The latest Info from the World of Homoeopathy

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Whole world was shocked when earthquake hit Indonesia and Tsunami traveled up to Africa sowing havoc and reaping death. An estimated two hundred thousand people perished in all including women and small kids of all ages. Many more are left without any reliance.

We can only wish if nothing could have happened. And join the grieving world remembering those who perished. We wish solace to the near and dear ones and the courage to go on with life to those crippled by the disaster.

Last but not the least we salute all those who are engaged in the process of massive rehabilitation.

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Dr. Philomina Vijayan, BHMS, MBBS, passed away from this world in last month. She was survived by her husband Dr. Vijayan, Asso. Prof. GHMC, Kozhikode and two young sons.
Graduating from Kozhikode Govt. Homoeopathic Medical College in 1982 she worked as a tutor in the college for some time before getting her MBBS from Kozhikode Medical College. Presently she was working as Medical Officer (in-charge) at Community Health Centre, Thalakkulathur, Kozhikode.
Cool and pleasing she always discharged her duties with sincerity and commitment. She left only beautiful memories with any body she acquainted, whether as a teacher or doctor. Her untimely and tragic death had plunged not only the young family but the entire homoeopathic fraternity of Kerala in to despair.
We wish her peace in the hereafter and stand with the grieving family in their moment of great sorrow.

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Prof. Terance Jacob, Retired As HOD of English Dept. from St. Josephs College, Devagiri, Kozhikode, passed away in December 2003. He left behind his wife and daughter. Even though unknown to the readers he was a member of the editorial team who painstakingly went through our final proof to check and correct English usage. It is to be noted that he never stopped this, even when he was stricken with a serious cardiac problem. Our sudden maturity in the language usage is indeed due to him. He was also a loving teacher who admonished and corrected us all. We remember him with love and gratitude and wish him peace in afterlife. We also wish solace to the bereaving family.
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Dr. M. P. Jayaraj. BHMS (1969-2002)

The smiling face is all that comes to the mind
whence remember him, who departed in haste.

A dear friend, a near friend, a real friend was he
who radiated joy, his inner pain never shown.

His words, his deeds and the whole of his life
was devoted to amuse and bemuse all around him.

He said what he thought and done what he liked
and we did laugh from the heart, all of us alike.

He did make this world a better place to live,
to make the other world too departed in haste.

Our lives will never be the same!
‘Loving friends’
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Kerala PSC list updated

