Quackometer Does It Again (2011-01-21): "Homeopathy is Classic Pseudoscience"

Andy Lewis at his website The Quackometer states in "When the Regulator Believes in Fairies, Who Protects the Public?" (2011-01-21):

"homeopathy is classic pseudoscience. As are most forms of alternative medicine. Being cowardly in saying so risks peoples' health, defrauds them by allowing government endorsement of useless products, and undermines our regulators abilities to carry out their duties to protect the public. Recognising that training is not the same as expertise would be a good first step. Real expertise comes from critical thinking and having an ability to understand the limitations of personal knowledge. Those are attributes that are nearly non-existent amongst practitioners of the pseudo-medical cults."

Note: wow.  Read the whole post, it's great.  Ah-hmmm, naturopathy anybody?

The Quackometer on UK Chiropractic: "A Pseudoscientific Education"

here, I cite from a recent post at the Quackometer [see 001., below]:

001. Andy Lewis writes in "Chiropractors at War with Their Regulator, the GCC: The Statutory Regulation of Chiropractors Can No Longer Be Justified, Even if it Does Help Prevent Them Making Bogus Claims" (2010-11-01):

"this blog has opposed the statutory regulation of superstitious medical practices, such as homeopathy, and it would be hypocritical of me if I thought chiropractors should be an exception [(or naturopathy, in my view!)...] it was a big mistake to give official state recognition and regulation to a discredited, superstitious and pseudoscientific form of medical treatment [...] chiropractic theory has been shown to be nothing but mystical whimsy [...it is] a cult-like pseudomedical trade [...] it is not a mature profession as it cannot even agree on what the essential nature of their [attempted] profession is. The core concept of the chiropractic subluxation, that drives their philosophy and practice, has been rejected by the regulator [...] the Universities [...have] complicity in the deception that is much of chiropractic [...students] are misled into believing that what they are learning has an academic status that cannot be justified by reason or evidence [...it is] a pseudoscientific education."

002. sounds familiar:

this pseudoscientific education thang.

Homeopathy: The Quackometer vs. NABNE

here, I contrast labels concerning homeopathy.  There's is the skeptical, science-minded person who regards homeopathy as pseudoscience [see 001., below] and there's the credulous, sectarian, science and nonscience conflating pseudoprofession [naturopathy] that regards pseudoscience as science [see 002., below]:

001. Andy Lewis writes on his Quackometer blog in "Can Homeopathy Cure Mastitis in Cows?"(2010-09-12):

"a new study has been published in The Journal of Dairy Research looking at if you can use homeopathy to treat mastitis in cattle. The paper fails to demonstrate that you can. And as such, that is not a surprise. These cows will have been given water drops as if it is medicine: homeopathy is a superstitious hang-over from 18th Century ways of thinking about health. Of course it does not work. What is surprising is that the homeopathic world is again leaping on this negative study as if it is proof of the positive benefits of homeopathic pseudoscience [...] this paper will be added to the large pile of junk science that is used to promote the nonsense of ultra-dilutions [...] this is how homeopathy continues. Weak or non–existent evidence is trumpeted as success."

Note: hear, hear.

002. meanwhile, in naturopathyland, naturopathy's licensure test-administration wing, the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners, claims in "About NPLEX" [vsc 2010-09-12]:

"the first NABNE administration of the Part I - Basic Science Examinations was in January 2000, and the first NABNE administration of the Part II - Clinical Science Examinations was in August 2000 [...] the Core Clinical Science Examination now required by every state and province that regulates the practice of naturopathic medicine [i.e., U.S. and Canada]. The Core Clinical Science Examination is a case-based examination that covers the following topics [...including] homeopathy."

Note: so, there we have quite opposite labels upon what truly is archaic nonsense [pseudoscience, science].  I find naturopathy's labels of 'science, science, science' to be quite nonsensical: after all, naturopathy, by its own definition, does not make a distinction concerning what is within and what is exterior-to science, and yet naturopathy is quite happy to falsely label that thought-muddle science and trade upon the misrepresentation.

Andy Lewis on Integrative Medicine: Quackery, Pseudo-medicine and Anti-scientific Nonsense

the Quackometer [Andy Lewis] writes in "Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health Closes" (2010-05-01):

"as predicted last week, Prince Charles Charity has closed amid claims of fraud, money laundering and misuse of charity status [...it promoted] quackery, University courses in nonsense and increased use of magic medicine in the NHS [...] the concept of integrated medicine is a trojan horse. Strip away the cosy rhetoric of caring for the 'whole person' and what you find is a payload of quackery, pseudo-medicine and anti-scientific nonsense. The FIH has been notorious for promoting absurd treatments including homeopathy, reiki and acupuncture despite the evidence overwhelming suggesting these are useless treatments [...this] has been a menace to the public understanding of science and its role in healthcare. It will not be missed by all those who care about science, reason and good health."

