Homeopathy – a benign deception?

Poor Dougal Jefferies, so sure of the water tightness of his logic that he needs the reassurance of an old medical friend to confirm his infallible argument. We as readers are meant to feel reassured that this ‘old medical friend’ is prominent, well respected, charismatic and honest. (A bit like Shipman's description before he was found out to be a pathological liar and murderer). Very scientific!

It is so easy to use or misuse science to reject what you can not believe or understand. It is of course difficult, if not impossible to make scientific sense of homeopathy. The same goes for religion where some ‘truths’ are a matter of faith or experience. Is this good or bad? People with faith live longer and healthier lives than those without. Is it deception or is it honestly trying to understand the miracle that is life and the magic that works in illness and healing? And by the way, if being nice is all it takes to make people better, why do we treat them with so many expensive and potentially dangerous drugs? Nonsense of course. Doctors need tools to work with. For some homeopathy provides valuable tools, for others not. I am sure even Dougal uses non evidence-based tools in his consultation without meaning to deceive. Patience, kindness and interest, sincere or not. Making fun of the way homeopaths look at patients is unwise. I marvel at the observations of homeopaths. They see so much more because symptoms are so important to them. They often end up taking better histories and doing more thorough examinations. Even if their conclusions do not fit Dr Jeffries scientific concepts, it does not negate the fact they have actually listened and observed, something the modern allopathic GP is less and less inclined to do, being preoccupied with figures, protocols and QoFs. So, maybe not deception, certainly no more than when we create the illusion that treating blood pressure with antihypertensives is actually going to prolong your individual patient's life (with NTT of 50 or more). Treating 49 people with no benefit, nevertheless doing good, doing medicine, just differently. Why not try a different debate for a change? Not whether homeopathy is a fraud or not but for whom and in whose hands it can be healing, making people better. Just what medicine is all about.