Prince Charles branded &#x27;immoral&#x27; as homeopaths take NHS to court.

There's a worryingly, growing movement that is trying to reassert the presence of alternative medicine.

Dara O'Briain hits the nail on the head.

I'm sorry, 'herbal medicine', "Oh, herbal medicine's been around for thousands of years!" Indeed it has, and then we tested it all, and the stuff that worked became 'medicine'. And the rest of it is just a nice bowl of soup and some potpourri, so knock yourselves out.

Let the people who know what they're talking about do their jobs.

Reply 2

Well hopefully, once homeopathy has been legally shown to be a delusional scam as well as scientifically, it will finally officially be consigned the the wastebasket of quackery. (Not that it hasn't been already. It's just that some people have difficulty in accepting reality)

Reply 3

Notoriety

I look forward to reading the judgment and seeing how the judge manages the urge to take the piss out of the BHA. Should be a good one.

I do agree with the Boots point. I know friends in the past have bought Herbal Kalms as sleeping aid and didn't realise that it has no pharmacological effect -- and it's only an extra £1-2 for the proper OTC product.

Reply 4

Dez

Well hopefully the BHA will lose this case, given that there is basically no credible scientific evidence to support homeopathy. It's unfortunate that the NHS is being forced to fund such a frivolous court case, but the cost of continuing to provide homeopathic snake oil would still be much higher than the cost of getting rid of this guff once and for all.

Reply 5

username1221160

19

I do admire the perseverance of homeopaths, although their grasp of evidence-based reasoning is somewhat limited.

Reply 6

Original post by Tubbz

There's a worryingly, growing movement that is trying to reassert the presence of alternative medicine.

Dara O'Briain hits the nail on the head.

I'm sorry, 'herbal medicine', "Oh, herbal medicine's been around for thousands of years!" Indeed it has, and then we tested it all, and the stuff that worked became 'medicine'. And the rest of it is just a nice bowl of soup and some potpourri, so knock yourselves out.

Let the people who know what they're talking about do their jobs.

I think it was Tim Minchin who said...

"There's a name for alternative medicine that actually works...Medicine!"

Reply 7

Napp

Original post by Tubbz

There's a worryingly, growing movement that is trying to reassert the presence of alternative medicine.

Let the people who know what they're talking about do their jobs.

I find homeopathy to be a complete load of hooey but what exactly do you have against people wanting to try this stuff? If they want to eschew modern medicine and eat hemp as a cure [or whatever] let them..

Reply 8

the bear

homeopathy in private has been legal in this country since 1967. it is widely accepted nowadays.

Reply 9

Original post by Notorious_B.I.G.

I look forward to reading the judgment and seeing how the judge manages the urge to take the piss out of the BHA. Should be a good one.

I do agree with the Boots point. I know friends in the past have bought Herbal Kalms as sleeping aid and didn't realise that it has no pharmacological effect -- and it's only an extra £1-2 for the proper OTC product.

I'm fine with Boots continuing to sell homeopathic remedies, as long as they label the shelf "PLACEBOS".

Reply 10

Original post by Napp

I find homeopathy to be a complete load of hooey but what exactly do you have against people wanting to try this stuff? If they want to eschew modern medicine and eat hemp as a cure [or whatever] let them..

The current issue is with it being provided and paid for by the NHS.
In general, if people want to spend a lot of money on tiny sugar pills, they should be allowed to. But the manufacturers of those sugar pills should not be allowed to make false claims about them. It is false advertising - which is illegal.

Reply 11

ax12

Original post by QE2

Well hopefully, once homeopathy has been legally shown to be a delusional scam as well as scientifically, it will finally officially be consigned the the wastebasket of quackery. (Not that it hasn't been already. It's just that some people have difficulty in accepting reality)

I don’t think many people who genuinely believe in homeopathy will be swayed by a legal decision unfortunately!

Reply 12

Notoriety

Original post by QE2

I'm fine with Boots continuing to sell homeopathic remedies, as long as they label the shelf "PLACEBOS".

Yeah, that was what I was getting at. The problem is them not properly promoting the fact that these products are little more useful than swallowing gravy granules. If these are properly identified as pseudo-science, by all means sell, sell away.

Reply 13

Tubbz

Original post by Napp

I find homeopathy to be a complete load of hooey but what exactly do you have against people wanting to try this stuff? If they want to eschew modern medicine and eat hemp as a cure [or whatever] let them..

I have no issue with someone trying marijuana as a radical cancer cure. Pay for it yourself.

We pay people a lot of money to decide for us what the best course of action is to treat an ailment. (the competence or appropriateness of these people is a different debate)

My objection isn't people trying it. My objection is the NHS paying for homeopathic remedies, and putting them on prescription, when in fact homeopathy is water and sugar pills.

Reply 14

Dez

Original post by QE2

I'm fine with Boots continuing to sell homeopathic remedies, as long as they label the shelf "PLACEBOS".

Or just be frank and label it "Bottled water"

Reply 15

Good bloke

19

Original post by Tubbz

'herbal medicine',

Unfortunately, he is barking up the wrong tree. Herbal medicine, while not, maybe, the most efficaceous in the modern era, is the basis of much modern medicine and can definitely work, as the herbs contain useful chemicals.

Homeopathy is not to be conflated with herbalism.

Reply 16

Notoriety

Original post by Good bloke

Unfortunately, he is barking up the wrong tree. Herbal medicine, while not, maybe, the most efficaceous in the modern era, is the basis of much modern medicine and can definitely work, as the herbs contain useful chemicals.

Homeopathy is not to be conflated with herbalism.

He was using "medicine" to include pharmacologically efficacious herbs and "herbal medicine" as to include only those which have been unsuccessful in attracting the "medicine" label.

Reply 17

the beer

OP

14

Original post by Notorious_B.I.G.

He was using "medicine" to include pharmacologically efficacious herbs and "herbal medicine" as to include only those which have been unsuccessful in attracting the "medicine" label.

Which side do things like psilocybin and cannabinoids fall?

Reply 18

Original post by the beer

Which side do things like psilocybin and cannabinoids fall?

They certainly work!
The question is, do they have any curative or alleviative effect against any given medical condition - other than "not being off it"?

Edit: Actually, I like that idea.
Patient: So, what's wrong with me?
Doctor: I'm afraid we have diagnosed a case of not being off it.
Patient: OMG! Is there anything you can do?
Doctor: yes, I'm prescribing a dose of psilocybin followed by repeated doses of cannabinoid over the subsequent six to eight hours.
Patient: Sweet!

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 19

Tubbz