Press release in response to the demonstration by the Sceptics Society from the New Zealand Council of Homeopaths

We understand that the Sceptics Society in Christchurch plans to draw attention to what they consider to be the ineffectiveness of homeopathy by consuming many doses of different remedies within a short space of time. They plan, in their own words, to “overdose.” They plan to do this in Christchurch this Saturday, Jan. 30th.

Our response is this:

1. The concept of “overdosing” is one that is peculiar to conventional medicine where material doses are used. In homeopathic remedies above the 12th potency no molecule of the material substance remains. Therefore overdosing cannot happen.

2. Just because there is nothing material in the homeopathic remedy it does not mean that there is no “active ingredient.” Recent research has shown that it could be the electromagnetic property of the homeopathic remedy that is instrumental in its effectiveness. (1)

3. For the homeopathic remedy to be curative the recipient must be sensitive to the remedy. Not everybody is susceptible to the same things – some people have hayfever and for others pollen is not an issue. Some people are allergic to nuts and others can eat them with impunity. It’s the same with homeopathy – a person will not respond to the remedy unless they have a susceptibility to it.

4. Recently a small group tried to get the Minister of Health in the UK to remove homeopathy from the National Health Service. The Minister of Health has stated that it is up to clinicians what they prescribe.

6. The demonstration does nothing except demonstrate the ignorance of the participants as to the philosophy and practice of homeopathy.

(1) Recent research by Professor Luc Montagnier, a French virologist who co-discovered HIV and who won the Nobel Prize in 2008, and his team supports the idea that actually the homeopathic remedy has an “active ingredient.” They report the results of a series of rigorous experiments investigating the electromagnetic properties of highly-diluted biological samples. The study demonstrates that some bacterial DNA sequences are able to induce electromagnetic waves at high aqueous dilutions. It appears to be a resonance phenomenon triggered by the ambient electromagnetic background of very low frequency waves.
Montagnier L, Aissa J, Ferris S, Montagnier J-L, Lavallee C (2009).
Electromagnetic Signals Are Produced by Aqueous Nanostructures Derived from Bacterial DNA Sequences. Interdisciplinary Sciences: Computational Life Sciences, 1: 81-90.

(2) Dr. Peter Fisher, Medical Director of the London Homeopathic Hospital, reviewed the published homeopathy controlled trials in February 2008. In a briefing to the UK Parliament about the NHS homeopathic hospitals he said:
  • There were 134 published RCTs of homeopathy to the end of 2007
  • In terms of statistically significant findings, 59 (44%) of the 134 trials showed a positive effect for homeopathy (i.e., more effective than placebo); 8 (6%) showed a negative effect; 67 (50%) were inconclusive either way
  • Furthermore 4 out of 5 comprehensive systematic reviews of homeopathy RCTs have concluded that homeopathy is not a placebo.
Submitted by Mary Glaisyer
Media spokesperson for the New Zealand Council of Homeopaths
Contact numbers: (03) 548 2107
(03) 546 8534
Address: 35 Atmore Terrace, Nelson

Address of the New Zealand Council of Homeopaths:
PO Box 51 - 195
Tawa, Wellington