Let’s hope the Science and Technology Committee read the written submissions sent in for the Evidence Check on Homeopathy. I am busy ploughing through them and interesting reading they make.
Is homeopathy effective? Does the Evidence support that?
Score: YES – 28 NO – 11 Neutral – 7
To be fair, 3 of the YES group are satisfied patients making a plea for keeping homeopathy within the NHS, and – as we are reminded daily by the NOs – anecdotal evidence, however much there is, whether new born babies, herds of cattle, comatose patients or people with intractable conditions not helped by 30 years of conventional medicine (no placebo effect there then) – does not count.
The remaining 25 in the YES group are well constructed, many of them one might say are academic, papers, fully referenced and carefully laying out the reasons for their conclusions.
I’m including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in the NEUTRALs – they suggest more research and conclude that despite no evidence, “patients still report beneficial effects.” and limit the placebo effect argument to relatively minor ailments. That’s the spirit!
Not surprisingly the NOs are authored by the usual suspects. A number of them start off quite well but by the time they are reaching their conclusions, they just can’t resist making snipes and snide comments about the poor deluded homeopaths and their sugar pills. It is my considered opinion that they did their homework down the pub and marks should be deducted for copying.
Well done and thank you all the homeopaths who submitted papers of excellent quality. Seriously thank you.
You can find the written submissions here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmsctech/memo/homeopathy/contents.htm
Voice of (not so) Young Homeopathy 