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Post by kungfuscience on Aug 23, 2009 16:22:39 GMT
Ooh, can't believe I didn't share www.qauckwatch.com in my previous post. It links to lots of useful links debunking a range of alternative medicine dangerous pseudoscientific nonsense.
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Post by Mr. Jon Donnis on Aug 23, 2009 19:19:00 GMT
we are familiar with both those sites.
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Post by trouble on Jul 7, 2010 9:56:17 GMT
Not sure about all homeopathy. I personally have found chiropracty to work for both me and my OH. The same of osteopathy. I am currently using aloe vera juice to help with my ulcerative colitis, the tablets are not working as well as the hospital hoped and they said my last resort is an operation. Naturally I'm not thrilled at the prospect so thought I'd give the juice a go, didn't have much hope but though it worth a try, and it is helping. I think it's all down to 'suck it and see'; I certainly don't think a blanket ban would be a good thing. There's things out there we really don't understand - after all, people used herbs and plants long before drugs were available. In fact some hospitals are using maggots and leeches to help in healing of extreme cases, so I think we need to accept some natural medicines work; there's no point throwing the baby out with the bath water.
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Post by Ma'amJo on Jul 7, 2010 11:14:29 GMT
Natural medicines can and do work, trouble, in fact some can be downright lethal - it's homeopathy that doesn't (unless you count the placebo effect) as it contains no active ingredients whatsoever. The two are not the same.
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Post by trouble on Jul 7, 2010 15:49:40 GMT
Ah right, thanks for that missjo. I honestly never knew there was a difference - could you fill me on the basic differences between them? I'm assuming some like reiki are, as a given, total rubbish (apart from, as you say, the placebo effect), but what would be the other differences for things such as vitamins or do they come under the natural medicine? I'm a bit confused now.
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Post by Ma'amJo on Jul 7, 2010 21:05:22 GMT
Lots of people get it confused, trouble, I think that's part of the problem. There's no way I'd be able to explain myself scientifically and I don't want to get shot down by any lurking homeopaths on here but to summarise, the principle of homeopathy is that you take a minute amount of a particular substance, and dilute it over and over and over again, shaking it each time, until eventually the substance is so dilute you'd be hard pressed to find the original substance at all. The belief is that each dilution, and each shake, makes the liquid more potent as the water retains the memory of the original molecule. A bit like pouring a cup of weak tea into the equivalent of an ocean, stirring, then adding another ocean, stirring again, then another ocean, repeating several times over and expecting to have several oceans' worth of strong tea at the end of it. A bit daft, to say the least, and science has proven over and over again that beyond placebo, there's no proof whatsoever that homeopathy can actually cure anything at all. Herbal medicine is the use of herbs, plants etc to treat ailments/illnesses without all the ridiculous dilutions and shaking about. Some of these plants can be quite dangerous, whereas homeopathy is as dangerous as a glass of water. Which is basically all it is. Homeopaths like to say that we don't have to know why it works, it just does - but why would anyone want to take something without any scientific evidence that it works? I certainly wouldn't, it'd be pointless. This is also why people (me included) object to the NHS spending £4 million each year on homeopathy. Fair enough if someone wants to take homeopathic remedies, but they should use their money and not mine. I know that's an extremely simplified explanation, trouble, in my own words (with an analogy thrown in) but it does pretty much sum it up. There will be plenty of other information, no doubt much more explanatory than this, on the site already, so have a good scout around when you have time. I'm learning all the time on here, I had no idea how little I knew until I found this site!
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Post by trouble on Jul 7, 2010 21:59:21 GMT
Ah thanks missjo I have sent karma your way for the easy explanation and I understood it totally. I understand the difference now and have to agree with you, it sounds to me as if there wouldnt be enough left of the original solution to make much point in taking it - smarties would do better, in fact I'd prefer that because at least they're chocolate. ;D However I also have to ask since when did water have a 'memory'? I mean I know fish have one of about three seconds, but they have a brain - albeit one as small as mine - but I don't see much brain floating about in my pond or my glass of water. Sarcastic I know but the people who trotted out that line must've either been delusional or thought the rest of us were. What is it that P.T. Barnham said? I think it was 'there's one born every minute.' Anyone who believes water has it's own memory is obviously one of that number. lol! ------------------------------------------------ Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong. - George Carlin
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Post by Ma'amJo on Jul 7, 2010 22:08:55 GMT
I couldn't agree more, trouble, it sounds ridiculous - probably because it is.
I'm with you on the Smarties remedy - bagsy the orange ones! ;D
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Post by trouble on Jul 7, 2010 22:59:39 GMT
Ah do they still do the blue ones? I loved them - or the purply ones; but the orange ones are all yours. Actually my faves are chocolate buttons (nothing to interfere with chocolate heaven you see). Or, if I'm feeling virtuous, Maltesers (as I tell myself I'm eating mostly air).......certainly sounds like they'd do me more good. lol! ;D
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Post by Ma'amJo on Jul 8, 2010 6:59:23 GMT
Now if chocolate were on the NHS, we'd all be happy. ;D
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Post by trouble on Jul 8, 2010 7:22:44 GMT
LOL! missjo - I certainly wouldn't complain about all the pills I have to take every day if they could make them chocolate. 48 lots of chocolate a day....yummy! ;D
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