The Society of Homeopaths (SoH) has launched a campaign to inform the public that, despite everything non-homeopaths may say and despite the undeniable facts about homeopathy, their remedies are highly effective. This article provides a detailed account of their incompetence.
I saw the image below first on Twitter. It is part of their current campaign and summarises ‘POSITIVE MESSAGES ABOUT HOMEOPATHY’ as the SoH proclaim them. Presumably, they did this piece of work to help their members finding the right arguments when defending the indefensible.
I am not usually prone to laughing fits, but this had me in stiches! It is hilarious, I think; a true masterpiece of comedy.
The masterpiece is almost too perfect to tarnish with my comments; however, I cannot resist. Sorry!
I will take the arguments in turn going clockwise and starting with
‘HOMEOPATHY MEDICINES ARE TESTED SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY ON HEALTHY HUMANS’
Should this not be ‘homeopathic medicines’? In any case, the remedies (medicines seems too strong a word) are tested in so-called ‘provings’ – yes, safely because they normally contain no active ingredient… and effectively? I cannot see why provings might be ‘effective’; they are pure fantasy.
HOMEOPATHY MAKES A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE
No, as we have discussed often on this blog, adding cow pie to apple pie is not a positive contribution to anything.
HOMEOPATHY HAS BEEN AVAILABLE ON THE NHS SINCE 1948
Appeal to tradition = fallacy.
Appeal to authority = fallacy.
HOMEOPATHY PUTS THE PATIENT AT THE CENTRE OF THEIR HEALTHCARE
This too is false logic, because all good medicine puts the patient at the centre; in addition it is grammatically false English (if I as a non-native speaker may be so bold).
HOMEOPATHY IS USED BY 15% OF UK CITIZENS
I doubt it. But even if this figure is correct, an appeal to popularity is a fallacy and not a logical argument.
HOMEOPATHY IS USED BY 450 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE
I doubt it. But even if this figure is correct, an appeal to popularity is a fallacy and not a logical argument.
HOMEOPATHY IS A SYSTEM OF NATURAL HEALTHCARE THAT HAS BEEN USED WORLDWIDE FOR 200 YEARS
What is ‘natural’ in endlessly diluting things like ‘Berlin Wall’ and pretending it is a medicine? In any case, the appeal to tradition is yet another fallacy.
HOMEOPATHY DOES NOT CONTRADICT SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS, IT IS PART OF IT
This is where I almost fell off my chair; homeopathy is the opposite of progress, it is a dogma and a belief-system.
HOMEOPATHY IS HOLISTIC
All good medicine is holistic; arguably, homeopathy is not holistic.
HOMEOPATHY IS EFFECTIVE IN BOTH ACUTE AND CHRONIC ILLNESS
Yes, this is what homeopaths believe, but it is not true.
To conclude what better than quoting the person who, a long time ago, said: “HOMEOPATHS ARE THE CLOWNS AMONGST THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS” ?
10 Responses to The UK ‘Society of Homeopaths’ is surpassing itself
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HOMEOPATHY IS USED BY 450 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE = More than 94% of people worldwide do not use homeopathy.
Out of curiosity. Do you get homeopaths that are critical of ‘classical’ homeopathy? For example; in chiropractic you get chiropractors that’s against sublaxations, so it stands to reason that there might be some homeopaths that will call remedies such as Berlin Wall, ‘excrementum caninum’ etc. absolute rubbish. But for some reason I don’t think so.
If homeopathy is indeed tried on healthy humans, as is claimed, how can it therefore not ‘work’?
I could put a bandage round my leg, but if it were not injured in the first place, should I then attribute its continuing health to homeopathy?
This campaign reminds me of a booklet once sent to the journalist Simon Hoggart by a friend in America.
It was published by some American religious set-up, and was along the lines of ‘ How to answer the most frequently asked questions critical of religion’.
Basically, it said ‘ After recent disasters such as tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, the Twin Towers, etc, even the existence of dinosaurs alongside humans,there is no doubt that religion is coming under attack. Here is how to answer any criticisms and questions’.
I don’t remember the details, except that the whole thing was dismaying ly comic, , but Hoggart finished his article by saying ‘Proof, were it needed, that these people need not be taken seriously for one more minute’.
You make these statements only because you do not UNDERSTAND homeopathy, Barrie. It is not like your allopathic systems. If you understood, you would not ask these foolish questions.
(Just saving the idiots the job of posting this tedious, oft-repeated and fascile response in case any fancy turning up to the party)
I think we all UNDERSTAND homeopathy very well. That’s why everyone can see just how silly it all is.
Part of the theory of homeopathy is that if you give a healthy person a remedy it makes them sick. So if someone who sleeps well took homeopathic coffee, they would get insomnia, just like they would if they took real coffee. Or, if you will, a dilution of bandage will cause a skinned knee.
This is used in “provings,” especially provings for exotics like “Berlin Wall” and “radiation.” A bunch of homeopaths get together and talk each other into feeling sick. They even do blind provings, which works if both symptoms and remedy are too vague to interpret.
I wonder what the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) would make of some of these claims? As the Society of Homeopaths’ campaign exists to promote the businesses of its members, it could strong be argued that it is in fact marketing/promotion and thus would fall under the remit of the ASA.
That’s a very good question. However, it’s not clear it would fall within the ASA’s remit as it’s not intended directly for public consumption. If a homeopath was to use it as advertising, then it probably would – and I suspect it would be in breach. I also suspect they will not do so now and may even withdraw it just in case one of their members does publish it.
The leaflet is headed ‘My Voice’.
Clearly, the voice of desperation.
As I write innocent members of the public such as myself are getting captivated by the sexy slogans from the SoH members communication that Edzard has published on this public blogpost. I am now in a mesmerised state and liable to search for a homeopath on an ASA compliant website and book an appointment for some non existent condition that only a placebo could alleviate.
When I wake up from this and realise that I have been taken in by these slogans then i will report Edzard to the ASA for advertising homeopathy. I will then invoice Edzard for the consultation.
That will teach you.