The Kerala Public Service Commission is still posting MOs from the rank list published.
For more details visit PSC official site or click here.
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Kerala Government betrays the Homoeopathic community
The recently ordered 'B-class' registration to all unqualified practitioners of Homoeopathy in Malabar area of Kerala is a real set back to the development of the system says the Kerala Homoeopathic Medical graduates Association (KHMGA). The order which came just hours before the declaration of election date in Kerala is not in accordance of the facts. It giving practicing powers to any who practiced up to 02-11-1987 blankly denies the fact that a degree course in Homoeopathy was started by the Govt. itself in Kerala as back as 1975. Also the CCH the apex body for the control of Homoeopathy in the country says the cut of date is 1974!. The date in 1987 has got no other significance than that the Hon. Kerala high court delivered a direction to the Govt. to implement a unified medical bill at the earliest on that date. The president of KHMGA Dr.D Reghu and The Gen.Secretary Dr.T.K.Hareendranath also pointed out that such a misadventurous move from the part of the government will cause the flourish of 'quackery' in Homoeopathy many of whom are not having even the basic education, to say about medical knowledge after that!!
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"www.ihma.org.in" is the website of the Indian Homoeopathic Medical Association (IHMA). Please visit the site get more details including a variety of new features.
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Homoeopathy reduces arsenic poisoning in mice
      A homoeopathic remedy based on arsenic oxide has shown "highly promising results" in mice poisoned with arsenic, say Indian scientists. The homoeopathic antidote reduced the liver toxicity induced by arsenic in mice, where distilled water did nothing, and alcohol actually exacerbated the poison's effects.
      Anisur Khuda-Bukhsh and his colleagues at the University of Kalyani, West Bengal, believe the remedy, called Arsenicum Album, might provide a safe, cheap and easily available remedy for the hundreds of millions of people around the world who are at risk from arsenic-poisoned water. It is a particular problem in some parts of West Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh. Even if efforts to make drinking water arsenic-free succeed, contamination could still come from other sources, the researchers say, meaning other approaches are needed.
      The researchers took groups of five mice either with or without arsenic poisoning and drop fed them Arsenicum Album, distilled water, or alcohol that had been through the same preparation procedure as the homoeopathic antidote. Khuda-Bukhsh says the preparation used was so dilute that it should not have contained even one molecule of the active ingredient.
      Two different dilutions of the homoeopathic remedy cut the levels of two liver enzymes - ALT and AST - which are indicators of liver toxicity and are boosted by arsenic poisoning. This positive effect occurred within 72 hours and liver lasted for up to 30 days, they report in their journal paper. Distilled water had no effect on either enzyme. And alcohol actually enhanced the activity of AST. He says his team is striving to understand the mechanism of action of homoeopathic drugs, which despite being used for over 200 years has remained elusive to science.
      A notion central to many advocates of homoeopathy is that water could retain an imprint or "memory" of substances once dissolved in it. This view cost one of France's top allergy researchers, Jacques Benveniste, his lab and funding after his results were discredited in 1988. Benveniste claimed in a Nature paper that a solution that had once contained antibodies still activated human white blood cells. But, other researchers failed to reproduce his experiments.
      "It comes down to the same old dilemma," says Andreas Gescher, a biochemical toxicologist at Leicester University, UK. "This kind of study uses a dilution so high there is hardly anything there - philosophically it's the same as the Benveniste case. Is it really possible?" Although Gescher is "extremely sceptical", he adds that the study is interesting. Gescher is on the UK government's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency advisory board for the registration of homoeopathic products, which checks the safety - but not the efficacy - of voluntarily registered products.
      Khuda-Bukhsh's group aims to test the drug in human trials, subject to funding. "We think this would open up another avenue for others to either confirm or refute. If the success could be repeated in humans, it would be "a boon to society", he says. However, other scientists remain sceptical.
Source: http://www.newscientist.com/news
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Herbal remedies face tough tests
      Traditional, Chinese, Arabic and Indian medicines are to go under the microscope for the first time in Australia at a new $1 million research centre in Melbourne. The Australian Research Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicines(ARCCAM) will investigate the effectiveness, safety and quality of Chinese medicine, Indian Ayurvedua, Arabic, Unani as well as homoeopathy and osteopathy.
      Research suggests about 60 per cent of Australians use herbal or alternative medicines, spending about $3 billion a year on the products. Few complementary or alternative medicines have been subjected to independent clinical research and testing. ARCCAM founder Professor Paul Komesaroff said the centre would provide consumers with accurate information about herbal products. He said it was hoped researchers at the centre would be able to unravel many of the mysteries of alternative medicines.
      The ARCCAM centre has been backed by medical research institutes, universities and colleges of complementary and alternative medicine. These include Monash University, Baker Institute, RMIT, Swinburne University, Southern School of Complementary Medicine, Victoria University and the Academy of Chinese Medicine. The total cost of the project is expected to be $1 million. The State Government invested $500,000 and further funding is being sought from other sources. Innovation Minister John Brumby said potential benefits to Victoria included the farming of raw herbal products for the massive and growing world-wide market for alternative medicine.
