, homoeopathic training has been offered for over 15 years in collaboration with the most prestigious universities and in collaboration with the Physicians Association. The number of physicians prescribing homoeopathic remedies is estimated to be about 4,000.   * It is a common myth that homoeopathy is only good for treating chronic diseases. As more and more people worldwide are discovering, homoeopathy has a fantastic effect in acute conditions.   * 40% of French doctors use homoeopathy, and the patients using homoeopathy cost the French Government half of that for patients who use orthodox treatments. (Archives of Family Medicine, 1998, 7, 537-40)   * Homoeopathic treatment in a number of conditions can prevent the need for surgery. Common examples being treatment of tonsillitis, appendicitis, etc.   * Garden plants like marigold, periwinkle, primrose, peony, poppy are commonly used as medicines in homoeopathy   * There are homoeopathic hospitals in Britain run by the British National Health Service, and private homoeopathic hospitals.   * Homoeopathy is a gentle and powerful form of healing that has withstood the test of time.   * In Italy, 7,500 physicians prescribe homoeopathic remedies. Training is offered in the major cities.   * Homoeopathy has none of the side effects, dependency or tolerance problems of pharmaceutical drugs.   * 65 to 80% of the world's population (about 3 billion people) rely on traditional (alternative) medicine as their primary form of health care according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).   * The users of homoeopathy have a higher level of satisfaction with their treatment than those using orthodox medical treatment. (British Homoeopathic Journal, October 1989, 78, 219-229)   * "The introduction of homoeopathy forced the old school doctor to stir around and learn something of a rational nature about his business. You may honestly feel grateful that homoeopathy survived the attempts of the orthodox physicians to destroy it." Mark Twain   * It has been a common myth that homoeopathic remedies take a long time to act.   * 69% of French physicians think that homoeopathic treatment is "effective" (Étude MV2 9/97)   * 42% of British doctors refer their patients for homoeopathic treatment. In the UK, homoeopathy is the only form of natural medicine supported by the National Health Service (Natural Medicine Society News, June 1992)   * The European Parliament has called for homoeopathy to be integrated into medical practice. (Archives of Internal Medicine, 159, 17, September 27, 1999)   * 45% of Dutch doctors use homoeopathy (Family Practice, 1990, September, 7, 3, 227-232)   * The French Medical Association has called for homoeopathy to be included in all medical degree training. (Archives of Internal Medicine, 159, 17, September 27, 1999)   * 66% of UK pharmacies sell homoeopathic medicines. (The Pharmaceutical Journal, October 16, 1999, 263, 644-646   * Homoeopathy is the most frequently used natural medicine in Italy and the typical user, as in other western countries is well educated, 35-44 and female. (European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2002, April, 58 (1), 61-4).   * There are more than 250,000 registered homoeopaths in India.   * In Italy, 16,000 pharmacies stock homoeopathic medicines and the homoeopathy market in Italy generates a turnover of 129 million Euros. (Financial Times, May 3, 2002)  * Homoeopathy's effectiveness has been demonstrated in hundreds of clinical trials.   * In Switzerland, in the 10 years to 2002, interest in homoeopathy has risen by 300% and homoeopathy is rebatable by most health insurance providers. (Swiss Radio International, May 2, 2002)   * 39% of Belgium paediatricians are in favour of homoeopathy (Homoeopathy, 2002, 91, 262).   * A student in a homoeopathy college in India goes through the same curriculum as a student in a conventional medical college. A graduate from an Indian homoeopathic college is awarded the title of "Doctor".   * "There have been two great revelations in my life: The first was bepop, the second was homoeopathy." Dizzy Gillespie Great jazz musician   Those of us in the pharmaceutical business know from experience with clinical trial just how large the Placebo Effect can be. There are numerous examples of highly effective drugs for which the placebo effect was greater than the direct effect of the drug. When I say "highly effective" what I mean is that there is a statistically significant difference between groups in a double blind placebo control clinical trial AND the quantity being measure is numerically large.  For example, in a pain trial, a 25% reduction in pain sounds pretty good, right? Chances are the drug group had a 50% reduction in pain RELATIVE to the start of the trial, whereas the placebo group had a 25% reduction.  So, homeopathy is all about giving drugs that are pharmacologically inactive. The belief on the part of the patient that this can be a benefit provides relief via the placebo effect. This effect is REAL. The patients can and do feel significant relief thanks to their belief in the remedy. Quote
bstach Posted January 19, 2008 Author Posted January 19, 2008 Does the placebo effect apply to babies? I would guess not. Quote
Bug Posted January 19, 2008 Posted January 19, 2008 Sum it up. Science has studied it means it is OK. Science has not studied it means it does not exist. A true scientist would say "I do not know" in those cases where he/she does not have any data. A person who says, "we can explain why you are wrong" without using data, or empirical evidence is not using scientific methodology. Quote
archenemy Posted January 22, 2008 Posted January 22, 2008 How do you explain someone thinking that getting a monkey to hug a doll is okay? Weird. Quote
bstach Posted January 25, 2008 Author Posted January 25, 2008 The ultimate teething solution...(cheap, too)... Â http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=764228&PHPSESSID=aedcd904476efaaa3c9692ef0018db80#Post764228 Quote
minx Posted January 25, 2008 Posted January 25, 2008 cute! a little whiskey on the gums works wonders and will start that alcohol addiction Quote
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