Note: great news.

Andy Lewis - Homeopathy is Untenable / Absurd [So I'm Wondering Why NANAA Falsely Calls It Science?]:

here, I quote from the Quackometer regarding homeopathy's nonscientific status [see 001., below]; and, drawing on my familiarity with naturopathy, I cite NANAA's as absurd position [see 002., below]:

001. the Quackometer Blog [Andy Lewis] recently wrote in "Homeopaths: Do You Really Want Statutory Regulation?" (2009-07-29):'

"homeopaths [being unregulated in the UK] have been free to indulge in whatever delusions they fancy [...free from the constraints of] plausibility and reliable evidence for anything [...encompassing] absurdities [...] homeopathy has failed in two hundred years to make any progression in showing that it is nothing other than a inert treatment based on pre-scientific and magical thinking [...] in the two hundred years since homeopathy was invented, our scientific understanding of medicine, chemistry and physics has moved on enormously and it clearly shows that homeopathy is not just implausible but is utterly contradicted by everything we know about the world. Homeopathy lies outside of reason and science. It is a pseudo-medicine and is just a placebo therapy. It is just not tenable to hold any other position [...it's] absurd treatment [...much like] the non existent foundations of much of chiropractic care [...that] vestigial remnant of Victorian back cracking quackery [...] chiropractors [now regulated] find themselves being held to the highest forms of professionalism and practice without an evidence base for pretty much anything they do."

Note: it is absurd to pose homeopathy as scientific [and naturopathy!].

002. the 'North American Naturopathic Absurdity Apparatus' [NANAA] labels their requisite homeopathy "clinical science", "medical science", "firmly science-based" and "health science":

002.a. "clinical science" per the North American ND licensing exam, NPLEX, in "About NPLEX";

002.b. "medical science" per the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges in "About Naturopathic Medicine"; also, the American Medical Student Association in "Welcome to AMSA's Naturopathic Medicine Interest Group!";

002.c. "firmly science-based" per Bastyr University states in "Naturopathic Medicine";

002.d. "health science" per the University of Bridgeport states in "UB Spotlight: Health Sciences Programs";

002.e. and just for S&G, Coward, S. (ND SCNM), Lewis, K. (ND SCNM) state in "Misconceptions Aside, Homeopathy Has Stood Test of Time" (2009-06-25), specifically regarding homeopathy:

"homeopathy is a 200-year-old medicinal science."

003. amazing.

UK Homeopathy, AANP's NPLEX II, and the "Current of Science and Reason":

Andy Lewis points out the nonsense known as homeopathy. Meanwhile, NDs -- who must do mandatory homeopathy coursework, homeopathy patient contact quotas, and a national exam that includes homeopathy -- claim that such nonsense is a clinical science. Fascinating:

01. Andy Lewis of The Quackometer points out in his excellent "Desperate Remedies"post {2008-08-03}:

"homeopathy on the NHS has nearly vanished [...it is] the last vestigial remnants of nineteenth century quackery [... it's a] fabulously constructed fantasy world [...] the Faculty of Homeopaths [...they] are swimming against the current of science and reason [...homeopathy is] an entirely placebo based therapy [...] that is what all the science and evidence says homeopathy is [...homeopathy's disappearance] is the natural result of an increasing awareness of the need to adopt evidence based practices."

02. meanwhile, in North America:

02.a. the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations [NPLEX], by way of Bastyr University, states that homeopathy is a clinical science:

"NPLEX Part II - Clinical Science Examinations: Blueprints & Preparation Guide [...] the NPLEX Board designed this guide to give general information to anyone taking the NPLEX Part II – Clinical Science Examinations [...including] homeopathy."

02.b. but, this should not be surprising since AANP-FNPLA-NPLEX naturopathy ignores the parameters whereby actual science is conducted, claiming instead -- merely by fiat, against quite a preponderance of historic precedent -- that the following either nonscientific or science-ejected concepts / sectic premises are in fact science / science-based / scientific:

vitalism, supernaturalism, autoentheism & kind.

03. obviously, the "current of science and reason" has:

profoundly ejected vitalism and ejected supernaturalism from the realm of science.