Quackery in Medicine: Homeopathy

As a (hopefully) future physician, I have taken an interest in a number of so called 'alternative' medicines, simply because I know that sometimes, conventional medicine doesn't cut it, for whatever reason. Acupuncture, homeopathy, and other treatments were of interest; I even subscribed to the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (the free version) so I could follow what sort of research was being done in this field.

Homeopathy is a branch of alternative medicine that's been around since the 1700's. The concept is much like that of 'the hair of the dog': trace amounts of things that would make normal people ill will make sick people well. This continues with the concept that dilutions are more, not less, powerful than the original substance because the vital essence is extracted. However, it isn't so much as 'trace' amounts of a substance as it is about 'water memory'. They argue that if you dilute a substance down (say, arsenic) until there are no molecules of a substance left, the water will still have a memory of that substance and will help heal the individual. Another concept in homeopathy is that each person requires a different treatment. So, if two people come in with the same symptoms, each will be treated differently.

Now, if you haven't already guessed where the quackery in this field comes from, let me explain.

No studies have found that the 'hair of the dog' is an effective treatment against any disease. To be fair, though, this is in part how vaccines were developed. In smallpox, the body produces a crust on the pox. The Chinese used to take this crust, grind it up, and feed it to healthy volunteers in an effort to help them prevent the disease. Of course, most of the volunteers got sick, but every once and a while, someone would not get the disease and would be protected against it. It's not exactly the safest way to prevent disease though, which is why our vaccines are so regulated.

The idea that very trace amounts of some potentially deadly materials can make you well is ludicrous. Bitter almonds have trace amounts of cyanide in them, which must be extracted before the oil is safe for human consumption. After all, cyanide causes death. Furthermore, the idea that water has a 'memory' of substances no longer in the dilution is crazy as well. Yes, if certain substances are mixed with water, it takes on a different property. Water is pretty amazing that way. It easily breaks up ionic compounds (such as salt) because it is polar (that is, one side has a slight positive charge and the other side has a slight negative charge). It can become an acid or a base based on what is added to it, and the effects of these mixtures can be very potent.

But water will not have a memory of a substance if the substance is no longer present. The molecules must be exerting a force on the water in order for it to have any sort of effect. So, essentially, homeopaths who live by this method are charging for plain water, or water with trace amounts of some harmful substances (granted, not all are harmful, but still).

The only thing that is good about homeopathy is that they treat each patient differently. After all, while the mechanisms of a disease are the same from person to person, each person will respond to a disease slightly differently based on what else is happening in the body. And symptoms don't always tell what the specific disease is. For instance, a teenage girl could come in complaining of lower back pain. She might have strained a muscle at some point, or she might be pregnant. More rarely, she might even have a non-perforated hymen (that is, a lining that completely seals the uterus) and will thus be accumulating blood in her uterus from her menstrual cycles. The same symptom can mean different things.

So please, before you try to go to a homeopath for treatment for a disease, make sure you see a licensed physician first. He or she is much more likely to actually help you.