Sorry but you really NEED to visit that thread on hpathy.com. It is truly priceless.

Basically a few sane people were throwing the cat amongst the pidgeons with the homeopaths and a “Dr” from Pakistan who seems very revered on the site comes up with a response. (His was the first to the original scenario where the patient with a life threatening illness was told to come of the contraceptive pill). His response reads:

OK Rolfe,

Now its was text-book case… Would you please mention what “PILL” was she on ? and from how long ? Have you really listed down the side affects of that PILL. Have you considered that drugging may produce symptoms lik Addisons Disease. WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE GIVEN HER FOR IT BASED ON THE TEXT YOU WROTE ? CLINICALLY SPEAKING PLEASE… The craving for salt is predominently a Tubercular diathesis. The change in Color of Skin strenthen it too. Yes the patient would NOT have died…unless treated by your medicines.

You say we can’t cure Addison’s Disease .. leave aside our answer to it… because its not an evidence that “Others” are equally flabberghasted by it.

How easy was it for you to word Hydrocortisones…. We make sure our patents doesn’t get one .. and they heal either way and better and faster.

You want somehing that works.. your way only… Next time you meet a patient of SARS… give him Senega-30 3 hourly for 2 days. The difference between Steriods and Homeopathywould dawn on you soon.

Now, I understand that it loses a little being moved out of context but am I alone in thinking this is pure madness?

After spending a morning reading through www.badscience.net and dutifully following the links there, I came across this total gem on the web. (If you are curious it lives at http://www.hpathy.com/homeopathyforums/forum_posts.asp?TID=1716&PN=3&TPN=2)

Did someone say that people would die if all they got was shaken water? Why would we give empty water to people that were dying? Why would we be devoting our lives to studying water? Don’t you think that after the 10th or 20th time we gave Arnica to injured people and nothing happened that we’d tire of the embarrassment? How many people in ill health are going to favor us with the placebo response? Your premise that we give water to sick people and they get well just please us despite being perfect strangers who couldn’t care less who we are is ridiculous.

(The emphasis is mine not the the original poster’s)

Now obviously the answer is “no” they dont tire of the embarrassment. 🙂

For reference the thread on that page is about a question someone asked to see if the homeopaths could identifiy a life threatening condition and give adequate treatment. The upshot of it was they couldnt (as if there was any surprise with that result) and the ensuing flame war became amusing.

Sadly, this thread was from 2004 and some of the better posts seem to have been deleted.

As a bit of a summary though, if anyone does think that homeopathic treatments work, please let me know as I have a bridge over the River Thames I am trying to sell and you may be the ideal buyer.