via Bulk Homeopathy.com 

Traditionally, the tedious process involves taking a substance, diluting it with distilled water, pouring most of it out, and diluting it again many times until the substance has been completely washed away. Why bother with such an expensive and unnecessary process when the end product is the same. And to any naysayers, I challenge you to tell the difference in a double-blind test.

That is hysterical.

This is from the FAQ section!

Is there a risk of overdose? Yes, there is a very low risk of hyponatremia;and in very rare cases, drowning can occur.

Since there is some danger, do you have the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)? Yes, see MSDS: Dihydrogen Monoxide.

Where can I buy bulk homeopathy? Most any grocery sells jugs of distilled water.

Hey, homeopathy is just distilled water. Yes, ain’t that something.

But I have seen homeopathic remedies in the form of pills, not liquid. A drop is placed on each pill and evaporated.

That makes no sense. Yup.

Thursday September 15th at 7PM, I will be giving a talk to ISSA (Illini Secular Student Alliance) in 165 Noyes Lab.

I will give my presentation on Homeopathy.  The event is open to the public and you are welcome to join.

Hey….

If you need someone to give a talk to your group just let me know and we can work out a time.

via CFI.

CFI and CSI have filed three separate petitions with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking that agency to address various aspects of the marketing of homeopathic drugs.

In its industry-wide petition, CFI and CSI request the FDA to initiate rulemaking that would require all over-the-counter homeopathic drugs to meet the same standards of effectiveness as non-homeopathic drugs. Although the FDA has the authority to require homeopathic drugs to undergo testing for effectiveness, it has to date declined to do so.

It’s not clear this hands-off attitude was ever justified, but given the FDA’s many responsibilities, its free pass to homeopathic drugs would at least be understandable were use of homeopathic products rare. But that is no longer true. Homeopathic drugs used to be marketed on a relatively small scale, but their sales have been burgeoning in the last couple of decades. In 2009, consumer sales of homeopathic treatments in the United States reached $870 million.

Homeopathic remedies were first developed in the late 1700’s, before the advent of modern medicine. Homeopathic drugs are produced by taking a substance that is believed to cause disease symptoms and then diluting the substance repeatedly until, according to accepted laws of chemistry, there are no molecules left of the original substance. But homeopaths insist that-by virtue of some scientifically inexplicable process-their drugs possess therapeutic value. Essentially, homeopathy is magic posing as science.

The fact that those consuming homeopathic drugs are effectively ingesting a sugar pill or its equivalent has, undoubtedly, also influenced the FDA’s policy of non-enforcement. Some might characterize the drugs as “safe” since they usually do nothing. But the FDA has an obligation to protect the health of Americans by requiring that all drugs that are marketed be shown to be safe and effective. For sick Americans who need treatment, a useless drug is a harmful drug

The CFI/CSI petition also asks the FDA to place warning labels on homeopathic drugs until such time as they are shown to be effective. Undoubtedly, most consumers think the FDA regulates homeopathic drugs the same as real medicine. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

In separate petitions, CFI and CSI have specifically targeted homeopathic industry giant Boiron. These petitions ask the FDA to issue warning letters to Boiron regarding its marketing of Oscillococcinum, an alleged flu treatment. One petition complains that Boiron’s packaging for Oscillococcinum lists the alleged active ingredient-duck liver and heart-in Latin only. As Ronald A. Lindsay, president & CEO for CFI/CSI has observed, “If Boiron is going to sell snake oil, the least they can do is use English on their labels.”The other Boiron-directed petition complains that Boiron’s web ad for Oscillococcinum misleadingly implies the drug has received FDA approval.

Watch this video and learn if it works!

From the Telegraph!

Hundreds of members of the BMA have passed a motion denouncing the use of the alternative medicine, saying taxpayers should not foot the bill for remedies with no scientific basis to support them.