Source: http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/
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Alternative medicine experts seek inclusion on labour list
      The UAE Ministry of Health (MoH) has asked the Ministry of Labour to include new specialities of alternative medicine in their medical directory. Of the 500 homoeopathic doctors and herbal medicine therapists who sat for examination at the MoH, only 100 were given licences. But these specialities have not as yet been included in job categories of the Labour Ministry, from which these professionals seek formal recognition.
      "In our visas we are referred to as technicians or general practitioners but we do not belong to any of them," said Najib Ahmed, a homeopathic practitioner. Ahmed said the ministry's job categories is only a formality which does not affect their practice but the professionals will appreciate if they are included in the ministry list.
      Dr Sassan Behjat, Coordinator Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine Unit at the MoH, said the right designation will help practitioners of alternative medicine as they would be able to prescribe and practise with a free mind. It will also help avoid misuse of their designation. "Those who do not hold a medical licence but have a homeopathic or alternative medicine degree can prescribe therapies not medicines. They cannot perform surgeries, give injections, or change a doctor's prescription or treat patients with communicable diseases." He said only a professional who holds a medical licence and homeopathic degree, will be referred to as a homeopathic doctor.
      Following the increase in patients searching for alternative therapies, the MoH started to regulate this field only two years ago. "There is an increasing number of patients who search for alternative medicine treatments and consequently also an increasing number of doctors and therapists who ask to be accredited by the MoH," said Dr Behjat.
      To catch up with the international standards, the ministry also set up two different committees to operate under the supervision of Dr Abdul Ghaffar Abdul Ghaffour Al Hawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Curative Medicine. The first one is in-charge of establishing rules and conditions necessary for licensing alternative medicine practitioners. The second one evaluates their degrees. Therapists and doctors applying for licences, will be evaluated by this committee and will have to take written and oral examinations. Specialities recognised by the MoH are homoeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic, and naturopathy.
Source: http://www.gulf-news.com
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Sprayology: Newest Trend in Homeopathy
      Millions of Americans regularly use some form of alternative medicine and homoeopathy is going mainstream. And the latest trend in homeopathy is a simple spray. It's called sprayology. Homeopathic oral sprays designed to fix what ails you.
      There's "man power" to rejuvenate the male body... "immuno-booster" to restore your natural defenses... "diet power" helps balance metabolism and relieve common symptoms like excessive appetite, food cravings and water retention... and "acne tonic" to relieve the pain of blemishes.
      Sprayology was founded by Barbara Powers in August 2000 and has rapidly evolved into an international company. Today Sprayology’s innovative beauty and wellness traements can be found in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
      Dr Michael Cantwell who is both an M.D. and a homeopath at the Institute of Health and Healing at California Pacific Medical Center says "everybody would like a simple solution to their problems. The idea that you could spray it away is a really wonderful one and I could see where it would catch on from a consumer stand point. The question is whether there is data behind it”. He says the data for homeopathy is compelling as far as studies of individual remedies for certain conditions like asthma, eczema and hay fever. But the sprays use more of a shotgun approach. “These are sprays that bare multiple remedies together at times for indications such as weight loss, fatigue and much more non specific complaints. There is really no data for these”.
      Which begs the next questions: Are they safe? Dr. Michael Cantwell says “they are certainly safe and they certainly apply a therapy that in the past has been shown to work for some diseases.If I had the money and I wanted to try something simple its safe. It can’t hurt you. Will it work? May be”.
      All Sprayology products are prepared in Sprayology’s FDA approved laboratories.Homeopathic remedies are regulated by the FDA. But they don't always require manufacturers to prove safety or efficacy, allowing most to be sold without a prescription. As for price, the sprayology bottles run about $30 each and should last for a month. For more information http://www.sprayology.com
Source: http://tv.ksl.com/
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Bizzare Chemical Discovery Gives Homoeopathic Hint
       It is a chance discovery so unexpected it defies belief and threatens to re-ignite debate about whether there is a scientific basis for thinking homeopathic medicines really work. A team in South Korea has discovered a whole new dimension to just about the simplest chemical reaction in the book - what happens when you dissolve a substance in water and then add more water.
       Conventional wisdom says that the dissolved molecules simply spread further and further apart as a solution is diluted. But two chemists have found that some do the opposite: they clump together, first as clusters of molecules, then as bigger aggregates of those clusters. Far from drifting apart from their neighbors, they got closer together. The discovery has stunned chemists, and could provide the first scientific insight into how some homeopathic remedies work. Homeopaths repeatedly dilute medications, believing that the higher the dilution, the more potent the remedy becomes.
