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QUESTION Homeopathy for farmers … with the support of Prince Charles … foolish and immoral

Today, Oliver Kamm, a Times business columnist and leader writer, sates in THE TIMES that part of the blame for the persistence of fake medicine lies with, of all people, the heir to the throne. In a new book titled More Harm than Good?, Professor Edzard Ernst says that, as the most prominent advocate of homeopathy, the Prince of Wales is engaged in “foolish and immoral” support for unproven remedies for serious illness. You can say that again.

Yes, let’s say that again: foolish and immoral!

zblaze 7 Jan 22
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9 comments

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2

To be fair, there are some homeopathic remedies that do work. I used oil of cloves for a toothache. Amazing, it killed the pain for several hours so I could sleep. I use Eucalyptus oil to calm coughs. Lavender oil is relaxing.

Sorry Hippie, those aren't homeopathic remedies, they are natural or herbal remedies and no one is saying they don't work.

If you put one drop of clove oil in 5 gallons of water, and then took a teaspoon out of that 5 gallons and put it in another 5 gal of water, and then repeated this dilution process 5 more times, a teaspoon of the finale 5 gallons would be a homeopathic remedy.

@zblaze ahhhh, good to know. Yeah, I don't see how that could work.

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By definition (I begin), alternative medicine (I continue) has either not been proved to work or been proved not to work. Do you know what they call alternative medicine that's been proved to work? Medicine. Tim Minchin

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There's no evidence in this article vs homeopathy for farmers-why is it harmful?

Because it is unethical??? "In our book, Kevin Smith and I develop the argument that the practice of and education in alternative medicine systematically violates medical ethics. We are sure that our argument holds water. It is not possible, we think, to practice or teach fake medicine within the rules and standards of medical ethics. This means that most of alternative medicine is unethical."

1

So many people say that they are not religious but then will swear by things like Homeopathy that we know don't work from clinical trials and implausibility of their claims. Alternative medicine people use the same style of arguments as creationists. The Anti-GMO crowd is the same. You can't say creationists and climate deniers are stupid for not following science and evidence and then be anti-vaccine and anti-GMO and support alternative medicine. Sometimes I think Christians are more pro-science than atheists, and that worries me.....

I think the problem with GMO's is as much about giving huge multi nationals power of seed and food production

Thanks Jim for expressing an opinion not based on bullshit and I understand your concern. I think the anti-GMO has made this much worse. The regulations and hoops that only this form of modification have to jump through (mutagenesis has either none or nearly none), makes it hard for smaller companies to engage thus leading to larger companies controlling the technology. However, the Arctic Apple is an example of a smaller company getting involved. I will also feel better when there are lots of players and smaller players too.

0

Homeopathy works. Yes it does there are loads of people spending loads of money and getting high on "cocaine" that is only .0001% pure lol

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I think he gives Prince Charles more credit than he deserves. Is anybody actually influenced by the Royals? I don't condone the promotion of such tripe, I think the businesses that are promoting and profiting from the sales of imaginary medicine are those at fault, people place their trust in respected shops, by selling these items it validates them in the minds of the duped. I say this as someone who has lost a much loved family member due to them not accepting actual medicine and relying on the false promises of homeopathy. Sadly they kept their condition secret so I was unable to explain what homeopathy actually is to them. His wife also used to rely on homeopathy, she now has appreciation for the decades of medical science that has lead to real medicine.

Dav87 Level 6 Jan 22, 2018
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Ok, I'm trying to understand how using alternative medical practices is immoral??

A short research into the "science" behind homeopathy may surprise you.

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He's not the only one - several other members of the Royal family, going back generations, have been advocates of homeopathy (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-ullman/the-kings-homeopath_b_827499.html) and Dr Peter Fisher, the Queen's personal doctor, argues that it should be more widely available through the National Health Service (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11739270/Queens-physician-calls-for-more-homeopathy-on-NHS.html).

Which just goes to show: having loads of money doesn't give you intelligence.

Jnei Level 8 Jan 22, 2018

You got that right!

3

We used two "homeopathic" remedies. I commute to work by bike, getting a cold is always a danger, I get a dry throat, so I have a lozenge of some kind before I head out. Years ago, there were these homeopathic lozenges with zinc that I took, and I didn't get colds (that much, anyway). My wife has allergies, and she got something to put above her lip to fight allergies, worked pretty good. But zinc has anti-cold properties outside of the homeopathic paradigm, and my wife's allergy stuff was mechanical action -- allergens got stuck to the stuff before getting to her nose.

That said, Bonnie Prince Charlie looks pretty good in a kilt.

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