NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/sci/skeptic/21743

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-28 | 3.0 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!agate!wheatena.berkeley.edu!kuritzky
From: [e-mail] (Eric Kuritzky)
Newsgroups: sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: homeopaty... NBC's da
Date: 28 Dec 1992 07:57:36 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Math. Department.
Lines: 57
Sender: [e-mail] (Eric Kuritzky)
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References: <[e-mail]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: wheatena.berkeley.edu
Summary: References & comment


The following article was posted to misc.health.alternative.  I think that
people in this newsgroup might find it useful.
In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Scott Ballantyne) writes:
|In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
|(Bernie Simon) writes:
|
|   However, a number of controlled, double blind studies have
|   been performed which show the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine in
|   treating a number of diseases. The following is a brief list of some
|   of these studies.
|
|   D.T. Reilly, M.A. Taylor, C.McSharry et al., "Is Homeopathy a
|   Placebo Response? Controlled Trial of Homeopathic Potency with Pollen
|   in Hayfever as Model," Lancet (1986):881-886.
|
|   J.P. Ferley, D.Zimirou, D. D'Adhemar, et al., "A Controlled
|   Evaluation of a Homeopathic Preparation in the Treatment of
|   Influenza-like Syndromes," British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology,
|   27(1989):329-35.
|
|   P.Fischer, A.Greenwood, E.C.Huskisson, et al., "Effect of
|   Homeopathic Treatment on Fibrositis (Primary Fibromyalgia)," British
|   Medical Journal 299(1989):365-366.
|
|   E.Ernst, T.Saradeth, and K.L.Resch, "Complementary Treatment of
|   Varicose Veins: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial,"
|   Phlebology (1990): 157-163.
|
|   Kleijnen, Jos, Knipschild, Paul, ter Riet, Gerben, "Clinical trials of
|   Homoeopathy.", British Medical Journal, Feb 9, 1991 v302 n6772
|   p516(8).
|
|Have you actually read any of these, Bernie? I found the last one
|particularly interesting.  It's a meta analysis (a study of studies)
|of the quality of homeopathy trials. It was very critical of most
|trials, calling their methodology *poor*. They were also concerned
|with the possible role of publication bias (which they stated could
|not be determined at present.) The strongest statement in favor of
|homeopathy came when they said it could make a  case for further
|evaluation.  Hardly a hue and cry for its effectiveness. In fact, the
|positive trend statistics in the paper (on which they base their
|opinion that homeopathy should be considered for further trials) came
|from lumping together *ALL* trials, both questionable and
|unquestionable.
|
|While it's nice of you to put this somewhat critical of homeopathy
|trials paper in your list of references, it's rather misleading of you to
|describe it as a demonstrating "the effectiveness of homeopathic
|medicine in treating a number of diseases".
|
|sdb
--


                              [e-mail]
                              Eric Kuritzky