By Guy Chapman
As 2014 reaches its end we can reflect on rather a bad year for homeopathy. Earlier in the year, Boiron lost a class action over its Oscillococcinum product (Gallucci v. Boiron, currently being appealed). In response to two other class actions, Heel closed its North American operations.
In the U.K., the NHS announced that it is to stop new referrals to the Glasgow homeopathic hospital due to lack of evidence of efficacy and the eminent British physician Lord Winston described one MP’s belief in homeopathy as “insane” in the press and on air.
However, the close of the year also brings a rare glimmer of light for believers in the rejection by a court of of a class action in California against Green Pharmaceuticals for deceptive labelling of its homeopathic product SnoreStop. Apparently, the plaintiff purchased two boxes of homeopathic SnoreStop for a total of $29.00 and - surprise! - they did not work. Since homeopathy is based on doctrines refuted over a century ago, there is no reason to suppose it should work, no way it can work, and no proof it does work, other than as a placebo.
As 2014 reaches its end we can reflect on rather a bad year for homeopathy. Earlier in the year, Boiron lost a class action over its Oscillococcinum product (Gallucci v. Boiron, currently being appealed). In response to two other class actions, Heel closed its North American operations.
In the U.K., the NHS announced that it is to stop new referrals to the Glasgow homeopathic hospital due to lack of evidence of efficacy and the eminent British physician Lord Winston described one MP’s belief in homeopathy as “insane” in the press and on air.
However, the close of the year also brings a rare glimmer of light for believers in the rejection by a court of of a class action in California against Green Pharmaceuticals for deceptive labelling of its homeopathic product SnoreStop. Apparently, the plaintiff purchased two boxes of homeopathic SnoreStop for a total of $29.00 and - surprise! - they did not work. Since homeopathy is based on doctrines refuted over a century ago, there is no reason to suppose it should work, no way it can work, and no proof it does work, other than as a placebo.