Comments on: Neal’s Yard Ethical Bullshit Remedy

By: Le Canard Noir

Le Canard Noir — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:39:00 +0000

I am getting so close to banning anonymous commenters as they are almost undoubtedly stupid. Homeopathic digitalis?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:18:00 +0000

herbs and homeopathy don't work eh?

one word for you lot

Digitalis !

By: DT

DT — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:54:00 +0000

I was one of probably several people who asked the MHRA for more information on this issue and what sanctions could be applied to NYR and other outlets who were advertising the product.

I recently recieved this reply:
"Dear xxx

Thank you for your email.

The decision on whether or not to pursue a case in the criminal courts would depend on a number of factors including the nature and severity of the offence and the amount of harm the product had caused. The fact that the product was removed from the marketplace is also a factor. The legislation which the MHRA administers relates to medicinal products, Susan Curtis's book is therefore not subject to our control. A claim made for a product in a book would be a relevant factor in determining whether or not that product fell within the definition of a medicinal product.

I am checking to see whether the products sold by Ainsworths and Helios have the appropriate registrations under medicines legislation. If they do not or are in breach of their registration the MHRA will take regulatory action.

Yours sincerely

David Carter
Manager, Medicines Borderline Section"

By: Gilbert Gosseyn

Gilbert Gosseyn — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:13:00 +0000

This may have been explored before, but I've never seen any one mention it...

With regard to homeopathy's claim that the beneficial effects of remedies come about from their "energy", "vibrations" or "healing information" etc, is it not claimed that said beneficial effects are transferred to the water by contact?

Surely then, every homeopathic remedy, known or as yet unknown, has come into "contact" with every molecule of water on the planet by now.

Don't buy these expensive crap based magic sugar remedies, just have a drink of tap water and hey presto, you'll be immune to everything and live forever.

Or am I missing something?

By: Le Canard Noir

Le Canard Noir — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:25:00 +0000

I find it amazing that traders in alt med like Neals Yard do not appeared to be worried about the new trading standards laws which become effective in about three weeks. Weasel words like ‘treat’ will no longer offer a get out. Even is something is true ‘ homeopathy has been used to treat malaria’ – it will still be a criminal offence to mislead by omission – ‘but is completely useless’.

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:11:00 +0000

I've just had a thought about the subtle rewording on the NY site (see my comment above). Neal's Yard, and I think homeopathic vendors more widely, advertise their remedies as being "traditionally used for" treating diseases in order to avoid claiming that the pills are actually "effective against" anything. And they say that the "traditionally used for" labelling makes no claim of effectiveness (eg their press release claim that "We do not advertise or sell the remedy as a prevention for Malaria"). In which case, if Neal's Yard is now acknowledging that these pills are ineffective against malaria, why remove the claim from the China 30C pill that it's been traditionally used for malaria? After all, the pill has been traditionally - albeit ineffectively - used for malaria. Removing that description seems like an implicit acknowledgement that the "traditionally used for" wording is a claim of effectiveness, or at least that it will be perceived as such by customers.

By: AndyD

AndyD — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:44:00 +0000

"based on its Latin name" - what does that mean? The name of the product is based on its Latin name? So, the Latin name for a product called "Malaria" is "Malaria"? I'm confused.

I sought to clarify by going to a Latin>English translator. I got "Malaria = Jaw". So the product they're selling is "jaws"??!!!

So I went to the source of all knowledge, Wikipedia, to see if it shed any light on this Latin origin issue. It didn't. But it does contain the following statement which is crying out for a calrification:

"Of interesting historical note is the observation by Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th Century that over-dosing of quinine leads to a symptomatic state very similar to that of malaria itself. This lead Hahnemann to develop the medical Law of Similars, and the subsequent medical system of Homeopathy."

Is Homeopathy a "medical system"? Is that entire statement either interesting or responsible given that what Hahnemann witnessd presumably had nothing to do with Malaria?

Someone with appropriate knowledge and editing privileges might want to visit wikipedia - malaria.

I really like that the label warns to keep the sugar pills out of reach of children. How cute.

By: Le Canard Noir

Le Canard Noir — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:36:00 +0000

I have emailed Mr Hook of NYR to ask if he believes that his sugar pills can prevent dangerous illnesses. Also, I have asked what medical due diligence is done on such claims.

By: Le Canard Noir

Le Canard Noir — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:05:00 +0000

Wow, what a staggering act of mendacity.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:14:00 +0000

My my, how peculiar: Neal's Yard are still selling the same things, but they've just removed the word "malaria" from the descriptions on their website. They still sell
a book titled 'Homoeopathic Alternatives To Immunisation' which they used to describe as containing "practical information on preventing and treating major infectious diseases, including hepatitis, flu, malaria, measles and whooping cough". But now is described as containing "practical information on preventing and treating major infectious diseases, including hepatitis, flu, measles and whooping cough". Same book, containing the same bad advice, but they've just deleted the word "malaria" from its description on the website. Ditto with China 30C Homoeopathic Remedy, currently advertised as "Traditionally used for exhaustion, bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea and fever", used to say (Google cache, 19 Apr 2008) that it is "Traditionally used for exhaustion, bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea, malaria and fever". For that matter, good old fashioned diarrhoea kills lots of people every year - I wonder how ethical it is to sell a magic sugar pill to people as treatment, instead of recommending rehydration and conventional doctoring.