Simon Singh has a new book called Trick Or Treatment coming to a bookstore or online retailer near you. In it, he deals with a variety of alternative medicines and quack practices, especially homeopathy. He's already started the promotional circuit and has an article in Times Online:
There is no reason why homoeopathy should work. According to homoeopaths “like cures like”, so pollen supposedly can cure hay fever. In order to transform it into a cure, the pollen is diluted over and over again until there is nothing left of the original pollen. The resulting solution is then used to create a pill, which therefore contains no active ingredient whatsoever. Homoeopaths readily admit that this is the case, because they claim that it is the “memory” of the pollen that cures patients.The only thing undiluted about homeopathy is the purity of its bunk. It is nothing but a vial of water with a handful of testimonials - and testimonials don't cure anything. The practice is particularly bad over in the U.K., but lately they've been cracking down on it and that's got a few people upset. Here's a comment following Singh's article:
A horrible thing is happening in the UK. Thousands of sick people will be denied help when homeopathic hospitals close, tossed to the wolves - the legal drug-pushers of today. Thank God I left the UK with it's decrepit health system. You deserve what is coming to you.The only thing homeopathy ever cured was thirst.
BTW, you may also want to check out Rose Shapiro's book, Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All. It's about time high profile attacks come down on this quackery. Hopefully it will get the media attention it deserves.Check out Homeowatch for detailed information behind this foolishness. Or, take a broader view and visit Quackwatch.
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