Thinking-is-dangerous Blogspot (16th November 2008)

Article by Simon Singh, BBC Health News (25th July 2008)

The Quackometer (9th January 2008)

A critical commentary on the proposed new UK regulatory body, the 'Natural Healthcare Council'. The Quackometer (5th January 2008)

What method is Dr Peter Fisher (Director of the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital and official homeopathy to HM Queen Elizabeth II) applying to determine that homeopathy is no good for malaria? Has he run tests? Where can we read about these tests? They must exist otherwise how does he know that homeopathy is no good for malaria? Skeptico (31st October 2007)

Steven Novella, MD, Neurologica Blog (29th October 2007)

"To its fans, homeopathy is the ultimate cure-all. In fact, its effects can be positively deadly. On 1 December 2007, faith healers will meet at Roots & Shoots in south London to discuss how to treat Aids with magic pills. They won't call themselves faith healers, of course, or shamans or juju men. They will present themselves as 'homeopaths': serious men and women whose remedies are as good as conventional medicine." Nick Cohen, The Observer (28th October 2007)

Includes a 12 point "chain of implausibility" that covers just about everything that's wrong with homeopathy. Steven Novella, MD, Neurologica Blog (26th October 2007)

"I just have to wonder what a homeopath would actually have to do or claim for the Society of Homeopaths to actually take action, strike off and disown one of their fold?" Includes a link to information on the Society of Homeopaths' symposium (which was held during December 2007 in London) on the treatment of HIV/AIDS with homeopathy. Andy Lewis, The Quackometer (19th August 2007)

"In the current issue of Homeopathy [see link immediately below], scientists present evidence not so much of water memory but of the potential for water to have memory….. Coming up with bold theories to explain how homeopathy could work would be useful if homeopathy did work." Article by Christopher Wanjek, Live Science (6th August 2007)

A critical commentary on Nicola Sturzaker's article in The Guardian. Ms Sturzaker, a practising osteopath, took issue with the negative response to the MHRA's licensing of homeopathic remedies. Skeptico (4th September 2006)

Jacques Benveniste, the French immunologist who claimed that water has a memory that could justify homoeopathy, died aged 69 in October 2004 after heart surgery. Benveniste claimed that by using 'digital biology' it was possible to extract 'the memory of water', store it in an electronic form, and then transmit it to other places where it could be installed in different water. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (January 2006)

Dr David Spence, Clinical Director and Consultant Physician at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital and Chairman of the British Homeopathic Association, a co-author of the study, said "These results clearly demonstrate the value of homeopathy in the NHS". The study, which asked people how happy they were after having some homeopathy, appears to have had no control group, no randomisation and blinding, no control of whether patients were receiving other (conventional) treatments, and the outcome measure was not calibrated or universally recognised. Many critical comments about the study are contained in this link. Ben Goldacre, MD, Bad Science (21st November 2005)

News article in the British Medical Journal which elicited critical responses concerning the validity of homeopathy: "Many of homeopathy's proponents seem unable to see the truth about homeopathy because homeopathy is a philosophy that has been finely tuned over 200 years to render its adherents incapable of discerning the truth for themselves. This problem is built into the structure of the homeopathic process. Literally any outcome for the patient is used as confirmation of homeopathy's truth. Recovery obviously means the remedy worked. A lack of response merely dictates more prolonged treatment or a change of remedy. More bizarrely, a deterioration is called an "aggravation" and is specifically regarded as a sure sign the remedy is having the desired effect. Homeopathy is not a system of medicine, but a set of excuses. It does not provide successful treatment but a set of narrative tools to accompany the natural history of the disease". Simon J. Baker, Verterinary Surgeon (17th October 2005)

James Randi takes a critical look at correspondence between an ordinary member of the public and the prestigious Boots Pharmacy chain (9th September 2005)

"Alternative therapies are moving into mainstream medicine as NHS oncology departments link up with a homoeopathic hospital." Re-opening after a £18.5 million makeover, the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital "will be integrated with the mainstream oncology department at the nearby University College Hospital…Patients are also regularly referred from other leading cancer centres such as the Royal Marsden." The article includes the dubious views of several proponents of CAM therapies. The Times Online (11th June 2005)

Scotland's only homeopathic inpatient hospital ward has been saved from closure under NHS cuts. BBC News (17th May 2005)

"There is mounting evidence from well documented research of the efficacy of homeopathy across a range of medical condtions. This means there is a firm basis for GP referrals to homeopathic treatment." Written evidence submitted to the Select Committee on Health, The United Kingdom Parliament (18th June 2003)

Concludes "Patients receiving holistic care at the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital are enabled by the consultations, and this is related to the doctors' empathy. Enablement at consultation is associated with subsequent health gain". Report in Focus on Complementary and Alternative Medicine [FACT] (2002)

Concludes that "compassion, mutual respect and hope appear to be core components of this therapeutic alliance". Report in Focus on Alternative and Complementary Medicine [FACT] (2002)