Alternative Medicine (3 Viewers)

[Pedronimus]

. "Total bollocks" didn't seem to stand out enough to be effective.

you should have diluted the "total bollocks" to 1 part in 10,000,000,000,000 parts water, then it might have been effective.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

 

[billygannon]

Alchemy survived for thousands of years. Phrenology had a good couple of hundred. It didn't make them right. Same for homeopathy.

The world is full of stupid people. If nonsense starts becoming legitimised as medical fact, then medicine is avoiding its primary duty of not doing harm. To stick just with homeopathy, rather than the entire field of alternative and complementary treatments: If, for example, someone's doctor allows them to attempt to cure a cancer with hippywater, then that's criminal negligence on the part of the doctor. That's the obvious final point of the logic of using things because they are "not going to hurt you" whilst simultaneously regarding them as medicine.

On the contrary, it's one of the most well-researched phenomena in science. Dive in.

I think you missed the point of what I was saying.

I never once suggested a doctor should administer homeopathic remedies. I also never suggested it was "medical fact".
It's an alternative remedy. It can be used as part of an overall treatment - alongside, but not instead of, conventional medicine.

You don't say talking to a counsellor is a medical treatment - but it is still provided by the health services as it can benefit someone suffering from depression.
That's why the NHS has five homeopathic surgeries. They view it not as something that replaces medical treatment, but as a service that some people feel will benefit them. And they're perfectly entitled to do so. It doesn't harm them and properly qualified homeopathic practioners are highly regulated who shouldn't be dismissed as quacks.

I don't know if homeopathy works or not. I certainly don't believe it should be used instead of a conventional medical treatment. But it has some value and many people have used it.

 

[therealjohnny]

And let's not forget a good pray

 

[JohnnyRaz]

And let's not forget a good pray

or even better being blessed by a holy relic! nothing cures what ails ye like proximity to the suposed mouldering toe bone of some dead saint! or for the homeopatically inclined why not try secondary relics!! there catholitastic!!!
(NB not suitable for protestants and other godless heretics)

 

[Wobbler]

Excellent article by Ben Goldacre http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/nov/16/sciencenews.g2

 

[Wobbler]

And for the sake of balance, here is the defence of homeopathy to which the above article refers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2209998,00.html

 

[Froog]

i hear sugar pills are the new homeopathy.

 

[Buzzo]

Oh this thread has resurrected! Turns out what I have is more serious than the symptom I was trying to address, and deffo not treatable by fuckin nettles or crystals or whatever. Conventional medicine ROOLZ.

 

[broken arm]

Oh this thread has resurrected! Turns out what I have is more serious than the symptom I was trying to address, and deffo not treatable by fuckin nettles or crystals or whatever. Conventional medicine ROOLZ.

you has fail?

 

[flashback]

Alchemy survived for thousands of years.

Some Russians turned lead into gold at one of their reactors once, by accident. Allegedly.

Kind of useless gold, since it was extremely radioactive, and was going to end up being lead when it cooled off. In a million years or whatever.
But, it was gold.

I cant be bothered finding a better ref, Bristol Univ Chem page will have to do you;

http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2002/crabb/modern.html

 

[Pedronimus]

In case anyone is still interested. 'Science writer Simon Singh on his new book, Treat or Treatment - in which he questions the veracity of alternative therapies such as homeopathy and acupuncture

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/audio/2008/may/26/science.extra.simon.singh

 

[magicbastarder]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7998884.stm

whoever picked that headline is a cock. read the last four paragraphs.

 

[Froog]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7998884.stm

whoever picked that headline is a cock. read the last four paragraphs.

well, i'm convinced. now where are my sugar pills...

 

[magicbastarder]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/28/homeopathy-baby-death-couple-jailed