Is the Placebo a useful medical intervention?

placebo

Alternative medicine is tagged “alternative” because it an intervention that has been demonstrated to not actually do anything medical beyond the placebo effect. Examples abound and include things such as Homeopathy, Reiki, etc… Let’s briefly review those. Examples of Alternative Medicine Homeopathy, dreamed up in 1792. It involves giving you a diluted substance to supposedly … Read more

The PSA emperor is Naked

homeopathy

It is perhaps now being increasingly appreciated by many people that Homeopathy is utter nonsense and does not work, and yet it has been granted accreditation by the UK’s Government run PSA (Professional Standards Authority). As a quick bit of background, just to be clear, homeopathy really is a sham and does not work … … Read more

Homeopathy: Treating 4 year old with saliva of a rabid dog

homeopathy

This is a story about homeopathy, or to be a tad more precise, is a story about the deployment of homeopathy that illustrates how the embrace of the idea is not just bizarre but also absurd. Rabid Dogs and Homeopathy The Washington Post reports it as follows … A Canadian naturopath claims she treated a … Read more

Homeopathy cancer paper withdrawn, lead authors arrested

homeopathy

Homeopathy is having a very bad week. Given the observation that there is no credible evidence that verifies that it actually works, then this is not a surprise. This week there have been two Homeopathy items that have popped up in the news cycle. Let’s briefly cover each in turn. The UK’s National Health Service is … Read more

There is a new college degree in quackery

homeopathy

Radio Canada Internation reports the reactions being made by many in response to a new course that offers to train you in quackery.  They are not alone, other have deployed similar criticism. The course on offer is Homeopathy … Starting this fall, Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario, will offer a diploma in homeopathy, a practice the critics … Read more

FDA cracks down on Homeopathy

Homeopathy

The US Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on the selling of snake oil. If indeed homeopathy only consisted of a herbal tea or two to help alleviate a cold, then they would not have been too concerned, but unfortunately the landscape has changed and so they have been forced to respond to the … Read more