The mystery of the white ball

Что такое гомеопатия?

Homeopathy (from the Greek "like" and -. "Disease") - a kind of alternative medicine involving the use of highly divorced drugs that are expected to cause healthy people symptoms similar to the symptoms of the patient. The concept for the treatment of pseudoscientific principle of "like with like" (Latin. Similia similibus curantur) is opposed to the principles of rational pharmacotherapy homeopaths. The founder and the author of the term - a German physician Samuel Hahnemann.

Что такое гомеопатия?

The theoretical justification of the homeopathic principle does not correspond to the scientific understanding of the functioning of a healthy and sick organism and Implemented clinical trials of homeopathic remedies found no difference between the placebo and the homeopathic remedy. This means that any positive feelings after treatment homeopathy explained placebo and natural recovery from illness. Trivial calculations show that in preparations with higher dilutions of 12C and the likelihood of having the molecule at least one active substance is close to zero. For these reasons, the scientific community considers homeopathy as pseudoscience, quackery and fraud. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns of homeopathic treatment of infectious and any other serious illness. As organizations, experts note, "the use of homeopathy has no evidence base, and when used as an alternative to the basic treatment, it carries a real threat to the health and lives of people."

Committee on Science and Technology of the British Parliament in February 2010 issued a 275-page document on the verification of evidence base of homeopathy. According to the findings of the Committee, the state medical insurance does not cover homeopathic treatment, because "the systematic assessment and meta-analysis conclusively demonstrate that homeopathic products work better than a placebo." The Committee also pointed to the Agency for the control of medicines and health care, it is not necessary to license homeopathic medicines, as this creates the public the illusion that it really offer expired medicines. Among the conclusions of the document also contains the assessment of the basic principles of homeopathy. According to these findings, the principle of "treating like with like" has no theoretical foundation and is not able to provide a reasonable mode of therapeutic use of homeopathic products, and the idea that if ultrahigh dilution retained traces of dissolved substances, from a scientific point of view is untenable.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ordered the manufacturers of homeopathic products to inform consumers that homeopathy is based on the theories of the XVIII century, and the drugs themselves do not pass the necessary clinical trials and approved by medical experts. FTC has published a 24-page report, which set out the position of homeopaths, those set in relation to homeopathy skeptical, and those who use it ever. Experts organizations have come to the conclusion that there is no reason not to hype the manufacturer of homeopathy to the same supervision as the advertising of medicines. Information on packages, according to experts, is presented in a distorted way. To clarify, is now the manufacturers will have to specify that their product has not been tested and manufactured in accordance with the principles that have no evidence base.

What mysterious force lies in homeopathic preparations and why these seemingly harmless balls so much annoy some representatives of science?

Что такое гомеопатия?
It has long vowed not to be surprised fanciful whims journalistic destiny. Today you take an interview with the president in the luxurious interiors of his residence, and tomorrow you feed lice in the Arabian desert. So what? Be patient and be happy. But interesting. But the latest version of instruction I was very puzzled. It is necessary to understand what is homeopathy? Branch of serious medical or wiring gullible suckers?

The difficulty was in the fact that I am always very skeptical of all manifestations of alternative medicine, in particular, to the box with the white balls, which the wife brought home after receiving a homeopath. She and her sister, her friends, relatives and acquaintances, these balls supposedly helped. And since they are all still alive and well, I did not mind. Just not harmed. But now this issue should be taken seriously.

Empty case

First, I carefully studied the arguments of opponents of homeopathy written off with someone of them by e-mail, and someone having seen internally. The picture appears in the end, was the killer. I was assured that the clinical trials conducted with proper quality and in accordance with accepted standards, showed no benefits of homeopathic medicines over placebo (pacifier). I was told that the very principles underlying homeopathy, are not compatible with modern natural-scientific picture of the world. Here so: or homeopathy, or physics with chemistry. In one series, they do not exist.

The main principle - "treat like with like". In other words, fight fire with fire.

We must be flexible and look at the obvious results, and their homeopathic practice is more than enough. Our medicine can not be considered unproven. It is just different. And in order to understand this, it is necessary to change the consciousness, it is necessary to understand that this is also a reality.

I learned that the drugs used by homeopaths, is diluted to ultra-low doses, that is, to the extent that the "ball" is not at all the molecules of the primary substance. That too, you see, strange, due to what, then, achieved a therapeutic effect? When homeopaths blamed for this, they supposedly explain the inconsistency with all sorts of pseudo-scientific theories, such as "memory of water", "wave-genome" and other wonders. Others believe that the therapeutic effect occurs manner unknown to science. Again mysticism?

- Well, so be it - I told his counterpart. - But because you will not argue with the fact that homeopathy has not harmed anyone. If these drugs do not have anything, then there is no harm.

