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Prof. Hall
rhall@csufresno.edu
Department of Physics
 
Homeopathy
NS4: Science and Nonsense

 

The Links:

Get the Straight Dope on homeopathy, Cecil Adams' concise column on this topic.

Survey of scientific studies of homeopathy compiled by the American Council on Science and Health. A quick read of the findings in the peer reviewed literature.

An article neutral on homeopathy from the British Medical Journal online. The really interesting part is reading the responses to this article.

Here's a very supportive web site by practicing homeopath Dana Ullman, M.P.H.

Of course I recommend the Skeptic's Dictionary entry on homeopathy.

Finally, an article by Stephen Barrett, M.D., Dr. Barrett feels homeopathy is quackery at its worst.

 

Related/Background Topics: Dilution: How can Homeopathic remedies work if there isn't even one molecule of the "similar" substance in the pill? Dr. Stephen Barrett describes the meaning for the numbering system on the labels such as 100X and 30C. See Robert Park's article for how the dilution process works and the implications to modern chemistry.

Vitalism: the doctrine that an invisible, intangible, unique form of energy is responsible for all the activities of living organisms. Most of alternative medicine's methods and theories are vitalistic, which is to say metaphysical, in that vitalism is supernatural, and not something that science can test or refute or confirm.  The lure of vitalism lies in its compatibility with humankind's longing for immortality. Vitalism has both supernaturalistic and mystical forms. For example, as the soul, the "vital force" appears supernaturalistic; as chi (a concept central to nearly all forms of acupuncture) or prana (the force of the postulated Therapeutic Touch human energy field) is a mystical representation.