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Homeopathy 2008; 97(03): 161-162
DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2008.05.002
Social and Historical
Copyright © The Faculty of Homeopathy 2008

20 years ago: The British Homoeopathic Journal, July 1988

S.T. Land
Subject Editor:
Further Information

Publication History

Received12 May 2008

accepted12 May 2008

Publication Date:
16 December 2017 (online)

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Editorial

Time for a mature attitude, or a storm in a tasse à thé

Peter Fisher's editorial is concerned with antipathy toward homeopathy, and it is the theme of much of this issue of the Journal. A storm developed in the French popular and medical press following the publication in the Lancet of a trial of Opium and Raphanus for post-operative ileus which had negative results. As a survey showed homeopathy to be the most popular complementary therapy in France, and that 43% of young doctors believed it to have a specific pharmacodynamic action, the ferocity of the attack was not surprising. The author wondered if this might be the shape of things to come in Britain. Although the British press was generally supportive, especially when a recent BMA report had attacked all complementary therapy, he thought this could not be relied upon.

It was notable that the homeopathic community was under government pressure to participate in the study. In 1985, the French government had established GRECHO, a body to evaluate homeopathy, with the threat that social security reimbursement of homeopathic prescriptions would be cut if they did not cooperate. Prophetically, Fisher stated that parallel developments might occur in the future in Great Britain and other countries. He then discussed the importance of accepting negative results; especially in the face of unfortunate personal attacks from homeopaths themselves, as happened in the trial of Rhus tox 6x, in which their colleagues had collaborated in good faith.[ 1 ]


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