- The danger is - they answered me - people who believed homeopaths, time does not appeal to those of ordinary medicine, the disease will start.

Что такое гомеопатия?
Christian Samuel Hahnemann ... Every German homeopath considers it his duty to pay tribute to the founder of non-traditional medicine industry.

Along the way, I learned that in Russia vosprjala homeopathy in the early 90s. Based on the fact that since homeopathy exists in different countries, and we should be. It is an actual fact: Homeopathic practice is permitted and is present in seventy countries. The most convincing example - India, where the practice of about two hundred thousand homeopaths and employs more than two thousand homeopathic clinics (!). There are All India Institute of Homeopathy, and hundred twenty and two specialized faculty are open to educational institutions. But in Europe, this branch of medicine is quite thriving. Austria, France, Belgium, Great Britain - everywhere it exists legally, doctors are preparing universities, the number of patients is growing. And in some countries suffering pay the cost of homeopathic treatment at the expense of policies of compulsory medical insurance (MHI). Although with reservations. Take, for example, advanced Switzerland. On the one hand, the Federal Office of Public Health in March 2016 confirmed that "there is still no completely reliable data to prove the efficiency and effectiveness of homeopathy." On the other hand, the same agency, "reflecting the will of the people", has allowed to pay for the services rendered by homeopaths, by the MLA. The Swiss asked to give them a couple of years out, to put an end to this dispute: investigations continue. Well, after all I heard and read went to Germany in the small Saxon town of Köthen, where nearly two hundred years ago, originated homeopathy.

And now - to practice

In this city, one monument to composer Johann Sebastian Bach, and two - to Christian Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. Quotes from the works of the world's first homeopathic adorn the facades of many houses. In the City Museum a whole room dedicated to the life of Hahnemann. And every German homeopath considers it his duty to pay tribute to the founder of non-traditional medicine industry. Just the day I arrived here leading German experts gathered in Kothen, to discuss preparations for the next, 72 th in a row, the World Congress of homeopaths, which will take place in Leipzig in June. Well, I took the opportunity to ask their questions to the president accumulated Central Association of Homeopaths of Germany Cornelia Bayich.

I immediately warned her that some questions will be uncomfortable. - This is your profession - ask bad questions - cheer me Frau Bayich.

I know that Russia is categorically not recognize homeopathy many biologists, chemists, physicists, and also part of physicians practicing conventional medicine. What do you think, why?

Cornelia Bayich: I think it is a problem of scientific understanding of the world. Today, life is rapidly changing, and changing ideas about the world. If the traditional framework does not contain new ideas, it does not mean that such ideas are wrong. Skeptics consider homeopathy to the scientific positions that are based on traditional allopathic medicine understanding. Scientific or evidence-based, medicine has proven to be useful, and we do not deny. But you can not be treated with the same yardstick to conventional medical research and studies in the field of homeopathy. We must be flexible and look at the obvious results, and their homeopathic practice is more than enough. Our medicine can not be considered unproven. It is just different. And in order to understand this, it is necessary to change the consciousness, realize that this is also a reality.

Still, reality or a mystic? There is a popular view that the effectiveness of your treatment depends on the faith of the patient's belief in the success of ...

Cornelia Bayich: Of course, if the patient trusts the doctor, it's okay. Then he strictly follows the advice of the doctor, taking medication properly. But to answer your question, I will say: we conducted a study in which patients were given their dummy (placebo) and homeopathic remedies, and so - a placebo did not work and gave results of homeopathy.

To believe is not bad, but the fact that homeopathy is very good and young children who are difficult to agree, suspected of involvement. Or animals - and there's about faith in general can not speak.

Is veterinarians use homeopathic remedies?

Cornelia Bayich: Of course. For example, yesterday we spoke to a farmer who ekoferma, and he does not want to use antibiotics. Treats animals with homeopathy.

And why he refused to antibiotics?

Cornelia Bayich: hide the presence of antibiotics in food - a big problem. A homeopathy comes to replace them. European Commission standards require first using homeopathy, then other natural remedies, and only in extreme cases - antibiotics.

Then I'll go to the other side. Are homeopaths acknowledge that they themselves do not realize until the end of their products mechanisms?

Cornelia Bayich: Then I have to agree: it's true. Rather, we are dealing with a phenomenon that is still not fully understood. We do not refuse to put a proper study on the scientific level, carry out expert analyzes, collect and organize data. We are open to any checks, all this will only benefit the cause.

During the research we have given to their patients dummy (placebo) and homeopathic remedies, and so - a placebo did not work and gave results of homeopathy.

We have experience with the plants, which were placed in a glass capsule with a poisonous solution. Then, in one capsule was added plain water, and in others - homeopathic remedies. And in the last Capsules plants restored, revived.

