[science4life (OP)]

How does it work?
Can the phenomenon of the effect be explained physically?

- To produce homeopathic medicines, the basic substances are subjected to potentiation. This means that they are shaken repeatedly (usually in a ratio of 1:10 or 1:100) with water or ethanol. -

Can the effect be explained by the fact that water can store and release information?

[Bored chemist]

How does it work?

It does not work.

So the only things left to explain are why some people are fraudsters and, to an extent, how does the placebo effect work?

https://xkcd.com/765/

[science4life (OP)]

hmm, but even if it works with placebo, it works...in some way?

[Bored chemist]

Better , cheaper, more honest, placebos which do less to undermine science and promote "magical thinking" are available.
They should be cast out as fraud.

Why would you suggest that it might be appropriate for someone to make a living selling a product that simply doesn't work?

[alancalverd]

There is no evidence that water can store information. Ethanol can destroy it.

Hahnemann's early experiments were an attempt to investigate immunisation by inorganic challenges, and knowing that his test materials were toxic, he set about preparing very low but highly repeatable concentrations of toxins through serial dilution - all good science. Problem is that others ascribed some magic to an entirely logical process for producing very large numbers and "potisation" - rendering a toxin tolerably drinkable in a repeatably measurable quantity of diluent - became "potentisation" - implicity "making it more effective".

On the face of it, "like for like" stimulation of a defensive response is exactly what we do with vaccines, so the idea  wasn't completely daft, the early experiments were  quite meticulous, and doctors trained in homeopathy do have an interestingly holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment, but any claims for the efficacy of a bottle of water containing no molecules of the alleged agent, must be considered bogus.

[alancalverd]

My wife and I were considering marketing various innocuous substances under the trade name Placebo, but we fell out over whether the presentation should be pills or liquid, pink or green. Happy to provide trial samples in any format, at an introductory price, but as I'm not related to a Cabinet member, it won't be supplied under an NHS contract.

[syhprum]

I think misguided souls who advocate Homeopathy should only receive this treatment in the event of them displaying COVID-19 symptoms

[alancalverd]

Sadly, in the case of COVID, it seems as ineffective as any other treatment, but without the side-effects of Draino.

[science4life (OP)]

All right. So homeopathy has nothing to do with science... I can see a very clear opinion

[alancalverd]

If you read my earlier post carefully, you'll see that it was very much a science-based investigation of the possibility of stimulating healing by adding an irritant (as in several modern wound treatments) , and the process of successive dilution remains fundamental to a lot of laboratory processes. The clinical studies of homeopaths may not have produced spectacular cures for major diseases but their textbook observations and classifications of physical and behavioral symptoms are extraordinarily perceptive and educative.

A few homeopathic standbys are in regular use: calendula and St John's Wort feature in a lot of successful complementary treatments, but sadly the hyperdilution bullshit has practically obscured the original objective and any potential development of inorganic toxins to stimulate natural healing.

[NakedTruth]

I think when you believe in the effect of homeopathy and when you can manage to get into it, it can really help you. When you don't believe in homeopathy you shouldn't expect anything because your inner body says "no" and doesn't work on your problem.

I got helped by many plant based medicines, e.g. by valerian calming me down and making me less nervous, or by melissa improving my gastrointestinal problems. In most cases, the effects of plants has a long tradition in history. You can read more here: https://www.medmeister.de/pflanzliche-beruhigungsmittel/#Pflanzliche_Beruhigungsmittel_Praktische_Anwendung_in_Vorteile [nofollow]
It's a german article, but you can easily translate it, e.g. by Google Translate or DeepL!

[Bored chemist]

I think when you believe in the effect of homeopathy and when you can manage to get into it, it can really help you. When you don't believe in homeopathy you shouldn't expect anything because your inner body says "no" and doesn't work on your problem.

I got helped by many plant based medicines, e.g. by valerian calming me down and making me less nervous, or by melissa improving my gastrointestinal problems. In most cases, the effects of plants has a long tradition in history. You can read more here: https://www.medmeister.de/pflanzliche-beruhigungsmittel/#Pflanzliche_Beruhigungsmittel_Praktische_Anwendung_in_Vorteile

You are mixing up  plants containing physiologically active materials- that might get used medicinally with homoeopathic "remedies" that do not contain anything but inert diluents and are a sham.

[Kryptid]

I think when you believe in the effect of homeopathy and when you can manage to get into it, it can really help you. When you don't believe in homeopathy you shouldn't expect anything because your inner body says "no" and doesn't work on your problem.

That's called placebo.