3 ms·

Don't know about right, but for a while it worked better than "regular" medicine. At least it wouldn't kill you, when the alternative was intensive bloodletting

by aand16 3mo ago

Don't know about right, but for a while it worked better than "regular" medicine. At least it wouldn't kill you, when the alternative was intensive bloodlettings and purgatives.

JumpCrisscross 3mo ago
> for a while it worked better than "regular" medicine. At least it wouldn't kill you Homeopathy was invented after the discovery of germ theory [1][2]. So not really. And homeopathy has always suffered from an adulteration problem. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germ_theory_of_disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germ_theory_of_disease [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy
- Retric 3mo ago
  As an idea sure, but not in practice. Homeopathy was created in 1796, and we still haven’t gotten rid of it. Meanwhile 65 years later https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis The maternal mortality rate dropped from 18% to less than 2%, and he published a book of his findings, Etiology, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever, in 1861.
  - lovich 3mo ago
    Chiropractory is another pseudoscience that started early and has been surprisingly resilient in spite of the lack of evidence. I was flabbergasted when I learned in my 30s that this was a made up medicine by an OG antivaxxer and magnetic medicine proponent due to the fact that insurance would still pay for it when I was a kid at least, and real doctors still recommended it on occasion.[1][2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic_controversy_and_criticism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic_controversy_and_c... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_David_Palmer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_David_Palmer
    - kyralis 3mo ago
      The problem with making claims about the chiropractic practices is that it spans such a huge range of "absolute bullshit" to "physically grounded adjustments". Joints and vertebrae (especially) really can be out of alignment, and you can absolutely see that on imaging. Muscles in constant tension can be self-reinforcing in ways that don't easily correct themselves without an external force. My wife has significant back issues as a result of various injuries -- one leading to an SI joint that frequently pops out of place, one due to an injury that fractured most of the spinal processes -- and you can absolutely feel the "pop" when an adjustment helps something slide back in place. This is validated by imaging and sports medicine, not just chiropractic quacks. At the same, adjusting your back isn't going to cure your cancer, no matter what idiots with fake degrees say. The challenge is that the latter is just as stupid as homeopathy, but whereas homeopathy really has no redeeming qualities beyond the placebo effect, at least chiropractic practices actually do sometimes have groundings in reality.
      - OutOfHere 3mo ago
        Your understanding of modern homeopathy is rooted in misconceptions. Many homeopathic products actually contain a sufficient amount of the active ingredient that they absolutely can conceivably have a significant biological effect.
        JumpCrisscross 3mo ago
        > Many homeopathic products actually contain a sufficient amount of the active ingredient that they absolutely can conceivably have a significant biological effect On the upside, "the risk of bioaccumulation of metals/metalloid from the homeopathic medicines seems to be rather low, due to small quantities of those products prescribed to be applied per day, as well as insignificant metal contamination of the majority of tested products" [1]. [1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20674842/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20674842/
        aand16 3mo ago
        In my country in the EU it's illegal to market homeopathic remedies if they contain active ingredients in quantities that could have an effect. Otherwise they become regular medicine with different marketing requirements.
- Alex3917 3mo ago
  > Homeopathy was invented after the discovery of germ theory [1][2]. So not really. Germ Theory was only finally accepted (after initially being rejected) due to the advent of evidence-based medicine, which homeopathy popularized.
  - JumpCrisscross 3mo ago
    > due to the advent of evidence-based medicine, which homeopathy popularized Source?
bonesss 3mo ago
As I recall homeopathy does pretty fine statistically compared to many treatments. Not because the water does anything, but because the provider has time, and talks to patients about their problems and life. A lot of doctors are shoving people out the door based on their first thought inside a short appointment as they type up a prescription. Homeopathy is ineffective kookery, but our medical system has some well known gaps.

by aand16 3mo ago

Don't know about right, but for a while it worked better than "regular" medicine. At least it wouldn't kill you, when the alternative was intensive bloodlettings and purgatives.

JumpCrisscross 3mo ago

> for a while it worked better than "regular" medicine. At least it wouldn't kill you Homeopathy was invented after the discovery of germ theory [1][2]. So not really. And homeopathy has always suffered from an adulteration problem. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germ_theory_of_disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germ_theory_of_disease [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy

Retric 3mo ago
As an idea sure, but not in practice. Homeopathy was created in 1796, and we still haven’t gotten rid of it. Meanwhile 65 years later https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis The maternal mortality rate dropped from 18% to less than 2%, and he published a book of his findings, Etiology, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever, in 1861.
- lovich 3mo ago
  Chiropractory is another pseudoscience that started early and has been surprisingly resilient in spite of the lack of evidence. I was flabbergasted when I learned in my 30s that this was a made up medicine by an OG antivaxxer and magnetic medicine proponent due to the fact that insurance would still pay for it when I was a kid at least, and real doctors still recommended it on occasion.[1][2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic_controversy_and_criticism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic_controversy_and_c... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_David_Palmer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_David_Palmer
  - kyralis 3mo ago
    The problem with making claims about the chiropractic practices is that it spans such a huge range of "absolute bullshit" to "physically grounded adjustments". Joints and vertebrae (especially) really can be out of alignment, and you can absolutely see that on imaging. Muscles in constant tension can be self-reinforcing in ways that don't easily correct themselves without an external force. My wife has significant back issues as a result of various injuries -- one leading to an SI joint that frequently pops out of place, one due to an injury that fractured most of the spinal processes -- and you can absolutely feel the "pop" when an adjustment helps something slide back in place. This is validated by imaging and sports medicine, not just chiropractic quacks. At the same, adjusting your back isn't going to cure your cancer, no matter what idiots with fake degrees say. The challenge is that the latter is just as stupid as homeopathy, but whereas homeopathy really has no redeeming qualities beyond the placebo effect, at least chiropractic practices actually do sometimes have groundings in reality.
    - OutOfHere 3mo ago
      Your understanding of modern homeopathy is rooted in misconceptions. Many homeopathic products actually contain a sufficient amount of the active ingredient that they absolutely can conceivably have a significant biological effect.
      - JumpCrisscross 3mo ago
        > Many homeopathic products actually contain a sufficient amount of the active ingredient that they absolutely can conceivably have a significant biological effect On the upside, "the risk of bioaccumulation of metals/metalloid from the homeopathic medicines seems to be rather low, due to small quantities of those products prescribed to be applied per day, as well as insignificant metal contamination of the majority of tested products" [1]. [1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20674842/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20674842/
      - aand16 3mo ago
        In my country in the EU it's illegal to market homeopathic remedies if they contain active ingredients in quantities that could have an effect. Otherwise they become regular medicine with different marketing requirements.
Alex3917 3mo ago
> Homeopathy was invented after the discovery of germ theory [1][2]. So not really. Germ Theory was only finally accepted (after initially being rejected) due to the advent of evidence-based medicine, which homeopathy popularized.
- JumpCrisscross 3mo ago
  > due to the advent of evidence-based medicine, which homeopathy popularized Source?

bonesss 3mo ago

As I recall homeopathy does pretty fine statistically compared to many treatments. Not because the water does anything, but because the provider has time, and talks to patients about their problems and life. A lot of doctors are shoving people out the door based on their first thought inside a short appointment as they type up a prescription. Homeopathy is ineffective kookery, but our medical system has some well known gaps.