Posted on 05/15/2010 5:08:45 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Homeopathy is "witchcraft" and the National Health Service should not pay for it, the British Medical Association has declared.
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
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
What is this...Salem mentality? Alternative healing methods work!
They are diluted so much that the chance of even a single molecule of the substance remaining in the bottle of the homeopathic "medicine" is almost nil. Besides that, molecules do not gain mysterious properties from having once been near other molecules.
I have to say, though, that the ‘no detectable amount’ standard that the US government applies to known carcinogens is, in effect, an endorsement of the idea that materials in homeopathic concentrations can be effective. (This is a statement about the government, not homeopathy.)
The gays might be offended to hear this.
“it’s that homeopathy is the only alternative medicine that has been scientifically proven to not work. “
Not even close. Old cultures like the Egyptians and Chinese have in depth knowledge in this area. Many of the treatments have been proven. In many countries a medical doctor will use both modern medicine as well as ‘alternative’ medicines used throughout history.
Unlike western medicine these usually treat the cause of illness and not just the symptom.
Certainly western medicine is advanced in many areas but they are learning from ancient remedies as well. Leaches are now being used to improve bloodflow in the extremities. Maggots are used to remove dead tissue from some types of wounds. Further many modern medicines are derived from the same plants as the ancient ones.
not this one.
A Chinese doctor would beat you senseless for equating their medicine with homeopathy.
“Unlike western medicine these usually treat the cause of illness and not just the symptom.”
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This is exactly right! Alternative healing methods root out the cause or the source of the illness...
I think its safe to say that every field has wackjobs working in it. No, this one is not one of the ways that has been proven to work - but for people to make statements concerning alternative healing methods in general, I’m sure they’d be surprised to find that this way of healing is quite profound.
It drives me CRAZY to see TV and magazine ads for this junk. Since all water has been recycled a zillion times in nature, I suppose it carries lingering effects from whatever it’s been mixed with? Awful, awful scam.
“Proponents say the resulting remedy retains a “memory” of the original ingredient – a concept dismissed by scientists.”
What if the “original ingredient” was poison? How does the water know the difference between good and bad? How does the water know which of the million impurities it has come in contact with is the right one that the sorcerer wants?
Homeopathy is a scam.
Many millions practice and use homeopathic methods around the world, and it is particularly common in India and that part of the world. It was fairly common in the US before the development of antibiotics.
It must have some efficacy, or there are several hundred million people in the world using methods that do them no ggo whatsoever.
“A Chinese doctor would beat you senseless for equating their medicine with homeopathy.”
Most Americans don’t understand ‘chinese’ medicine and equate it to homeopathy. I was considering the audience.
Excellent link! LOL!
Either that or what we’ve learned in the past 200 years discounts everything learned in the last 5000+ years.
There aren’t scams among licensed MDs in the US?
How is any of that homeopathic?
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