Homeopathy and an essay
just the fore and aft (for now)
Hello to all my dear readers.
I am grateful to you for your patience with my (mostly) re-run articles of late, which is due to the Master of Applied Health Science (Wellness and Rehabilitation) I am currently pursuing.
So, how is it going? I hear you ask…
‘ So far so, so good.’ (For a more expansive perspective ask me in six months!)
For your interest, I have just turned in a 5k word essay and include both the introduction and conclusion for you here:
Introduction This essay begins with an analysis of the history of homeopathy and its present place within New Zealand, followed by a discussion of its marginalization using examples of suspected scientific misconduct, of which serious Australian allegations remain unanswered, and the role that highly organized internationally collaborating sceptics have played in fueling anti- homeopathy polemic to inform the public health and education policies within several countries, and finally, a personal evaluation of the current practice of homeopathy from the perspective of a professional non-medical homeopath based in New Zealand.
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In conclusion, homeopathy is a standardized system of medicine which continues to flourish worldwide despite the challenges of the organized anti-homeopathy polemic and the attempted destruction of its philosophies and theories by pundits and influencers.
If you are unfamiliar with the ‘Australian Situation’ you can find out more within this article;
The Australian report
What is less well known is that in 2019 the then NHMRC CEO stated that “Contrary to some claims, the review did not conclude that homeopathy was ineffective.” This press release occurred when the NHMRC were forced to reveal the first homeopathy review of 2012, and subsequently concealed, in violation of their own Research Code of Conduct after Freedom of Information requests and sustained international pressures.
Closure of Commonwealth Ombudsman Investigation
“Despite our best efforts, it was not possible to engage an expert (or experts) to provide independent advice to our Office on this subject. In the absence of independent, expert scientific expertise we have not been able to conclusively determine those matters of scientific methodology.”
Homeopathy & Australia
At the beginning of the twentieth century homeopathy was well accepted in Australia, and utilized at the Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, and Launceston homeopathic Hospitals.
Thank you for your continued readership and support. I am happy that you find enough value within this substack to lend a piece of your precious time, eyes, and brain to its content.
Much love from New Zealand,
Sarah Penrose.
‘In contrast to frequent claims, the available Meta Analyses of homoeopathy in placebo-controlled randomised trials for any indication show significant positive effects beyond placebo. Compared to other medical interventions, the quality of evidence for efficacy of homoeopathy was similar or higher than for 90% of interventions across medicine. Accordingly, the efficacy evidence from placebo-controlled randomised trials provides no justification for regulatory or political actions against homoeopathy in health-care systems.’1
Hamre, HJ., Glockmann, A., von Ammon, K et al. (2023). Efficacy of homoeopathic treatment: Systematic review of meta-analyses of randomised placebo-controlled homoeopathy trials for any indication. Systematic Rev. Oct 7;12(1):191. doi.org/10.1186/s13643-023-02313-2
The website of the American Institute of Homeopathy (https://homeopathyusa.org) has a nice compendium of research studies of homeopathy. Having incorporated homeopathy into my psychiatric practice for 3 decades, I have been able to witness cures of serious illness with homeopathy that were inconceivable if I had only pharmaceuticals or psychotherapy at my disposal.
Please consider publishing that essay here on Substack, before or after it has been marked! That is a story I want to read.