Comments on: “New evidence for homeopathy”? http://sedgemore.com/2008/11/new-evidence-for-homeopathy/ journalist and science writer Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:49:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Francis Sedgemore - Acupuncture without needles http://sedgemore.com/2008/11/new-evidence-for-homeopathy/comment-page-1/#comment-1500 Francis Sedgemore - Acupuncture without needles Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:14:13 +0000 http://sedgemore.com/?p=2684#comment-1500 [...] acupuncture like homeopathy a placebo treatment? That appears to be the conclusion of Linköping University physiotherapist [...] [...] acupuncture like homeopathy a placebo treatment? That appears to be the conclusion of Linköping University physiotherapist [...]

]]> By: Francis Sedgemore http://sedgemore.com/2008/11/new-evidence-for-homeopathy/comment-page-1/#comment-1482 Francis Sedgemore Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:52:00 +0000 http://sedgemore.com/?p=2684#comment-1482 Ulrich - The press release may have been published by Elsevier, but that doesn't mean it was an Elsevier press officer who wrote the copy. Note that journal publishers and research institutes occasionally retain the services of freelance copywriters and outside agencies to prepare press releases. What happened in this particular case remains an open question. Ulrich – The press release may have been published by Elsevier, but that doesn’t mean it was an Elsevier press officer who wrote the copy. Note that journal publishers and research institutes occasionally retain the services of freelance copywriters and outside agencies to prepare press releases. What happened in this particular case remains an open question.

]]> By: Ulrich http://sedgemore.com/2008/11/new-evidence-for-homeopathy/comment-page-1/#comment-1481 Ulrich Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:06:38 +0000 http://sedgemore.com/?p=2684#comment-1481 The original press release seems to be from the publisher Elsevier: http://www.elsevier.com/framework_products/promis_misc/HOMP%20Press%20release%201108.pdf Sad to see that Elsevier, besides being the most expensive publisher of scientific journals, now also promotes nonsense like this. Fortunately, a few reactions from serious people are out there: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=242 http://hawk-handsaw.blogspot.com/2008/10/shang-study-remains-firmly-in-water.html http://hawk-handsaw.blogspot.com/2008/10/more-meta-analysis-delight.html http://hawk-handsaw.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-know-i-said-life-was-too-short.html http://hawk-handsaw.blogspot.com/2008/11/science-by-press-release-epic-fail.html The original press release seems to be from the publisher Elsevier:
http://www.elsevier.com/framework_products/promis_misc/HOMP%20Press%20release%201108.pdf

Sad to see that Elsevier, besides being the most expensive publisher of scientific journals, now also promotes nonsense like this.

Fortunately, a few reactions from serious people are out there:
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=242
http://hawk-handsaw.blogspot.com/2008/10/shang-study-remains-firmly-in-water.html
http://hawk-handsaw.blogspot.com/2008/10/more-meta-analysis-delight.html
http://hawk-handsaw.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-know-i-said-life-was-too-short.html
http://hawk-handsaw.blogspot.com/2008/11/science-by-press-release-epic-fail.html

]]> By: Gadjo Dilo http://sedgemore.com/2008/11/new-evidence-for-homeopathy/comment-page-1/#comment-1315 Gadjo Dilo Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:11:33 +0000 http://sedgemore.com/?p=2684#comment-1315 Nice analysis. Modern-day homeopathy was dreamed up in a library in Romania, where I live, so I should be proud of it; and also I once tried a homeopathic remedy which I was recommended and it (or something that occurred at the same time) worked quite well. But... I understand it's been shown many times in clinical trials that there is <b>no widespread evidence for it's efficacy</b>; the problem is in academia that negative results are not so often published, and when they are it's so very simple to ignore them! Nice analysis. Modern-day homeopathy was dreamed up in a library in Romania, where I live, so I should be proud of it; and also I once tried a homeopathic remedy which I was recommended and it (or something that occurred at the same time) worked quite well. But… I understand it’s been shown many times in clinical trials that there is no widespread evidence for it’s efficacy; the problem is in academia that negative results are not so often published, and when they are it’s so very simple to ignore them!

]]> By: Francis Sedgemore http://sedgemore.com/2008/11/new-evidence-for-homeopathy/comment-page-1/#comment-1313 Francis Sedgemore Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:03:31 +0000 http://sedgemore.com/?p=2684#comment-1313 Perhaps I should have written "final nail in the coffin of homeopathy as a medical discipline with any credibility". In the UK homeopathy is not taken seriously. I am aware of the situation in Germany. Over here, only complete cretins (including royalty), and the type of superstitious people who will not walk under ladders, follow homeopathy. It's enough for a small number of companies such as the one discussed above to make money for shareholders, but no more. Perhaps I should have written “final nail in the coffin of homeopathy as a medical discipline with any credibility”.

In the UK homeopathy is not taken seriously. I am aware of the situation in Germany. Over here, only complete cretins (including royalty), and the type of superstitious people who will not walk under ladders, follow homeopathy. It’s enough for a small number of companies such as the one discussed above to make money for shareholders, but no more.

]]> By: Bengt http://sedgemore.com/2008/11/new-evidence-for-homeopathy/comment-page-1/#comment-1311 Bengt Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:21:25 +0000 http://sedgemore.com/?p=2684#comment-1311 I am intrigued by the expression " ... serious commentators have interpreted as the final nail in the coffin of homeopathy": which implies that homeopathy is currently in an N-nail coffin with N-1 nails fixed. Irrespective of the statistical mumblings of the latest press release and the underlying research discussed, is this really the actual perception that homeopathy has, either by opinion or through analysis? In Germany, judging by the number of active practitioners and the variety of products available in pharmacies it seems to be a thriving industry. I am curious to know what the public perception of homeopathy in the UK is? I am intrigued by the expression ” … serious commentators have interpreted as the final nail in the coffin of homeopathy”: which implies that homeopathy is currently in an N-nail coffin with N-1 nails fixed. Irrespective of the statistical mumblings of the latest press release and the underlying research discussed, is this really the actual perception that homeopathy has, either by opinion or through analysis? In Germany, judging by the number of active practitioners and the variety of products available in pharmacies it seems to be a thriving industry. I am curious to know what the public perception of homeopathy in the UK is?

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