Что такое гомеопатия?
Hahnemann quotes adorn the facades of many houses, but in the city museum is dedicated to him a room.

His favorite trump your opponents is as follows. Allegedly, at a dilution of the preparation to the extent C30 (this is the escape dilution at which the drug is a hundredfold diluted thirty times -. VS) in a test tube does not remain a single molecule of the original substance. But if so, then what is working?

Cornelia Bayich: Before dilution of C10 and C23 even some molecules of the initial substances are stored. But in subsequent dilutions they're gone. This means that the acts of some other, as yet unknown to us the mechanism. We conduct research to find out what was going on. But this, of course, not mysticism. Perhaps there is something that changes the substance is unknown to us properly. We can only watch, but to explain until now still not able to.

Your opponents also say the following: people with serious illnesses come to homeopaths, losing precious time. And then it's too late ...

Cornelia Bayich: Perhaps it is you that. We were usually addressed when other doctors have not been able to help, that is, at the very end of the chain. Or, come to us, wanting to combine allopathic and homeopathic treatment. This combined method is very common. For example, in the treatment of cancer in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred it is used. We are looking at the patient's history and sometimes offer it to apply only allopathy, and only then, possibly connect homeopathy. Match each strictly individually.

That is impossible to understand what treatment worked: conventional or homeopathic?

Cornelia Bayich: I already said that in most cases, the patient comes to us after not entirely successful allopathic treatment. But when this treatment is joined homeopathy and the result is improved, which means that we are helping. If treatment was combined with the very beginning, it is difficult to say that was more effective.

Is it true that most homeopaths opposed to vaccinations?

Cornelia Bayich: Not true. We believe that vaccination must be strictly individual, because some people can not tolerate it. But vaccination has proven to be useful, and we are not against it.

Can homeopathic medicine to become a poison?

Cornelia Bayich: This is possible, if the patient is properly applied products containing toxic substances - such as belladonna or Mercurius. But in Germany they can not be bought without a prescription.

With German thoroughness

Good. A homeopathic physician is required to have a basic medical education?

Cornelia Bayich: Of course! A person must first obtain a diploma usual doctor - therapist, surgeon, pediatrician, anesthetist, and only then he has the right to supplement their skills, even after studying for three years at a homeopath. This is the official institutionalized practice. Then the doctor for five years, certified by the homeopath must attend lectures and seminars, otherwise it will not extend the work permit. Today, we in Germany there are more than seven thousand of these doctors. And half of them is in our Association, founded nearly two hundred years ago, here in Kothen, in the house of Samuel Hahnemann.

Что такое гомеопатия?
Cornelia Bayich: We are dealing with a phenomenon that is still not fully understood.

The recoverable if MHI policies to homeopathic treatment costs in Germany?

Cornelia Bayich: We have two structures: the National Health Insurance system and private insurance companies. As to the first, it covers up to ninety percent of the population, and in the framework of the state structure we have signed contracts for homeopathic services eighty percent of the insured persons. If we talk about the private insurance companies, they all pay treatment by homeopathic doctors.

Somewhere I heard that it was in Germany's lower requirements for certification of homeopathic remedies as compared to allopathic medicine. This is true?

Cornelia Bayich: According to our legislation homeopathy refers to special treatment. Therefore, all medications are also subject to special registration. You can use only those drugs that are in the Registration Chamber and the list of drugs with proven benefits. There is also a research institution that examines all new drugs. I have abstained from calling for the certification requirements underestimated, they are just different, as well as other requirements for herbal medicines, to the means of traditional medicine, which have been used for hundreds of years, proved their usefulness and safety.

How many medical faculties in Germany are preparing homeopaths?

Cornelia Bayich: In Germany, homeopathy training at medical schools is widespread. I'm not ready to name the exact number right now, but I think that at least half of them may offer specialization in homeopathy.

Is it possible, on the basis of the above, assume that the homeopaths in Germany do not have enemies?

Cornelia Bayich: Six years ago there was a wave of negative articles in newspapers, but the more abused, the more we became patients. 65 percent of the population in Germany used the services of homeopaths. And this figure is constantly growing in the world. I could name you a lot of influential people in different areas who are supporters of homeopathy. This and members of royal families and show business stars and famous athletes. Incidentally, when the big sports started having problems with doping, many athletes to recuperate steel use is homeopathic remedies. Among them - the winners of the Olympic Games, world championships. And players of the leading clubs in the Bundesliga - too.

by the way

Catching himself on a desire to tell Frau Cornelia Bayich details of my own ailments and asking her advice, I realized that I need to say goodbye. And the conclusions of these notes, too, did not do. Let everyone make them for himself.

Что такое гомеопатия?
One of the documents on the regulatory framework of homeopathy in our country.

Via rg.ru