Does water have memory!? Can it actually recall flowing in a carcass-filled polluted River? Making its way to an irrigation canal. Then drank by a tuberculosis-infected Cow. Thereafter, flowed through its glands to be eventually liberated by urination.
Water has every chance to suffer from Senile Dementia from such an arduously disgusting sojourn. But it's true that some medicines (for example) are being made from substances extracted out of 'a Tuberculosis gland of a cow.'
Many people taking Homeopathy medicine would give a hoot to such questions and innuendoes relating to Homeopathy.
So! What is the fuzz about?
For years now, these tasty and easy-to-pop-in sugarcoated pills prescribed by Homeopaths, are encoded with some of the most debatable questions regarding their usefulness.
Homeopathy was pioneered some 200 years back by German physician Samuel Hahnemann. It bafflingly defies logic; many argue.
Aspects that make Homeopathy mysteriously debatable are its two underlining principles: 'like cures like.' Basically it means diseases could be cured by administrating small quantities of substance causing the same symptoms.
For the layman, it means 'take poison to cure poison!' For example, cold and Hay fever can be cured with Onion, which has substances causing Cold and Hay fever.
Besides, many homeopathic ingredients are poisonous. Some truly bizarre as: Tuberculosis gland of a Cow, Disease products, Deadly nightshade, Venom etc.
Since these substances are poisonous in its concentrated state, Homeopaths dilute them, in special ways. This leads to the second debatable principle of Homeopathy.
Homeopaths practice the serial dilution method. A drop of the original substance, whether its Tuberculosis gland of a Cow or Snake venom is added to 99 drops of water or alcohol. This is a 1C solution or one part in 100.
Dissolving one 1C solution in another 99 parts of water gives 2C solution. The medicine is one part in 10,000. The whole process is repeated till it is a 30C solution. Even in 6C the medicine has been diluted a million million times.
At 12C it is a drop of medicine in the Atlantic Ocean! So 30 C is unimaginable. 30 C is equivalent to one drop of medicine in all the Oceans on Earth and many more in the Universe!
A drug's molecule, after interacting with the body, cures an ailment. With such homeopathic dilution, there is less chance in a billion, for a single molecule of a medicine to remain in the solution. After such dilution, it is plain water or alcohol, scientist avers.
So if there isn't one single molecule present in the solution the question of its interaction with the body and subsequent curing of a disease doesn't arise.
Homeopaths say this astronomically diluted solution combined with sugar pills actually help cure diseases. Scientists brand it as plain and simple quackery administrated to gullible patients.
During the early 80s, Homeopathy literally received a shot in the arm. Jacques Benveniste, a French researcher, having many discoveries to his credit, came out with another stunning discovery.
During his experiment on Basophile, a type of blood cell and its allergic reaction, he made a startling finding. He had diluted a substance to homeopathic level and added it to Basophile. This activated the Basophile; bizarrely!
There was sensation in the scientific community after his findings was published in June 1988, in the greatest journal of scientific discoveries: Nature.
Benveniste termed his finding as the 'Memory of Water'. Water. According to his theory, water had the capacity to remember and react with the natural characteristic of a substance it was earlier mixed with. Even if it was diluted to astronomical levels like Homeopaths do. The world of homeopathy was ecstatic with the finding.
But, the then Editor of Nature, Sir John Maddox had convinced Benveniste that his discovery would be published if he allowed an investigation team to visit his centre and he carried out the experiment again in their presence. So the story had just begun and so too the histrionic of James Randi.
Randi a magician and an opponent of all things supernatural was invited by Sir Maddok to be in the investigation team together with other scientists and fraud busters.
On 4th July 1988 the investigative team arrived in Paris for the test. Randi with his often-sarcastic magic tricks, popping things out thin air, made the researchers uneasy.
Eventually, the test was a failure much to the dismay of Benveniste and his team of researchers. The Memory of Water theory fell into ignominy, but not for too long.
Madeleine Ennis, a reputed professor of Pharmacology, performed an experiment akin to the French researcher using the same kind of blood cell, some times later.
She was astonished to find that Histamine a chemical diluted down to homeopathic levels activated the cells.
At that time, James Randi had already posted in his Web site a public promise challenging to pay a million Dollars to anyone who could prove anything scientifically impossible.
The BBC's Progammme, Horizon, contacted Randi and decided to conduct its own scientific experiment using Ennis's experiments to find if water had memory.