The BMA has previously expressed scepticism about homoeopathy, arguing that the rationing body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence should examine the evidence base and make a definitive ruling about the use of the remedies in the NHS.

Now, the annual conference of junior doctors has gone further, with a vote overwhelmingly supporting a blanket ban, and an end to all placements for trainee doctors which teach them homeopathic principles.

Dr Tom Dolphin, deputy chairman of the BMA’s junior doctors committee in England told the conference: “Homeopathy is witchcraft. It is a disgrace that nestling between the National Hospital for Neurology and Great Ormond Street [in London] there is a National Hospital for Homeopathy which is paid for by the NHS”.

The alternative medicine, devised in the 18th century by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann, is based on a theory that substances which cause symptoms in a healthy person can, when vastly diluted, cure the same problems in a sick person.

Proponents say the resulting remedy retains a “memory” of the original ingredient – a concept dismissed by scientists.

Latest figures show 54,000 patients are treated each year at four NHS homeopathic hospitals in London, Glasgow, Bristol and Liverpool, at an estimated cost of £4 million.

A fifth hospital in Tunbridge Wells in Kent was forced to close last year when local NHS funders stopped paying for treatments.

Gordon Lehany, chairman of the BMA’s junior doctors committee in Scotland said it was wrong that some junior doctors were spending part of their training rotations in homeopathic hospitals, learning principles which had no place in science.

He told the conference in London last weekend: “At a time when the NHS is struggling for cash we should be focusing on treatments that have proven benefit. If people wish to pay for homoeopathy that’s their choice but it shouldn’t be paid for on the NHS until there is evidence that it works.”

The motion was supported by BMA Chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum, though it will only become official policy of the whole organisation if it is agreed by their full conference next month.

In February a report by MPs said the alternative medicine should not receive state funding.

The Commons science and technology committee also said vials of the remedies should not be allowed to use phrases like “used to treat” in their marketing, as consumers might think there is clinical evidence that they work.

In evidence to the committee, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain said there was no possible reason why such treatments, marketed by an industry worth £40 million in this country, could be effective scientifically.

Advocates of homoeopathy say even if the effect of the remedies is to work as a placebo, they are chosen by thousands of people, and do not carry the risks and side effects of many mainstream medicines.

A survey carried out at England’s NHS homeopathic hospitals found 70 per cent of patients said they felt some improvement after undergoing treatment.

Crystal Sumner, chief executive of the British Homeopathic Association (BHA), said attempts to stop the NHS funding alternative medicines ignored the views of the public, especially patients with chronic conditions.

She said: ” Homeopathy helps thousands of people who are not helped by conventional care. We don’t want it to be a substitute for mainstream care, but when people are thinking about making cuts to funding, I think they need to consider public satisfaction, and see that homoeopathy has a place in medicine.”

She said junior doctors’ calls for an end to any training placements based in homeopathic hospitals ignored the lessons alternative medicine could provide, in terms of how to diagnose patients.

Estimates on how much the NHS spends on homoeopathy vary. The BHA says the NHS spends about £4 million a year on homeopathic services, although the Department of Health says spending on the medicines themselves is just £152,000 a year.

Two weeks ago, a charity founded by the Prince of Wales to promotes alternative medicines announced plans to shut down, days after a former senior official was arrested on suspicion of fraud and money laundering.

The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health said its plans to close had been brought forward as a result of a fraud investigation at the charity.

George Gray, a former chief executive of the organisation, and his wife Gillian were arrested by Scotland Yard officers last month in an early-morning raid on their home in North London.

What is Oscillococcinum?  It is a tiny little pill of milk powder and sugar.  Plus the secret ingredient of DUCK LIVER!  That’s right they think that duck liver can stop you from getting the flu.  Well actually, that’s not true either.  This homeopathic product is diluted to 200C.

Just in case you don’t go to the link… 200C is one molecule of Duck Liver in 1 followed by 400 “zeros” molecules of water.  That amount of water would be bigger than the entire universe.

