And incidentally, my GP claims that homeopathy has been successfully used to treat mastitis in cattle.

A quick google suggests that such claims have not been verified.

Ernie I don't doubt any of what you say but there is anecdotal evidence for many treatments in medicine, (leeches and flogging for example) that don't stand up to real scientific scrutiny with a properly designed trial. If a substance has a genuine therapeutic effect it's not that hard to setup a trial that will prove it.

I just thought I'd add a little fuel to the fire…….

Be careful before sticking it near flames as I've diluted the fuel 10 billion billion times with water to make it much much more potent.
/bollocks, just saw Mr. Woppits post 🙂

Leeches definitely work:

"The other thing I found out is that leeches don't like hair so if you are hairy be prepared to do some shaving or waxing – they much prefer a Brazilian."

Bonkers Daily Mail Madness… 🙂

Big LOLs at Ian Munro/ Whoppit

I've been weeing in the petrol tank of my car for the same reason. It goes like stink

From Tim Minchin's Beat poem "Storm" which i think makes a good point.

“By definition”, I begin
“Alternative Medicine”, I continue
“Has either not been proved to work,
Or been proved not to work.
You know what they call “alternative medicine”
That’s been proved to work?
Medicine.”

Has the Mail come to a conclusion yet as to whether leaches are cause cancer or cure it though?

Ian, I don't know yet, but you could always check the Daily Mail Oncological Ontology Project to see.

I know that homeopathy is bunkum.

I also know that if you give a kid an arnica tablet when he's trapped his fingers in a car door the pain goes away.

(I don't believe in an interventionist god either, in case you should ask)

I also know that if you give a kid an arnica tablet when he's trapped his fingers in a car door the pain goes away.

Arnica has been shown to work in some circumstances: http://www.springerlink.com/content/30225667517u7tr5/

I'm not a vet, but I understand that mange goes away naturally if the animal is otherwise healthy. And animals get the placebo effect too – many like being fussed over and given attention.

I see that the Cuban study mentioned above hasn't been published yet, and probably never will be. Still, that hasn't stopped it being widely reported as an amazing breakthrough by tonnes of homeopathy websites. Have a read of the prelimanry report and see if you can detect any bias in the language used. 🙄

Successful Use of Homeopathy In Over 2.5 Million People Reported From Cuba

I'd also like to throw in "nocebo" which is the voodoo doll effect. It's the range of unpleaseant side effects brought on in people who are given a innoccuous substance who believe it to be toxic. (New Scientist a couple of months back).

These are the sort of people who might die of an overdose of Paracetemol, even if they were really only sugar pills.

I understand that mange goes away naturally if the animal is otherwise healthy. And animals get the placebo effect too – many like being fussed over and given attention.

Believe what you like, the mange was deteriorating and spreading when I started the homeopathy on both occasions. After about one week there was a marked improvement, all the fur quickly grew back soon after that. He received no extra fuss or attention. I do not know if the homeopathy cured him.

He received no extra fuss or attention.

I take it that you were looking after the fox at the time, and not just checking up on him when he came to go through your bins? 😛

I also know that if you give a kid an arnica tablet when he's trapped his fingers in a car door the pain goes away.

Ice cream also works

pain has a gating mechanism, thereofre so does slamming the kids other hand in the door.

The story of me and Basil, is a long and touching one, with sadly a tragic end Mr Agreeable. I have already told it on here, so I will resist repeating it.

Here you are Mr Agreeable, if you're interested :

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/got-some-new-unrequested-pets#post-373694

That's very sad. Even growing up in the country I saw far more foxes dead on roads than running around alive.

My mate has a fox that comes to see them whenever they're digging at his pump track.

Many modern conventional medicines, when tested in double blind trials against placebos have been proven to have no chemical effect on the ailment they are supposed to fix, yet they do still work, and continue to be prescribed.

Proof please, this is useless with out peer-reviewed work, possibly with meta-analysis don't band it about.

John Diamond's book Snake Oil is also worth a read on this subject.

SSP