Some of top scientists from Great Britain were gathered. Amongst them was the Vice-President of the Royal Society, Professor John Enderby.
Randi was flown from the United States. The grand show began. None of the experimenters knew if they were handling homeopathic solutions or pure water, on Randi's insistence.
Scientist Rachel Pearson started the serial dilution of Histamine. At 15C it was diluted to one million million million million million times.
Some were taken down, to 18C! The diluted solution and pure water, each in different test tubes, were applied to the cell. Some solution activated others didn't.
Eventually the test fell flat on its face. It failed to prove that water has a memory.
Scientists concluded: people's faith on homeopathic cure is all about Placebos effect, or as Munnabhai would probably term it as 'Chemical Lochas' in our brain that make-believe.
Homeopaths rubbish such generalization. They say Homeopathy medicines cures babies and children's ailment. When they have the least knowledge of being administrated with the medicine.
Vets too have used homeopathic medicines on animals to cure ailments. Sheep, Goats, Cows and other wild animals have been treated with homeopathic medicines.
Despite claims and counter claims, some of the highlights of homeopathic medicines are prescription of one medicine for one or more ailments.
Allopathic doctors on the other hand may prescribe a cough syrup, multiple tablets for a case of cold and fever. Undoubtedly, homeopathic medicines are therefore cost-effective. Although many know such medicines are of little assistance in emergency situations.
Nonetheless, who can forget the delicious taste of homeopathic medicines? The gentle fatherly demure of the practitioners (with a bit of generalization) alleviating some of the problem – physiology - during counseling and the elaborate questioner sessions.
Then the homely ambience of the Chamber with cupboards stashed with myriad small bottles of medicines.
The classic part is the preparation of the medicine; like someone putting in a whiff of this and that Masala while jarring that favourite homemade chutney and handing out the secret family recipe to future generations.
But the most important aspect is the faith of millions who say homeopathic medicines does work. From the rich to the poor from the influential to unsung heroes all repose faith on this two-century-old branch of 'medical science.'
In fact, Homeopathic medicine gained popularity manifold after Benveniste's theory Memory of Water failed. Homeopathy medicine therefore is somewhat like the Gauls marauding the mighty Romans (read Allopathic medicines) with the assistance of magic potions of Getafix in the Asterix comic.
Many feel Homeopathy has nothing to lose and everything to gain, including the one million prize of James Randi.
Water has every chance to suffer from Senile Dementia from such an arduously disgusting sojourn. But it's true that some medicines (for example) are being made from substances extracted out of 'a Tuberculosis gland of a cow.'
Many people taking Homeopathy medicine would give a hoot to such questions and innuendoes relating to Homeopathy.
So! What is the fuzz about?
For years now, these tasty and easy-to-pop-in sugarcoated pills prescribed by Homeopaths, are encoded with some of the most debatable questions regarding their usefulness.
Homeopathy was pioneered some 200 years back by German physician Samuel Hahnemann. It bafflingly defies logic; many argue.
Aspects that make Homeopathy mysteriously debatable are its two underlining principles: 'like cures like.' Basically it means diseases could be cured by administrating small quantities of substance causing the same symptoms.
For the layman, it means 'take poison to cure poison!' For example, cold and Hay fever can be cured with Onion, which has substances causing Cold and Hay fever.
Besides, many homeopathic ingredients are poisonous. Some truly bizarre as: Tuberculosis gland of a Cow, Disease products, Deadly nightshade, Venom etc.
Since these substances are poisonous in its concentrated state, Homeopaths dilute them, in special ways. This leads to the second debatable principle of Homeopathy.
Homeopaths practice the serial dilution method. A drop of the original substance, whether its Tuberculosis gland of a Cow or Snake venom is added to 99 drops of water or alcohol. This is a 1C solution or one part in 100.
Dissolving one 1C solution in another 99 parts of water gives 2C solution. The medicine is one part in 10,000. The whole process is repeated till it is a 30C solution. Even in 6C the medicine has been diluted a million million times.
At 12C it is a drop of medicine in the Atlantic Ocean! So 30 C is unimaginable. 30 C is equivalent to one drop of medicine in all the Oceans on Earth and many more in the Universe!
A drug's molecule, after interacting with the body, cures an ailment. With such homeopathic dilution, there is less chance in a billion, for a single molecule of a medicine to remain in the solution. After such dilution, it is plain water or alcohol, scientist avers.
So if there isn't one single molecule present in the solution the question of its interaction with the body and subsequent curing of a disease doesn't arise.