       Some dilute to "infinity" until no molecules of the remedy remain. They believe that water holds a memory, or "imprint" of the active ingredient which is more potent than the ingredient itself. But others use less dilute solutions - often diluting a remedy six-fold. The Korean findings might at last go some way to reconciling the potency of these less dilute solutions with orthodox science.
       German chemist Kurt Geckeler and his colleague Shashadhar Samal stumbled on the effect while investigating fullerenes at their lab in the Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea. They found that the football-shaped buckyball molecules kept forming untidy aggregates in solution, and Geckler asked Samal to look for ways to control how these clumps formed. What he discovered was a phenomenon new to chemistry. "When he diluted the solution, the size of the fullerene particles increased," says Geckeler. "It was completely counterintuitive," he says.
       Further work showed it was no fluke. To make the otherwise insoluble buckyball dissolve in water, the chemists had mixed it with a circular sugar-like molecule called a cyclodextrin. When they did the same experiments with just cyclodextrin molecules, they found they behaved the same way. So did the organic molecule sodium guanosine monophosphate, DNA and plain old sodium chloride. Dilution typically made the molecules cluster into aggregates five to 10 times as big as those in the original solutions. The growth was not linear, and it depended on the concentration of the original.
       "The history of the solution is important. The more dilute it starts, the larger the aggregates," says Geckeler. Also, it only worked in polar solvents like water, in which one end of the molecule has a pronounced positive charge while the other end is negative. But the finding may provide a mechanism for how some homeopathic medicines work - something that has defied scientific explanation till now. Diluting a remedy may increase the size of the particles to the point when they become biologically active.
       It also echoes the controversial claims of French immunologist Jacques Benveniste. In 1988, Benveniste claimed in a Nature paper that a solution that had once contained antibodies still activated human white blood cells. Benveniste claimed the solution still worked because it contained ghostly "imprints" in the water structure where the antibodies had been. Other researchers failed to reproduce Benveniste's experiments, but homeopaths still believe he may have been onto something. Benveniste himself does not think the new findings explain his results because the solutions were not dilute enough. "This [phenomenon] cannot apply to high dilution," he says.
       Fred Pearce of University College London, who tried to repeat Benveniste's experiments, agrees. But it could offer some clues as to why other less dilute homeopathic remedies work, he says. Large clusters and aggregates might interact more easily with biological tissue.
     Chemist Jan Enberts of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands is more cautious. "It's still a totally open question," he says. "To say the phenomenon has biological significance is pure speculation." But he has no doubt Samal and Geckeler have discovered something new. "It's surprising and worrying," he says. The two chemists were at pains to double-check their astonishing results. Initially they had used the scattering of a laser to reveal the size and distribution of the dissolved particles. To check, they used a scanning electron microscope to photograph films of the solutions spread over slides. This, too, showed that dissolved substances cluster together as dilution increased.
       "It doesn't prove homeopathy, but it's congruent with what we think and is very encouraging," says Peter Fisher, director of medical research at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. "The whole idea of high-dilution homeopathy hangs on the idea that water has properties which are not understood," he says. "The fact that the new effect happens with a variety of substances suggests it's the solvent that's responsible. It's in line with what many homeopaths say, that you can only make homeopathic medicines in polar solvents."
       Geckeler and Samal are now anxious that other researchers follow up their work. "We want people to repeat it," says Geckeler. "If it's confirmed it will be groundbreaking".
Journal reference: Chemical Communications (2001, p 2224)
Source: http://www.quantumbalancing.com/homeopathy_news.htm
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In a study conducted by the KHMGA Homoeopathic drugs are found to be extremely effective in preventing the spread of the epidemic cholera, leptospirosis, dengue and even SARS. For details see the July-September 2000 issue. Or visit www.homeoweb.com/sars.htm.
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Homoeopathy in countries
Homoeopathy in France
The beginning of the end for homoeopathy in France?
     Dozens more homoeopathic remedies were declared illegal in France on the 22nd January 1999. This is a serious attack on homoeopathy, in a country where it has been used extensively for many years. This parallels the herb and vitamin attack of the Codex agreement already manifest in Germany and South Africa. Norway too is in a critical situation. The following is the decree issued by the Director General of Health and the Minister for Employment and Solidarity regarding homoeopathic drugs derived from human tissue.
     It is illegal to prescribe, import, manufacture, prepare, distribute, package, market, sell, advertise, or deliver (with or without payment) or to use homoeopathic medicines made from homoeopathic bases derived from human tissue, or from these bases themselves. The Minister for Employment and Solidarity and the Secretary of State for Health, viz. the Public Health Code sections L511-1, L601 and L655-15-1, - deeming that the safety of the use of homoeopathic medicines made from bases derived from human tissue is not guaranteed, taking into account the risk of transmitting known or unknown viruses from human-derived biological products, taking into account that the Director General of the Agency of medicaments has suspended, on the 27th October 1998, authorization to sell pharmaceutical special products containing human-derived homoeopathic medicines namely luesinum, medorrhinum, morbillinum, pertussinum and psorinum.-deeming that all medications made from a human-derived base, as well as the base itself, are capable of presenting a risk to the health of the people for whom they are intended.
