Homeopathic trickery

People fall for all sorts of trickery no matter how absurd it is.

Some of it is homeopathy.

BBC News has this article about how homeopathic benefits were questioned - referring to the study published in today's edition of the respected Lancet medical journal. The study casts doubt on homeopathic cures and the finding is compatible with the notion that the clinical effects of homeopathy are placebo effects.

Is this the end for homeopathy?

I think not.

Homeopathy is still growing in popularity and advocates of homeopathy will maintain the therapy, using the principle of treating like with like even it doesn't work.

Promoting homeopathy has nothing to do with studies, homeopathic effects are all in the mind and simply a matter of personal taste. No matter how many peer-reviewed scientific papers published demonstrating that homeopathy is superior to placebo in placebo-controlled trials - people won’t accept facts and certainly not if they were fooled.

If some people are feeling better, - not the same as actually being better - after having homeopathy it's caused by the whole experience of the therapy and attention on the individual. The true believer needs something to be true and they will ignore all evidence to maintain the illusion.

They don't need evidence. They just need the "Prince of Quacks" to say it works.

Fresh links:

Study: Homeopathy Drugs Don't Work
Homeopathy no better than placebo-analysis
Homeopathy no better than dummy drugs, says study
Docs told to be bold on practice
Study Casts Doubt on Homeopathic Cures
Homoeopathy's clinical effects are placebo effects, The Lancet
Homeopathic medicines don't work
Lancet study says homeopathic medicines don't work
Homeopathy no better than placebo, study
Do homeopathic remedies work?
Homeopathy "no better than placebo"
Effects of homeopathy 'are all in the mind'
Fresh doubts raised over homeopathy
Homeopathy does not work: UK study