Why doesn't homeopathy work on poisons?
- Thread starter CplFerro
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theprestige
Penultimate Amazing
Homeopathy doesn't work. Period.
However, I think that mainstream homeopathy woo includes the claim that it works on poisons.
Belz...
Fiend God
Drink very very diluted poison and see what happens: nothing. It's been done already.
Pup
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Not sure if you mean it claims dilution makes poisons stronger, or if you mean it claims to cure poisoning by giving a diluted dose of the poison.
If it's the former, some traditional homeopathic medicines are poisons. Arsenic, for example: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenicum_album And there are also some claims it cures poisoning.
If it's the former, some traditional homeopathic medicines are poisons. Arsenic, for example: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenicum_album And there are also some claims it cures poisoning.
Bram Kaandorp
Master Poster
As has been said, arsenic is being used as a cure in homoeopathy, so I don't think they believe that any substabce that has been homoeopathically diluted can be a poison (i.e. it can harm you). On the contrary, it would be a cure for some of the symptoms that were reported by people who took the substance in less diluted form. And not even that in some cases, as is the case with metal from the Titanic.
Red Baron Farms
Philosopher
Homeopathic theory on poisons? Just give them water and tell them it is a poison cure and you can makes lots of money off the fools who believe you.
Belz...
Fiend God
As long as "water" has been around on our planet, you're pretty much guaranteed to get water molecules which have been in contact with EVERYTHING (dinosaurs, ebola, Adolf Hitler, ...) whenever you get a glass of water. So, by homeopathy rules, a standard glass of water should be a very potent cure for any disease. Or, as Myles Power put it in his youtube review of a homeopathic first aid kit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li1ErHfK1Zs&list=UUS_H_4AmsqC705DObesZIIg) - just drop some homeopathic pills in your nearest river, eventually the stuff will get to the ocean and you will have cured the whole world of all diseases.
epepke
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The general assertion is that homeopathic whatever does the opposite of non-homeopathic whatever. So a homeopathic poison would be claimed to be an antidote for the poison or a condition with similar symptoms as what the poison causes.
See? Homeopathy is even stupider than you thought
Pantaz
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RationalVetMed
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Szeto, A.L., Rollwagen, F., and Jonas, W.B., (2004) Rapid induction of protective tolerance to potential terrorist agents: a systematic review of low- and ultra-low dose research Homeopathy Vol. 93 no. 4 pp. 173-178 (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1475491604000682)
Objective: To systematically review the literature on the ability of low-dose (LD) and ultra-low-dose (ULD) toxin exposure to prevent and treat biological and chemical threats.
Conclusion: There is little research on agents of biological and chemical warfare investigating the possible use of LD- and ULD-toxins for protection and treatment. The existing literature is generally of good quality and indicates that rapid induction of protective tolerance is a feasible but under-investigated approach to bioterrorist or biowarfare defense. In our opinion, further research into the role of induced protection with LD- and ULD-toxic agents is needed.
... The views, opinions and assertions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect official policy of USUHS, the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, Food and Drug Administration, or the U.S. Government. [surprise, surprise!]
Of course they don't say who the "further research" should be carried out on!Conclusion: There is little research on agents of biological and chemical warfare investigating the possible use of LD- and ULD-toxins for protection and treatment. The existing literature is generally of good quality and indicates that rapid induction of protective tolerance is a feasible but under-investigated approach to bioterrorist or biowarfare defense. In our opinion, further research into the role of induced protection with LD- and ULD-toxic agents is needed.
... The views, opinions and assertions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect official policy of USUHS, the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, Food and Drug Administration, or the U.S. Government. [surprise, surprise!]
Regarding the homeopathic overdose stunt, homeopaths always caim that if you take the wrong remedy, or take a remedy when there's nothing wrong with you then the consequences can be dire - aggravations, suppression, chronic disease etc...
But then, when someone deliberately takes an "overdose" and suffers no ill-effects, suddenly it's the safest thing around and natural and gentle, so how could anyone possibly think it could do any harm?
Unless of course one of the overdose people gets ill or dies in which case it'll be the power of homeopathy, and we told you it would be harmful.
So, the attitude of homeopaths to overdosing is the same as their attitude to homeopathy generally - vague, contradictory and weaselly and it will change to fit whatever facts prevail.
Yuri
Last edited:
The more intelligent homoeopaths claim that distilling the water is resetting the associations.
Most homoeopathic stuff using water is made with distilled water, but there are homoeopaths who use tap water, and nobody has noticed a difference ...
Btw, the majority of homoeopathic remedies are made with alcohol, not water.
Donn
Philosopher
Homeopaths tap water.
Donn
Philosopher
This, and the other unknown ingredients in these "meds" on display at pharmacies makes me wonder how sceptics feel so safe quaffing them when debunking them.
I would also be nervous because my confidence that they use uncontaminated ingredients is very low, and the I would also fear that some homoeopaths would "spice" up their remedies by adding a little real medicine, if they can get it cheap enough.
But if you feel you can trust the homoeopath, the fact is that most remedies are actually pills (the main ingredient of which would be lactose) that have been sprayed with the magic solution and left to dry. There will neither be water nor alcohol present in appreciable quantity.
Armitage72
Philosopher
It's a popular idea that taking minuscule doses of poison over a long period of time allows you to build up immunity.
Maybe that only works for Iocane Powder.
Maybe that only works for Iocane Powder.
