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.