-Caveat Lector- [excerpt from section on Homoeopathy follows the excerpt from general press release] Dave Hartley http://www.Asheville-Computer.com http://www.ioa.com/~davehart NEWTON, Mass., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ via NewsEdge Corporation -- Integrative Medicine Communications (IMC), a medical information company dedicated to helping bridge the gap in conventional and alternative medicine, based in Newton, MA, has successfully raised a 4.6 million dollar round of investment led by Health Business Partners, financial advisors for the complementary healthcare, nutrition and natural products industries. <snip> Integrative Medicine Communications (www.onemedicine.com) is the premier provider of credible scientific and evidence-based information on complementary and alternative medicine, for healthcare professionals and the industry, as well as consumers. IMC has newly released Integrative Medicine Access, the first truly integrative medicine information system for the health care professional. This comprehensive subscription service offers clinically relevant and timely information on conventional and complementary medicine including the use of herbs, supplements and complementary therapies. Access is available in print and electronic format, in individual, Intranet and workgroup applications. [ http://www.newspage.com/cgi-bin/NA.GetStory?story=p0914173.200&date=199909 15&Query=alternative+and+health ] ( link may be broken "in transit" - paste everything enclosed in [square] brackets preceding into your web browser to view article.) ============================================== "The Paradox of Homeopathy" excerpted from: [ http://www.onemedicine.com/public/products/consult/consult_I-11/consult_I- 11-2.html ] (additional material available on the www) The Integrative Medicine Consult The Paradox of Homeopathy An introduction to the philosophy and the remedies of this 200-year-old medical system Homeopathy's popularity is growing among Americans; in 1994, it was reported that sales of over-the-counter homeopathic remedies were rising by 20 percent annually. In 1997, a survey of U.S. adults indicated that the number of people using homeopathy had increased five-fold since 1990 (Eisenberg et al). Physicians are therefore increasingly likely to find that their patients are consulting homeopaths or using over-the-counter homeopathic remedies as an adjunct to their conventional care. Founded over 200 years ago by the physician, Samuel Hahnemann, homeopathy is a system of healing that is quite distinct from conventional medicine, with its own theoretical framework, methodology, and diagnostic system. It is based on the Law of Similars, which states that if a substance can cause symptoms at high concentrations, the same substance may treat these symptoms when prepared in a highly diluted solution. The process of dilution, called potentization, involves repeated dilution and shaking (succussion) of the solution, which is believed to make its therapeutic effect more powerful. Homeopathic remedies most commonly come in x (10) or c (100) potencies. A 6x potency, for example, would mean that the original matter had been diluted one part in ten, six successive times. Remedies are often so highly diluted that there may be no molecules of the original substance left in the solution. Homeopathic remedies are established through what are called 'provings,' in which a healthy volunteer ingests a substance and then records its effects. Homeopathic reference books catalog remedies and their corresponding symptoms. The homeopathic clinician assesses the presenting individual's repertory of symptoms, including physical, emotional, and mental state and matches it with its simillimum, or the medicine that is most similar to the person's symptoms. Remedies are not directed at the symptoms of disease or their infective agents, but rather at stimulating the individual's own curative forces. Although homeopathic remedies are sometimes derived from toxic elements like arsenic, belladonna, or poison ivy, since they are so highly diluted, the actual remedies are nontoxic. Because homeopathy's mechanism of action is not verified within the framework of conventional science, many question its validity and attribute its alleged action to the placebo effect. However, clinical experiences with animals, where there is little possibility of a placebo effect, refute this argument. Recent explanations of homeopathy's mechanisms of action draw upon fractal theory and the emerging field of bioelectromagnetic medicine. While these explanations may strike us as esoteric, beyond comprehension, or just implausible, Edzard Ernst, editor of the journal FACT and respected researcher of alternative therapies, reminds us, "...we ought to keep an open mind and remember that a treatment might work even if we fail to understand why" (Ernst and Kaptchuk). Homeopathy has been the subject of relatively few clinical trials. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is that research funding has typically not been directed toward homeopathy. Moreover, homeopathy's principle of treating the person rather than the illness means that two individuals presenting identical diagnoses may be prescribed two distinct homeopathic remedies; this makes clinical trials problematic. Still, there is a growing body of solid clinical trials investigating homeopathy's effectiveness. Recent studies have shown positive results for homeopathy in treating a range of conditions (see chart p. 101). Three recent meta-analyses of clinical trials of homeopathy (Kleijnen et al; Linde et al; Linde and Melchart), analyzing 107, 89, and 32 trials respectively, found evidence that homeopathy has an effect over placebo. Authors noted, however, methodological shortcomings and inconsistencies, as well as the unknown role of publication bias, and called for further research in the form of well-designed, rigorous, and systematic studies. <CONTINUED> excerpted from: http://www.onemedicine.com/public/products/consult/consult_I-11/consult_I-11 -2.html (additional material available on the www) DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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