Homeopathy. Mixing a diluted ingredient with the same undiluted ingredient.lu

[Ladewig]

While shopping for nasal spray, I came across this item
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/sinofresh-antiseptic-nasal-and-sinus-care/ID=prod6193877-product

SinoFresh Antiseptic Nasal and Sinus Care ( a Patented Homeopathic Nasal Spray)

Active Ingredients
Eucalyptus Globulus 20xAntiseptic , Kalium Bichromicum 30xRelieves Sinus Pain, Pressure and Inflammation

Inactive Ingredients
..., Essential Oil Blend* ,...

Fine Print
*Consisting of Wintergreen Oil, Spearmint Oil, Peppermint Oil, and Eucalyptus Oil.​

I thought that putting undiluted eucalyptus oil into a properly-succussed eucalyptus dilution would destroy the magical water molecules' memories. What's the deal here?

ETA
followup question.
Is it legal to say that Eucalyptus Globulus 20x has antiseptic properties? It obviously does not.

MORE ETA
D'oh. I forgot that some dilutions are made with alcohol. Such a dilution would have antiseptic properties.

.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Logic and Homequackery do not mix. Even in very, very, very, tiny amounts.

In the Venn diagram of reality and Homeoquackery, one circle is right here on Earth and the other is circling Jupiter.

 

[Daylightstar]

While shopping for nasal spray, I came across this item
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/sinofresh-antiseptic-nasal-and-sinus-care/ID=prod6193877-product

SinoFresh Antiseptic Nasal and Sinus Care ( a Patented Homeopathic Nasal Spray)

Active Ingredients
Eucalyptus Globulus 20xAntiseptic , Kalium Bichromicum 30xRelieves Sinus Pain, Pressure and Inflammation

Inactive Ingredients
..., Essential Oil Blend* ,...

Fine Print
*Consisting of Wintergreen Oil, Spearmint Oil, Peppermint Oil, and Eucalyptus Oil.​

I thought that putting undiluted eucalyptus oil into a properly-succussed eucalyptus dilution would destroy the magical water molecules' memories. What's the deal here?

ETA
followup question.
Is it legal to say that Eucalyptus Globulus 20x has antiseptic properties? It obviously does not.

MORE ETA
D'oh. I forgot that some dilutions are made with alcohol. Such a dilution would have antiseptic properties.

.

It looks to me like they switched the inactive ingredients with the active ingredients.

 

[grmcdorman]

Logic and Homequackery do not mix. Even in very, very, very, tiny amounts.

In the Venn diagram of reality and Homeoquackery, one circle is right here on Earth and the other is circling Jupiter.

I don't think it's that close. I'd say it's circling Cygnus X1^* - very closely.

* Not "our" CygnusX1 poster.

 

[arthwollipot]

The inactive ingredient is inactive because it has not been succussed. Therefore it has no effect on the active - ie. potentized - ingredients.

Come on people, this is Homoeopathy 101.

 

[Daylightstar]

The inactive ingredient is inactive because it has not been succussed. Therefore it has no effect on the active - ie. potentized - ingredients.

Come on people, this is Homoeopathy 101.

And yet, it does the work, if any. The succussed and potentized 'ingredients' do no work whatsoever. They don't even take up any appreciable space.

 

[Emily's Cat]

The inactive ingredient is inactive because it has not been succussed. Therefore it has no effect on the active - ie. potentized - ingredients.

Come on people, this is Homoeopathy 101.

I don't know what those words mean. Are you guys even speaking english here?

 

[marplots]

I don't know what those words mean. Are you guys even speaking english here?

Yes, but it's 30X English. One one word in a million makes any sense.

 

[Kid Eager]

I don't know what those words mean. Are you guys even speaking english here?

Succussion is the act of making succotash.

Potentization is what happens when you fit 4 new Bridgestones to your hot hatch.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

I don't know what those words mean. Are you guys even speaking english here?

No we are not. But Wikipedia may enlighten you: Homeopathy#Preparation^WP

 

[Loss Leader]

This brings up an important point. Don't just down a hundred pills of some homeopathic remedy before investigating it. Sometimes, they slip in actual real drugs.

 

[epepke]

I'm sure those oils do clean out and deaden your snoot. Vick's Vapo-Rub has the same stuff.

