Have Doctors Seriously Been Prescibing This Mumbo Jumbo?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43950865
Surely any doctor who thinks this BS can work should not be a doctor.

[ToraToraTora]

well they failed to win the million bucks andy! it's diluted water! PMSL

[goodgoalie]

How can something which is so diluted as to not contain a single molecule of the supposedly active ingredient possibly have any effect? Have a look at this:
http://www.1023.org.uk/whats-the-harm-in-homeopathy.php
Simon Singh has written brilliantly on this.

[naomi24]

andy-hughes, //I'm not sure you can explain the placebo effect to a three-year-old - what do you think? //

Why would you explain it to anyone when that would be likely to produce a negative result? The placebo effect is just that. Take medicine you're told will cure you - bingo!

[ToraToraTora]

it especially effects children, my mum used to use parma violets as "medicine"!

[douglas9401]

I imagine for a three-year-old it's right up there with 'let mummy kiss it better'.

More about trust and belief.

[naomi24]

^Exactly.

[douglas9401]

BTW I hope this doesn't condemn me to being labelled a homeophobe. :-)

[Peter Pedant]

// andy-hughes, //I'm not sure you can explain the placebo effect to a three-year-old - what do you think? //

you can get a placebo effect without knowing what a placebo is.

yeah three y olds play with smarties and can act out doctor stuff - so a placebo shouldnt be much problem in these circs ( IMO)