Homeopaths say this astronomically diluted solution combined with sugar pills actually help cure diseases. Scientists brand it as plain and simple quackery administrated to gullible patients.
During the early 80s, Homeopathy literally received a shot in the arm. Jacques Benveniste, a French researcher, having many discoveries to his credit, came out with another stunning discovery.
During his experiment on Basophile, a type of blood cell and its allergic reaction, he made a startling finding. He had diluted a substance to homeopathic level and added it to Basophile. This activated the Basophile; bizarrely!
There was sensation in the scientific community after his findings was published in June 1988, in the greatest journal of scientific discoveries: Nature.
Benveniste termed his finding as the 'Memory of Water'. Water. According to his theory, water had the capacity to remember and react with the natural characteristic of a substance it was earlier mixed with. Even if it was diluted to astronomical levels like Homeopaths do. The world of homeopathy was ecstatic with the finding.
But, the then Editor of Nature, Sir John Maddox had convinced Benveniste that his discovery would be published if he allowed an investigation team to visit his centre and he carried out the experiment again in their presence. So the story had just begun and so too the histrionic of James Randi.
Randi a magician and an opponent of all things supernatural was invited by Sir Maddok to be in the investigation team together with other scientists and fraud busters.
On 4th July 1988 the investigative team arrived in Paris for the test. Randi with his often-sarcastic magic tricks, popping things out thin air, made the researchers uneasy.
Eventually, the test was a failure much to the dismay of Benveniste and his team of researchers. The Memory of Water theory fell into ignominy, but not for too long.
Madeleine Ennis, a reputed professor of Pharmacology, performed an experiment akin to the French researcher using the same kind of blood cell, some times later.
She was astonished to find that Histamine a chemical diluted down to homeopathic levels activated the cells.
At that time, James Randi had already posted in his Web site a public promise challenging to pay a million Dollars to anyone who could prove anything scientifically impossible.
The BBC's Progammme, Horizon, contacted Randi and decided to conduct its own scientific experiment using Ennis's experiments to find if water had memory.
Some of top scientists from Great Britain were gathered. Amongst them was the Vice-President of the Royal Society, Professor John Enderby.
Randi was flown from the United States. The grand show began. None of the experimenters knew if they were handling homeopathic solutions or pure water, on Randi's insistence.
Scientist Rachel Pearson started the serial dilution of Histamine. At 15C it was diluted to one million million million million million times.
Some were taken down, to 18C! The diluted solution and pure water, each in different test tubes, were applied to the cell. Some solution activated others didn't.
Eventually the test fell flat on its face. It failed to prove that water has a memory.
Scientists concluded: people's faith on homeopathic cure is all about Placebos effect, or as Munnabhai would probably term it as 'Chemical Lochas' in our brain that make-believe.
Homeopaths rubbish such generalization. They say Homeopathy medicines cures babies and children's ailment. When they have the least knowledge of being administrated with the medicine.
Vets too have used homeopathic medicines on animals to cure ailments. Sheep, Goats, Cows and other wild animals have been treated with homeopathic medicines.
Despite claims and counter claims, some of the highlights of homeopathic medicines are prescription of one medicine for one or more ailments.
Allopathic doctors on the other hand may prescribe a cough syrup, multiple tablets for a case of cold and fever. Undoubtedly, homeopathic medicines are therefore cost-effective. Although many know such medicines are of little assistance in emergency situations.
Nonetheless, who can forget the delicious taste of homeopathic medicines? The gentle fatherly demure of the practitioners (with a bit of generalization) alleviating some of the problem – physiology - during counseling and the elaborate questioner sessions.
Then the homely ambience of the Chamber with cupboards stashed with myriad small bottles of medicines.
The classic part is the preparation of the medicine; like someone putting in a whiff of this and that Masala while jarring that favourite homemade chutney and handing out the secret family recipe to future generations.
But the most important aspect is the faith of millions who say homeopathic medicines does work. From the rich to the poor from the influential to unsung heroes all repose faith on this two-century-old branch of 'medical science.'
In fact, Homeopathic medicine gained popularity manifold after Benveniste's theory Memory of Water failed. Homeopathy medicine therefore is somewhat like the Gauls marauding the mighty Romans (read Allopathic medicines) with the assistance of magic potions of Getafix in the Asterix comic.
Many feel Homeopathy has nothing to lose and everything to gain, including the one million prize of James Randi.
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