Low doses of penicillin are a great way to breed penicillin resistant bacteria.
Indeed. Although maybe if the dose is low enough, it will magically cure the antibiotic resistance! Hahnemann for the win.
This does suggest a good method for testing the purity of homeopathic remedies though - if it works better than placebo, recall it.
Well, the thing about homeopathy is that, even though the doses are low, you have to take a shitload of those pills. So maybe the low dose of penicillin isn't so low when you are taking six pills at a time, four times a day.
Well, the thing about homeopathy is that, even though the doses are low, you have to take a shitload of those pills
You have to, or what exactly? They won't work? Um...
3: I thought it worked by magic water memory. Shouldn't just a little bit of water be enough to remember the toxins, or whatever?
I don't know, I never understood the whole "here, take this teeny-tiny dose in mass quantities" approach to alternative medicine. Why not just give me one dose of something a bit stronger?
It makes sense in the case of vaccines, because there's an explainable mechanism involving developing antibodies and whatnot. Homeopathy doesn't have that, so they came up with the magic water hypothesis.
I don't know, I never understood the whole "here, take this teeny-tiny dose in mass quantities" approach to alternative medicine. Why not just give me one dose of something a bit stronger?
Because two things with no active ingredients can be sold for twice as much money as one thing with no active ingredients.
This suggests that dosage of pills is about the potency. High potency pills (i.e. more dilute) are taken less often, while low potency pills (6X, etc) are taken more often.
I guess it's internally consistent (if you really believe that more dilute = stronger).
Obviously, homeopathy is bunk, blah, blah.
(if you really believe that more dilute = stronger)
I can't help it. This just makes me giggle. It's Opposite Day!
High potency pills (i.e. more dilute) are taken less often, while low potency pills (6X, etc) are taken more often.
In theory, you could get a potency approaching infinity by taking no pills at all.
Based on the homeopathic principle of similia similibus curentur, I have a plan for a bar for the treatment of alcoholics. It would serve the same drinks as other bars and at the same prices, but in homeopathic dilutions. My margins would be through the roof.
You've seen dsquared's Christmas piece about the homeopathic bartender?
Fine, pwned by that fucker, but I win for concision.
You have to admit, that's a beautiful piece of weirdness.
A long time ago when I was hoping to be a physician, I sat in on a homeopath who was also an MD for 2 months or so. It was plainly obvious that what his patients were paying for was the opportunity to be listened to. He was very present and very attentive, asked lots of detailed questions and took at least 20 minutes to arrive at a conclusion/prescription. Must have been what being a doctor was like in 1960 or so.
The headline of the article in the OP is my new favorite of the ones I can mention to my mom.