There is a great write up at Homeo Watch.

Since 1925, Oscillococcinum has been prepared as follows. Into a one litre bottle, a mixture of pancreatic juice and glucose is poured. Next a Canard de Barbarie is decapitated and 35 grams of its liver and 15 grams of its heart are put into the bottle. Why liver? Doctor Roy writes: “The Ancients considered the liver as the seat of suffering, even more important than the heart, which is a very profound insight, because it is on the level of the liver that the pathological modifications of the blood happen, and also there the quality of the energy of our heart muscle changes in a durable manner.” Maybe the French tendency to call any form of not well-being a “crise de foie” (“bilious attack”) had also something to do with it. After 40 days in the sterile bottle, liver and heart autolyse (disintegrate) into a kind of goo, which is then “potentized” with the Korsakov method.

It is complete fantasy.  But wait…. It can do more….

Diabetics who are afraid when during a thunderstorm their husband seems to be late, while they have a feeling of electric currents through their varicose veined legs, anal itch and itchy bumps on their wrist, that they keep trying to wash off in a maniacal way, especially when they have a runny nose and stubbornly resist advice not to worry.

And….

Tuberculosis patients sensitive to chilling.

Luetic patients having obsessive ideas.

General symptoms: Lean, pale, chronic invalidity, weakness, need for fresh air even when afraid of cold. Stiffness, shivering, feeling too hot, headache, weakness, repeating shakes descending down the body. Feeling of electric current running through the diseased part. Bitter and grayish secretions, not much.

Aggravates: when you think about it, by moisture, fog, changes of weather, in the night, when resting, after eating eggs or drinking milk.

Improves: in free air, at the seaside, by heat, resting, after evacuations.

Sleep: sleepless with agitation during the night.

Mental symptoms: Latent anxiety, especially when someone doesn’t return on time) fear, unquietness without clear cause. Impatience, improves when one is busy. Quick speech and understanding. Futility, tendency to be maniacal. Pettyness. Can’t stand disorder, fear of dirt and pollution. Urge to often wash hands. Afraid to shake hands for fear of contagion. Stubbornness. Depressed, thinks back of his past fear of thunderstorms.

Local symptoms: Clouding of the senses. Sudden vertigo. Pain in the right of the head, with repeated shaking. Heavy feeling in the head. Sudden feeling of decoupling in the head. Headache in the front of the head, also occipital, worse in the morning than in the evening, better when one blows the nose. Pain in the maxillary region. Feeling of something running across the face on the right half. Feeling of a bug that runs over the face during the night.

And….

Violent needle-like pain in the ears; flu-like state; runny nose; yellow conjunctiva; dry painful cough; wet cough with mucopurulent expectoration; whole tongue putrid; vomit; pain in the appendix region; abdominal cramp followed by fetid smelling diarrhea; persistent obstipation; full feeling in the belly; anal itch, worse in the warmth of the bed, with or without hemorrhoids; itch after antibiotics; hyperglycaemia; painful micturation; cloudy urine; sugar in urine; fetid and yellow leucorrhea; hypotension; hypertension; varicose veins; phlebitis; ulcerations in the legs, painful in the night; chronic streptococcal eczema; feelings of electric shocks in the lower leg; little bumps that itch on the inside of the wrist.

That is one powerful sugar pill.

We live in a linear world.  It is very hard for us to understand a geometric scale.  Homeopathy uses the power of ten to tell you how “strong” a solution is.  In the delusional world of Homeopathy the more dilute the stronger it is.

I will try to explain how big these dilutions are.

The Basics.  1x is one drop in 10.  2x is one drop in 100.  Add another 0 for each additional “x”

Homeopathy will also use C (for 100) and 1c is one drop in 100. 2c is one drop in 10,000.  Add 2 00′s for each additional “c”.

We will start with 1 drop of milk.  One drop of milk is .05ml of liquid.  At this time it is 100% milk.  The numbers below are approximate and nicely illustrate the concept.

