Steve Scrutton is a UK homeopath on a mission; he seems to want to promote homeopathy at all cost – so much so that he recently ran into trouble with the ASA for breaching CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 and 3.3 (Misleading advertising), 3.7 (Substantiation) and 12.1, 12.2 and 12.6 (Medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products). Scrutton happens to be a Director of the ‘ALLIANCE OF REGISTERED HOMEOPATHS’ (ARH) which represents nearly 700 homeopaths in the UK. On one of his websites, he promotes homeopathy as a treatment and prevention for measles:
Many homeopaths feel that it is better for children, who are otherwise healthy, to contract measles naturally. Homeopathy is less concerned with doing this as it has remedies to treat measles, especially if it persists, or become severe.Other homeopaths will use the measles nosode, Morbillinum, for prevention.Homeopaths have been treating measles for over 200 years with success.
The main remedies used for the condition, according to Scrutton, are the following: Aconite, Belladonna, Gelsemium, Euphrasia, Bryonia, Pulsatilla, Kali Bich, Sulphur, Apis Mel or Arsenicum – depending on the exact set of presenting symptoms.
At the very end of this revealing post, Scrutton makes the following statement: To my knowledge, there have been no RCTs conducted on either the prevention or treatment of Measles with Homeopathy. However, homeopaths have been treating Measles safely and effectively since the early 19th Century, and through many serious epidemics throughout the world.
Why would anyone write such dangerous nonsense, particularly in the position of a director of the ARH? There can, in my view be only one answer: he must be seriously deluded and bar any knowledge what sound medical evidence looks like. One of his articles seems to confirm this suspicion; in 2008, Scrutton wrote: What ‘scientific’ medicine does not like about homeopathy is not the lack of an evidence base – it is the ability to help people get well – and perhaps even more important, we can do it safely.
Intriguingly, the ARH has a code of ethics which states that members must not claim or imply, orally or in writing, to be able to cure any named disease and that they should be aware of the extent and limits of their clinical skills.
Could it be that a director of the ARH violates his own code of ethics?
12 Responses to Director of ‘ALLIANCE OF HOMEOPATHS’ recommends homeopathy for measles
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“Homeopaths have been treating measles for over 200 years with success.”
A Chinese friend of mine who lives in Ottawa, sells grains of rice with a person’s name on them. He says it brings success and happiness. When a customer asked if that was true, his reply was that it did for him. So, I have no doubts that Scrutton is successful. His victims probably not so much.
‘Why would anyone write such dangerous nonsense… There can, in my view be only one answer… ‘
Oh, I think there can be more than one…
Homeopathic medicines can be very useful for management as well as prevention of measles.
oh really?
would you care to provide some evidence? if not, this is a thoroughly irresponsible statement without basis in reality.
Well, I suspect that’ll be the last we hear from ‘Dr’ Rakesh Kumar, who appears to be a homeopath and not a medical doctor.
‘Dr’ Rakesh Kumar has a very interesting quack miranda on his website:
(Please note-This article is based mainly on my medical knowledge and homeopathic knowledge and there is no guarantee that all facts given here are completely true)
I think he’s got that right.
Worse still, perhaps a homeopath and a medical doctor – a more disturbing species.
These sorts of issues and conversations are essentially 18th Century people (homeopaths and their true believers) trying to converse with people in 2014. Personal experience and belief system trumps all for them, with zero critical insight. It is pretty much identical to religious belief.
Are there no laws in the UK which can be brought to bear on someone writing this pernicious nonsense? Do we have to wait unril a child dies from measles after homeopathic ‘treatment’?
There are various Dr Rakesh Kumars on the web. Which one is this?
If he is regeistered by the GMC his fitness to practice can be called into question.
If not, he is free to make such claims as he likes subject to ASA requirement to be ‘honest..etc’.
No doubt Alan Heness is checking this.
He may be a quack and/or a fraud. If the latter, he should bear in mind fraud is a crime.
Unfortunately, from his website, Rakesh Kumar would appear to be in India where they are quite lax about non-doctors calling themselves doctor and giving medical advice…so he’s well outside the purview of the GMC, ASA and Trading Standards – unless he specifically advertises to the UK.
Apologies: ‘Henness’ – two ‘n’s!