It looks like the campaign to clean up homeopathy is having effects! A new supplier of homeopathic remedies appears to have entered the market with the promise that “we won’t lie to you”.
They say,
“For some reason, many homeopaths feel they have to tell their patients lies and fairy stories, and try to baffle them with pseudo-science. Here at FairDeal Homeopathy, we treat you like adults, and only tell you the truth.”
For example, on their FAQ, they ask the question: “What side effects can I expect?”. They respond,
None. That’s one of the great things about homeopathy – there are no side effects (unless you’re allergic to sugar, or water) as there are neither actual medical effects, nor active ingredients in the remedies!
They point out the power of the the placebo effect and that it is very effective for certain conditions, but echoing the smoking patches that “require willpower” to give up, homeopathy “requires belief” to be effective in any way.
Refreshing stuff from FairDeal Homeopathy. I suggest we all buy our “Remedies” from them straight away!
We at the Quackometer welcome this innovation in the world of self-empowered healing.
Talking of miraculous innovations, not quackery related, but another great little website that you may wish to peruse: bovine descenders. We have all done it. Accidentally, lead a cow upstairs only, to find that it is impossible for a cow to walk down stairs. You prayers are now answered with these specialists and “world-wide leader in the getting-cows-down-stairs field”.
Marvelous. The white hot pace of technology amazes me.
£4.99 ($9.98) for a tailored bottle of water.
I’m in the wrong business.
But I don’t think “Trained” Homeopaths will buy this stuff. Fairdeal are telling the truth, which Hoes are allergic to.
My first impression was that it is a spoof. When I first looked at it it had no contact details, in violation of EU law regarding trading sites. I see it now has a postal address so maybe we shall see reports.
What I wonder is, since even the SoH admits that there is no way to tell homeopathic remedies apart except for the labels, how can we know that all homeopathic manufacturers actually go to the tedious effort of diluting and succussing every time?
You can get a 25ml glass bottle with a dropper for 48p
P&P would be approx £1 for a single bottle.
So they are making at least £2.50 per bottle of water. Sell 1000 a month and you are £2500 ahead.
Were I to market pills containing nothing but sugar but labelled ‘homeopathic’, could I be done under the Trades Description Act or similar anti-fraud legislation?
If a case went to court, how could fraudulent homeopathic pills be distinguished scientifically from authentic ones?
Surely isn’t the phrase “fraudulent homeopathic” a prime example of tautology?
In case anyone hasn’t noticed yet, yes they do have a postal address on the website but it seems to be shared with The Horseshoe Inn.
Looks like it really was too good to be true…
Looks like FairDeal can now add an ‘endorsement’ from the world’s leading science journal Nature,
http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/01/honesty_in_homeopathy.html
Everything is explained at
http://www.hyperactive-stage.co.uk/blog/blog_home.asp
“If a case went to court, how could fraudulent homeopathic pills be distinguished scientifically from authentic ones?”
Hahaha. Try googling “Chatfield” +”only by the label”. David Colquhoun at
http://dcscience.net/?p=196 shows up among the top results. As does Gimpy.
http://gimpyblog.wordpress.com/2007/10/12/society-of-homeopaths-make-themselves-look-silly/
Partha – according to the person who designed the site, that address was accidentally left there as a placeholder and he forgot to change it:
http://forums.randi.org/showpost.php?p=3318138&postcount=442
PS and he says they do really send you pills:
http://forums.randi.org/showpost.php?p=3320524&postcount=479
“If a case went to court, how could fraudulent homeopathic pills be distinguished scientifically from authentic ones?”
Now THAT would be a court case worth seeing. Count me in for a fiver towards the defence fund…