Diluting The Profits

Via DC’s Improbable Science I learn that Homeopath Dr. (sic)  Manish Bhatia has sent out a panic email newsletter whining about the recent anti-homeopathy bloggers (yay!) and newspaper articles. The impact of all this is apparently that homeopathy is “bleeding to death” (we wish):

Those who are organizing this anti-homeopathy campaign have been SO SUCCESSFUL that most homeopaths in UK have seen a 50% drop in their practice in the last 2 years. In fact most of them get to see only 3-4 patients a week.

I’m puzzled. Surely, due to homeopathic principles, seeing fewer patients should make their homeopathic practices stronger. They obviously can’t be doing it right.

(Cartoon from The North Texas Skeptics.)

But it’s interesting to see how the homeopaths are fighting back:

Most of them are looking to add other things with their practice like massage, acupuncture etc. They can’t earn their bread with their homeopathic practice.

Great. Their unproven woo isn’t earning them enough money so (you guessed it) they add another piece of unproven woo. And I thought it was only Big Pharma that was in it for the money.

Comments

[Tom S. Fox]

Once again I'm amazed how some people cling to this stuff:
Even if homeopathy worked, is a kind of medicine that does "not show specific effect" not somewhat unpractical?
I mean, a kind of medicine where every remedy works on every person is better in my book.

[Candice]

Or maybe the homeopaths have been so successful that nobody's getting sick anymore? Just think -- they treat a few patients who go on to reintroduce their cures in an even MORE diluted and powerful form into the water supply every time they go to the bathroom. And presto!

[Paul Crowley]

Is massage woo?

[Armchair Dissident]

And remember: like cures like, so, surely, by going bust they should be filthy rich!

[Stewart Paterson]

Paul Crowley - "Is massage woo?"
Depends on the type of massage and the intended use.
So: physiotherapy/sports massage to relax muscles, increase blood flow, increase flexibility/range of movement not a problem. We can see the mechanism, we can measure the effects.
Healing touch massage to unblock your chakras - woo.

[Rational Thinking]

The email newsletter is hilarious - my favourite bit being about the Indian homeopaths who are presently living in "a safe homeopathic heaven" (then hopefully they're not inflicting their nostrums on those on earth?) who, according to the writer, don't know what is going on around the world. Well duh. "But sooner or later [they] will face the music too". Well, that sounds like good news to me ...

Is it a spoof? If not, then truly you couldn't make this stuff up!

Thanks for the laughs.

[Bronze Dog]

I once saw a bit of massage woo before I got serious with my skepticism. Ended up claiming that because The State didn't object to their licensing seminars having a test about spiritual aspects, it was Proof that their religion was True and State-Endorsed. Oh, and individuality and autonomy are illusions.

[Tom Foss]

I’m puzzled. Surely, due to homeopathic principles, seeing fewer patients should make their homeopathic practices stronger. They obviously can’t be doing it right.

They forgot to shake.

[C]

"Oh, and individuality and autonomy are illusions."

Good practice for any cult behaviors. I wonder how much MLM structure there was to that practice and distributors :)

[Citizen Deux]

There is some good research into the patient/clinician relationship and its impact on responsivesness to therapy, but this is not something which is the result of homeopathy, energy healing or even a straightforward office visit. It comes from cognitive theory and the ability for a person to alter their own perceptions - very testable stuff.

[Wilson Fowlie]

Surely, due to homeopathic principles, seeing fewer patients should make their homeopathic practices stronger. They obviously can’t be doing it right.

I had to slap my hand over my mouth to keep from embarrassing myself with gigantic guffaws. Thanks!

[madaha]

Skeptico, can you, or somebody, please call out this moron called Dr. Oz, who Oprah is calling "America's doctor"? He was on Oprah today (I watch out of morbid curiosity), blithering on how acupuncture is great, and the future of medicine is going to be "energy medicine", because we're all made of energy! Isn't that special? (I also hate that he says "the vagina is a self-cleaning oven" - guess he thinks women can only understand a kitchen metaphor - but that's another story). Anyway, this guy is supposed to be a medical expert, and he's telling us to stick needles in our skin for the endorphins and "energy" because people in China did in ancient times. Frankly, I don't want to partake in ANY unproven "ancient medicine". This guy needs to be taken to task already.