Saying it's homeopathy sells to stupid people, and I quite approve. Unfortunately, people don't realize their stupidity and yammer about how product labels are lying to them. So now they have to put some homeopathic stuff to justify saying it's homeopathic. I'm sure they are laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[arthwollipot]

I don't know what those words mean. Are you guys even speaking english here?

When arguing against homoeopathy, it helps to know what it is.

 

[casebro]

Maybe they succotash and potentate to neutralise the homeopethetic effect the natural calcium in the water would have? Otherwise, anybody taking any homeopathetic mix would get rock hard abs? Or they'd be walking around with an erectoin lasting more than four hours, and need hospitalization.

That would solve the life long question- What do they use to dilute water with to make it homeopathetic water?

 

[Emily's Cat]

When arguing against homoeopathy, it helps to know what it is.

Hmm, yes. I don't usually bother to argue against it too much. Some herbal remedies do actually work; aspirin is the processed form of willow bark, after all... and St. John's Wort is well known to actually have effects - it's specifically called out for drug interactions on several prescriptions. But at the same time, not everything works, and snake oil is snake oil. If people are too silly to do reasonable homework and use some common sense, then oh well. As long as it's not actually harmful, I don't really care if someone makes money off of it.

 

[Daylightstar]

I'm sure those oils do clean out and deaden your snoot. Vick's Vapo-Rub has the same stuff.

Saying it's homeopathy sells to stupid people, and I quite approve. Unfortunately, people don't realize their stupidity and yammer about how product labels are lying to them. So now they have to put some homeopathic stuff to justify saying it's homeopathic. I'm sure they are laughing all the way to the bank.

Exactly.

 

[Hellbound]

Hmm, yes. I don't usually bother to argue against it too much. Some herbal remedies do actually work; aspirin is the processed form of willow bark, after all... and St. John's Wort is well known to actually have effects - it's specifically called out for drug interactions on several prescriptions. But at the same time, not everything works, and snake oil is snake oil. If people are too silly to do reasonable homework and use some common sense, then oh well. As long as it's not actually harmful, I don't really care if someone makes money off of it.

I see this a lot, but what you should understand is that homeopathy is NOT herbal rememdies.

Homeopathy is the idea that you take something that causes symptoms (for example, caffiene keeps you awake). You serially dilute it in water, enough times that the chances of there being a molecule of the original substance left in the dilution is about the same as the chance the moon will quantum tunnel to the other side of it's orbit, and then this magic water will somehow cure the symptoms that the original ingredient caused (so the succussed "caffiene" becomes a sleep aid).

It's outright woo, with not even the possible claim to effectiveness that herbal remedies could claim.

 

[Spindrift]

I see this a lot, but what you should understand is that homeopathy is NOT herbal rememdies.

Homeopathy is the idea that you take something that causes symptoms (for example, caffiene keeps you awake). You serially dilute it in water, enough times that the chances of there being a molecule of the original substance left in the dilution is about the same as the chance the moon will quantum tunnel to the other side of it's orbit, and then this magic water will somehow cure the symptoms that the original ingredient caused (so the succussed "caffiene" becomes a sleep aid).

It's outright woo, with not even the possible claim to effectiveness that herbal remedies could claim.

When I see friends with homeopathic stuff in their house I will ask them if they know what homeopathic means. Nine times out of ten they say "Natural".

 

[blutoski]

I see this a lot, but what you should understand is that homeopathy is NOT herbal rememdies.

Homeopathy is the idea that you take something that causes symptoms (for example, caffiene keeps you awake). You serially dilute it in water, enough times that the chances of there being a molecule of the original substance left in the dilution is about the same as the chance the moon will quantum tunnel to the other side of it's orbit, and then this magic water will somehow cure the symptoms that the original ingredient caused (so the succussed "caffiene" becomes a sleep aid).

It's outright woo, with not even the possible claim to effectiveness that herbal remedies could claim.

Having said that, I categorize homeopathy as a subcategory in the hierarchy of: naturopathy / herbal remedies / homeopathy, since generally the starting ingredients are supposed unprocessed plant materials with known effects.

The backwards part of it is that the known effects are 'known to cause the observed symptoms' (law of similars), which is contrary to all other herbal remedies where they select plant materials whose effects are either 'known to reduce the observed symptoms' or 'known to therapeutically treat the known cause of the symptoms'.

 

[Donn]

As long as it's not actually harmful, I don't really care if someone makes money off of it.

Misleading people into using fake medicine leads to sickness and worse.

Money and time, both wasted, neither easily replaced.

I call that harm.

You?