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Contrary to the overwhelming belief of the mainstream
medical establishment, results from a recent series of trials suggest
that homeopathy is more effective than an inactive pill (placebo) in treating
certain ills.
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Researchers studied 51 patients with perennial
hay fever. Twenty-four of the study subjects received daily homeopathy
and 27 received a daily placebo treatment during the 4-week study
period.
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The study was performed to the highest standards
of scientific research, being double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled.
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All of the subjects kept a diary in which they
recorded twice daily their nasal air flow measurements and symptoms
such as sneezing, runny nose, and eye and chest symptoms.
- Patients who received homeopathy had a 28% improvement
in their nasal air flow whereas those in the placebo group had only
a 3% improvement.
In comments to Reuters Health, study author Dr.
David Reilly of the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital states "There are
two ways of interpreting the fact that four trials in a row have produced
positive results," Either homeopathy works, in which case "we
need to explore the clinical potential and the scientific challenges,
(or) homeopathy does not work (and) the clinical trial is proving an unreliable
tool capable of worrying false positive results."
In an accompanying editorial, Tim Lancaster of the
Oxford Institute of Health Sciences and Andrew Vickers of Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center in New York City, acknowledge that the methods employed
by Dr. Reilly and his colleagues "were rigorous and it is unlikely
that their results arose from methodological bias."
They also admit that if this study can be confirmed
by a larger trial it could really change the thinking of mainstream medicine
towards homeopathy.
British Medical Journal
August 19, 2000;321:471-476.
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