[Tom S. Fox]

What is it with people thinking the ancient Chinese were so much smarter than today's scientists?

[Tom S. Fox]

I bet I could convince people to put a fish down their pants for good luck if I told them the ancient Chinese did it!

[Skeptico]

http://skeptico.blogs.com/skeptico/2007/02/oprah_acupunctu.html>This Dr. Oz?

[madaha]

It must be just cherry-picking. I'm sure that stuff the ancient Chinese did that has been *proven* to be harmful is TOTALLY ignored, whereas stuff like acu-blahblah, which has no point at all, either way, is praised as "ancient wisdom". I don't have time to read up on ancient Chinese folklore right now (procrastinating right now as it is), but I betcha there's tons of stuff that's in there that not even woos would consider "wise and mystical". Maybe y'all know of some...?

[madaha]

Thanks Mr. Skeptico! Must have missed that post, whoops.

[Tom Foss]

the future of medicine is going to be "energy medicine", because we're all made of energy! Isn't that special?

I guess technically he's right on both counts, since the medicine would be made of energy too. About mc^2 worth, in fact.

Taking a different scientific stab at it, energy is defined as "the capacity to do work"--so I guess he doesn't think acupuncture is its future.

(I also hate that he says "the vagina is a self-cleaning oven" - guess he thinks women can only understand a kitchen metaphor - but that's another story).

There was an anti-abortion speaker at my college once who, when discussing the need for foreplay, compared women to both "old cars" and ovens, in that they needed to be warmed up "before you put the turkey in." I assume that was his wife's phrasing, since he most definitely was a turkey.

[madaha]

Yep, that was the same tool, all right. I guess Dr. Oz just says the same thing over and over every time he goes on Oprah. By the way, today he also encouraged prayer as medicine (!!) because, (you guessed it), it's "energy"!!! Sigh.

[Tom S. Fox]

I wonder whether his wife "ate" the turkey at Thanksgiving... sorry.

Anyway, I don't quite get the "old car" example.
Why would anyone put a turky into an "old car"?

And, this might be off-topic, but what's your opionion on abortions anyway?
I haven't quite made up my mind about that one.

[Tom S. Fox]

Madaha:
I wonder if I can power my TV with prayers.

[madaha]

Tom Foss: that's fricking hilarious. "Old car" and "ovens", how flattering. "Turkey" is right! couldn't have said it better.

[madaha]

Tom S Fox: excellent point! And here I am, conserving electricity like a malaka! Why are we still hooked up to the grid, when we could have been harnessing our chi?

[Tom Foss]

madaha:

I guess Dr. Oz just says the same thing over and over every time he goes on Oprah.

Is Oprah still recording new episodes? Could this be a rerun of the previous episode, due to the writers' strike?

Anyway, I don't quite get the "old car" example.
Why would anyone put a turky into an "old car"?

Though I wouldn't have put such a mixed metaphor past this guy, the turkey was only in reference to the oven example. I suppose I realize now it was a comparison to "an old car on a cold day," in that you have to warm her up.

[Tom S. Fox]

Do they even need writers on a talk show?

[Tom Foss]

Well, I know Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have writing staffs, as do most of the late night shows (Letterman, Leno, etc.), so they've been in reruns since the start of the strike. Meanwhile, news shows, and I'd almost guarantee Montel Williams, have been unaffected.

So, it's a toss-up; either she's recycling episodes or content. Either way, it's crap.

[Tom S. Fox]

I'm not too familiar with american TV, but don't Leno and Letterman, unlike Oprah, tell jokes on their shows and that's why they need writers?

[madaha]

yes, I understand that only talk shows with opening monologues are affected by the strike. however, it's possible that the show may have been a rerun (just because it's December), although I know I've seen this lame-o Dr Oz going over the same talking points on different episodes. Which is why I'm sick of him. Although it was woo woo to begin with, clearly.

[Carmelite]

Homeopathy is quack science. I went to a homeopath for almost 3 years because it was covered by my health plan. No improvement excepts a bit of reassurance from practitioner. Its junk science. My GP has seen people misled and harmed by this stuff.