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HRI London 2019 by Lionel Milgrom NEWS FEATURE HRI London 2019 And the future of homeopathy is …? by Lionel Milgrom PhD MARH RHom Arguably one of the scariest cinematic moments is the last scene from Philip Kaufman’s 1978 remake of the cult horror classic The Invasion of The Body Snatchers. Donald Sutherland’s character – finally Lionel has been a homeopath for over 20 taken over by an emotionless alien life-form (aka Big years, training at the now defunct London College of Homeopathy, and taking the Pharma, perhaps?!) – screams out unearthly cadences Orion course in advanced homeopathy. He at the approach of a last surviving human. works from home now but has laboured at Nelsons, Ainsworths, and an integrated dental practice in London’s West End. He Sounds familiar? No? Well, instant, to eschew the wonders is also a scientist (chemist; cofounding think back to the last time you and benefits of modern medicine an anticancer biotech spinout company), a science writer and, in his latest tried arguing homeopathy with in favour of homeopathy. So how incarnation, a chemistry teacher. He came a ‘sceptic’. Remember now? Of did it ever get like this? Whatever into homeopathy to ‘find out how it works’. course you do! I’ve put ‘sceptic’ in did we do wrong? Is it too late to Heading up the one-man Programme for inverted commas partly because change? Advanced Homeopathic Research, he has these self-aggrandising blowhards My sincerest apologies, dear written over 170 publications in both the scientific and CAM academic literatures have been able to (culturally?) readers! This is a story that starts at on his ideas, including many rebuttals misappropriate a word that actually the end for the benefit of those with of the so-called ‘sceptical’ case against describes their complete opposite, short attention spans … So, a little homeopathy. He wishes he’d trained as i.e. a perfectly reasonable state scene setting: It’s Summer 2019: the a mathematician, jazz/concert pianist, expressing doubt. But also, perhaps Homeopathic Research Institute’s blues harmonica player and Ninja warrior … perhaps next time around which, that person might have been a biennial knees-up has rolled into a since my last article published here, friend? Someone you took to be surprisingly warm, but neurotically is getting somewhat closer. a normal sentient humanoid? Just pre-Brexit, London. The Tower like you? Hotel hosted the HRI this year: a Then you mentioned the ‘H’ lovely venue, on the banks of Old word (cue crescendo-ing scary- Father Thames. sounding music) and all of a Thank God I didn’t have to fly sudden, you’re dealing with a off again to yet another expensive screaming totally alien being, exotically-fashionable European bearing an uncanny resemblance location! In fact, even though to the character mentioned above, on my doorstep, I hadn’t even who considers you worse than planned on going this time … too vermin for daring, even for one busy: places to go, people to see, 16 Homeopathy in Practice Autumn/Winter 2019 P16-27.Milgrom.dh4.sw3.indd 2 17/12/2019 12:32 NEWS FEATURE An anaesthetist’s wake-up call: when bad science gives science a bad name The opening salvo in homeo- pathy’s fight-back came next with the conference’s opening session entitled ‘Does homeopathy get a fair hearing?’ For anyone remotely interested in homeopathy, perhaps the question should have been reframed as ‘Why is homeopathy constantly getting trashed?’ Professor Robert Hahn provided the answer. First though, let’s be clear: Professor Hahn is NOT a homeo- path. He is an anaesthetist with an abiding interested in medical statistics, especially how they can be manipulated to make it you know, the usual … However, women use homeopathy. All Typical response appear that there is no evidence ear bent, arm suitably twisted excellent stats, and something to of a ‘sceptic’ on for homeopathy’s beneficial effects. (and the humungous registration put a spring in any homeopath’s seeing or hearing This is done innocuously enough anything that fee mercifully paid for by a very step. Sceptics: eat your black hearts could suggest by deciding which trials are of ‘high generous donor), let’s just say I out! Then David mentioned the homeopathy methodological quality’. was ‘encouraged’ to put in an ‘B’ word. might possibly Beginning in the mid-1990s, appearance … and a good job I did! No, not Brexit – Boris. Well, have a scientific the current evidence-based era, For this was also the HRI’s tenth apparently Queen Elizabeth II’s explanation for better or worse [1], ushered (Taken from the birthday celebrations and, over the (THE most noted recipient of final scene of the in the use of meta-analyses conference’s two and a half