Now its even claimed that it can treat domestic violence.
domestic violence
Its more stupid than the homeopath who claimed you can't overdose on it (actually in the quantities he is suggesting you drink, you can die from water toxicity).Claims that homeopathy treats domestic violence must be stopped, experts say
SOME Australian homeopaths claim they can treat anything from autism to deadly infections to violence, including domestic violence.
Sydney clinic Homeopathy Plus, for example, promotes the use of homeopathy for potentially fatal anaphylactic shock and post-childbirth infections and director Fran Sheffield said homeopathy can treat “excesses of human behaviour” including domestic violence.
Homeopathy involves diluting various substances such as plants in water to such an extent that sometimes only a minute amount of the original substance is left.
The Australian Medical Association says it is “untested, unproven”. The National Medical Health and Research Council says it doesn’t work, and Australian Skeptics president Richard Saunders says it is “closer to witchcraft than to medicine”.
The Homeopathy Plus website links to an article that claims homeopathy is “a safe and effective way to treat the victims as well as the culprits of domestic violence” and contains a list of remedies for both victims and perpetrators.
Asked whether she really believed homeopathy could treat domestic violence, Ms Sheffield told news.com.au that “uncontrollable rage and anger” were symptoms of an imbalance that homeopathy could fix.
“Few people realise that homeopathy can rebalance that mental/emotional area dealing with jealousy, frustration, anger, an inability to balance their emotions,” she said.
“We can treat anxiety homeopathically. The same can be true for many emotions.”
Ms Sheffield said she had only treated one man for violence but believed she was successful.
AMA President Dr Steve Hambleton said homeopathy was not even “biologically plausible” and that it was dangerous to pretend it could work, and called for sanctions against “outrageous claims”.
“There is a potentially very severe problem that victims or perpetrators are being diverted into a pathway for which there’s no plausible evidence,” he said.
“This may stop someone in a potentially dangerous situation from making a decision that will keep them safe, and keeping them safe should be the first priority.
“There need to be sanctions for people who make outrageous claims without evidence.”
Mr Saunders said homeopathy was a “huge money spinner” that should be “cracked down on” and called the claim it could treat domestic violence “sick”.
“If it wasn’t so sick it would be laughable,” he said.
“It’s a huge money spinner, you sell sugar and water (which substances are diluted in) for thousands of times their cost price. It should be absolutely cracked down on.
“They’ve got away with it for so long because it’s got nothing in it, so it can’t actually hurt you; it’s non-existent. But the real harm comes from people thinking it’s going to help.”
The NHMRC, Australia’s leading health expertise body, has formed a Homeopathy Working Committee to develop a position statement on homeopathy. A draft statement found it was unethical to use homeopathy because it doesn’t work, and that it could be risky if using it caused someone to delay real, effective treatment.
When will people learn?
Edit - you know what. I have a better idea. Let homeopaths take the same risks real doctors take. Allow their patients to sue them for negligence, requiring them to get medical insurance.