With one dilution in water it will be 1x or 10% milk.

2x = One drop of milk in a teaspoon full of water – 1% milk.

5x = One drop in a gallon of water about .001% milk.

8x = One drop in a 15′ foot pool that is 4 feet deep.  0.000001% milk

10x = One drop in an Olympic size pool.

20x = One drop in Lake Michigan.

23x = This is Avogadro’s Constant.  At this point the odds are that there is not even one molecule of milk left.

24x = One drop in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans – Combined!

50x = One drop in the volume of the earth.

80x = One drop in the volume of the universe.

400x = The dilution of duck liver in the popular flu treatment of Oscillococcinum.  Remember 400x is not 5 times for dilute than the 80x above.  You need to add 320 additional 0′s.  It would look like this.  1 drop of duck liver in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000 drops of water!

In my constant search for the most bizare homeopathic treatment, I have found one just for the ladies.  There is now a “treatment” for a yeast infection.  It is called Yeast Gard.  It has no side effects.  Actually, it has no effects.  Here are the “active” ingredients:  Candida albicans 28x, Candida parapsilosis 28x, Pulsatilla 28x.  Since I had no idea what these things are – I had to look them up.  You’re gonna love this…. (From Wikipedia)

Candida albicans is a diploid fungus (a form of yeast) and a causal agent of opportunistic oral and genital infections in humans.

Candida parapsilosis is a fungal species of the yeast family that has become a significant cause of sepsis and of wound and tissue infections in immuno-compromised patients.

The genus Pulsatilla includes about 30 species, many of which are valued for their finely-dissected leaves, solitary bell-shaped flowers, and plumed seed heads. The anthers are bright yellow and the purple bell consists of sepals.

So to get rid of your yeast infection, they are going to give you some fungus (a form of yeast) and parts of some flower.  It’s kinda like the “secret” –  like cures like.  Sure that sounds like a good idea to me.  So let me guess – if I have a gunshot wound I should put some black powder on it?

But wait there’s more…. or should I say less.  Note above that after each “active” ingredient there is this notation “28x”.  What that means is that there is 1 part fungus in 1×10^28 parts of gel.  Here is what 1×10^28 looks like.  10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.  That is a lot of gel.  Once again we see that homeopathy is a joke and cannot work.

You can learn more about homeopathy at the 10:23 website.

You could also watch the below video.  “If homeopathy works…I’ll drink my own piss.”

I don’t know if you have heard of this new product.  It is called Quietus!  It is made to help the symptoms of tinnitus.   From Wikipedia….

Tinnitus is not a disease; but a symptom resulting from a range of underlying causes that can include: ear infections, foreign objects or wax in the ear, nose allergies that prevent (or induce) fluid drain and cause wax build-up. Tinnitus can also be caused by natural hearing impairment (as in aging), as a side-effect of some medications, and as a side-effect of genetic (congenital) hearing loss. However, the most common cause for tinnitus is noise-induced hearing loss.

You can read some product reviews here….

Their site only has the home page.  All other pages appear to have been disabled.   The radio ads make very strong claims about its effectiveness and stress that it is ”discovered by a drummer”  huh?   Was he popping sugar pills and the ringing went away?  This is a homeopathic product and by definition cannot and does not work.  There is NO medicine in this stuff.  All it will do is make your wallet $100 lighter.  DO NOT buy Quietus or any Homeopathic products!

(tip to Bad Astronomy)

Wow! This is quite the smack down.  I almost jumped for joy.  Homeopathy is one of the worst evils in this world.  

A very simple understanding of the most basic reality is a great cure for this crap.  This salesman is selling fake hope.  Directly, it is not likely to cause harm.  But, if you think it works you will not take your real medicine and that is the danger.  He cured a girl that had leukemia?   BULL SHIT!  We should not just laugh at how silly these people are – they need to be charged with fraud and pay the penalty.