days, homeopathy ever) 14th prime 1978 film Invasion to microscopically scrutinise the sell-out crowd of 330 delegates minister understands the need for of the Body homeopathy for evidence of from 27 countries feasted on 34 a ‘wider range of health options’ Snatchers) medically beneficial effects [2]. oral and 48 poster presentations. to be made available to the British So, starting in 1997, Linde et al The HRI’s organising committee public. Whether that might include meta-analysed 89 clinical trials definitely pulled out all the stops homeopathy returning to NHS that showed an overall odds ratio and put on a good show, suggesting provision was not made completely of 2.45 in favour of homeopathy recent rumours of its impending clear, but then David is always over placebo [3]. So far, so good. demise, if not a little pointed, good for a rousing huzzah to get The trials, however, were con- like Mark Twain’s, are perhaps any function going … but, really, sidered to be of varying methodo- somewhat exaggerated? Even so, Boris and homeopathy? Sceptics, logical quality, so Linde et al took being the thoroughly idiosyncratic watch this space! only the ten highest quality studies. individual that I am, I’ll as usual Although this resulted in smaller just concentrate on those items that overall benefit, there was still really took my fancy. a statistically significant effect. Kicking off the proceedings But if one starts from a mindset this year fell to a very upbeat The HRI’s organising that ‘Homeopathy shouldn’t, David Tredinnick MP; CAM therefore cannot, work’, then Linde and homeopathy’s very own et al’s conclusions are still total Parliamentary spokesperson at committee definitely anathema. So, the ‘challenge’ for Westminster. And some interesting academics was to come up with observations he had to make, too. alternative meta-analyses that, in For example, I didn’t know that, pulled out all the order to demonstrate homeopathy’s in the private sector, homeopathy ‘true’ lack of effect, relied on is growing at the rate of 5% per further extensive exclusion of annum. Or that in the Indian stops and put on more studies. province of Karnataka 22 million And herein lies the rub. For patients were treated last year. Or if enough studies are excluded, that in France 70% of pregnant a good show it is possible to demonstrate Homeopathy in Practice Autumn/Winter 2019 17 P16-27.Milgrom.dh4.sw3.indd 3 17/12/2019 12:32 NEWS FEATURE homeopathy does not in fact work! front of the UK Parliamentary atomic weight of exactly 12.000. It is easily done if conclusions are Committee on Science and So, one mole of C-12 atoms based on as little as 5-10% of the Technology back in January weighs 12.000 grams and trial material. And it leads to some 2013. She simply regurgitated the contains 6.022 x 1023 atoms of seriously impressive statistical tired shibboleths of well-funded C-12. contortions and distortions in campaigning organisations, and • Now, let’s consider that an atom order to arrive at this pre-arranged the ersatz invective of facile media of highly fissile U-235 has an result, especially if the so-called commentators who use homeopathy atomic weight of 235. So, one ‘funnel plot’ is used. This was the as a whipping boy [6]. In the eyes of mole of U-235 weighs in at 235 ultimate argument ranged against the public, all that does is demean grams and contains 6.022 x 1023 homeopathy and was published in science and scientists. atoms of U-235. the Lancet by Shang et al in 2005 A proper reading of the • Next, a molecule of hydrogen, [4], with great fanfare that here history of science reveals that, H2. This has a molecular weight at last was the arrow through the regardless of its obvious power of roughly 2 (H + H = 1 + 1 = heart of homeopathy. and benefits, science’s truths are 2). So, one mole of hydrogen But as Professor Hahn pointed never absolute, only relative. molecules weighs just 2 grams 23 out, it turns out that as a reliable However, when believed absolutely and contains 6.022 x 10 analytical tool for processing (aka scientism, especially when molecules of hydrogen, H2. statistics, the funnel plot is flawed over-enthusiastically applied • Now consider a molecule of when applied to a mixture of in medicine [7-13]), and ably water, H2O. This has a molecular diseases. This is because studies with assisted by lucrative commercial weight of 18 (that’s H + H + O expected strong treatment effects considerations, science descends = 1 + 1 + 16 = 18). So, one mole are, for ethical reasons, powered into a bullying quasi-religious of water molecules weighs 18 lower than studies with expected dogma [14]. With liberal grams and contains 6.022 x 1023 weak or unclear treatment effects.
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