     The prescription, importation, manufacture, preparation, distribution, packaging, marketing, advertising, or delivery (free or for payment) or the use of preparations such as in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd clauses of section L511-1 of the Public Health Code, being homoeopathic preparations from human-derived bases, medications manufactured industrially from such bases, other than pharmaceutical special products concerned in the decision of the Director General of the Agency for medications mentioned above, whatever names are used to describe them. such bases are prohibited as from the publication of this decree.
     Section 2 - Withdrawal of these preparations or medicines or bases in all places where they exist
     Section 3 - the costs relating to these withdrawals are the responsibility of the manufacturer or those responsible for having made them available for purchase
     Section 4 : The Director General for Health, and the Minister for Employment and Solidarity, are in charge of the enforcement of this decree, which will be published in the Official Journal of the French Republic.
     Issued Paris, 28th October 1998
      This is how, in a pernicious manner, they (that is to say the Minister, the administration, the laboratory representatives who are lobbying) are taking steps under their well-used pretexts to accomplish what they declared in 1995 : to do away with homoeopathy. Back then, they wanted to prohibit homoeopathic medicine because it was a magic panacea, and now they prohibit it because it is dangerous. Everything is set up to destroy this medicine and harass its practitioners.
     In contrast, vaccines produced genetically, cultivated in cancer cells, and cultured with calf serum are deemed perfectly harmless. It is a fact that Mr Gilles Duhamel, technical advisor for medicines and health safety to Bernard Kouxhner was formerly co-director of the Welcome research laboratories, and later director of communications for Merck Sharp and Dome, who manufacture the Hepatitis B vaccine.
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Homoeopathy Thriving in Belgium
     Dr. Pierre Joseph De Moor (1787-1845) was the first Medical Doctor practicing homoeopathy at Alost in Belgium (1829 - West Flamish side). In 1832, Dr. Varlez (1792-1874) and Carlier (1797-1873) brought homoeopathy to Brussels.
     The first Organon appeared only in 1832 (Paris) in the same time that the first homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia (Leipzig); in 1934 Dr. Quin created the first English pharmacopoeia (London); Hahnemann died in 1843.
     The earliest journal was published in Brussels in 1856. Dr. Jahr, one of the first followers of Hahnemann, was practicing Homoeopathy in Paris but in 1870 (French-German war) he escaped from France and took refuge in Brussels. Belgian’s doctors asked him to give lessons in Homoeopathy and to practice near the center of the city; in one year time he treated 12.000 patients. More than 50 Belgian doctors were educated in homoeopathy by Jahr himself. In 1894, 70 doctors officially used homoeopathy for their patients and 50 pharmacists were delivering medications to patients.
     Dr. Fréderick Foster Quin was the private medical doctor of Prince Leopold (later King of Belgium). The first contact of the Prince with homoeopathy happens during one of his trips to Italy. Scientific curiosity made him meet Hahnemann in Paris, they frequently met during one year. This explains why the Belgian King’s family is still treated with homoeopathy today. It was Dr. Quin who introduced homoeopathy in England and he was the founder of the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital.
     During the Jahr period in Brussels, many doctors were traveling to Brussels (by train) to learn homoeopathy. In 1871, the decision to create a Society of Homoeopathic M.D. was taken in this train. Today the “Société Royale Belge d’Homéopathie - S.R.B.H.” is still active for exchanges around the best use of homoeopathy.
     In 1926 the “Association Homéopathique Belge - A.H.B.” was created for juridical purposes (the S.R.B.H. was created for scientific matters). The organisation of Congresses, the publication of the Belgian Homoeopathic Journal, the creation of the Belgian Homoeopathic School and the constitution of a Belgian Homoeopathic Library were activities of this association. In 1972 the A.H.B. was in charge of a World Congress in Brussels. In 1976 this association was replaced by the “Fédération Homéopathique Belge - F.H.B.” that inherit all goods of the A.H.B.. During all this time education in Homoeopathy was only possible in the Belgian School in Brussels. The number of students was growing so fast that during the eighties different schools were established in different Belgian cities (Gent - Antwerpen - Namur - Liège - Huy - Hechtel). During this period certainly fifty M.D.s completed their education in Homoeopathy each year.
     In 1988 the “Unio Homoeopathica Belgica - UNIO” was recognized by the Belgian authorities. This professional union was necessary to defend homoeopathy on a political level. Today 300 Homoeopathic M.D.s are members of this union (the membership includes a professional insurance) and 4.000 M.D.s are prescribing homoeopathic medications at least sometimes (Belgium has +/- 40.000 M.D.s). During the past few years more and more homoeopathic M.D.s organize local groups for regularly exchanges on their mutual experiences. Belgian Survey of January 1998
      Use of Unconventional Medicine : always 2%; mostly 8%; regularly 18%; sometime 10%; once 4% = 42% of the Belgian people (+/- 10.000.000) used at least once U.M. // From these 42% of the Belgian population 81% used Homoeopathy (11% only once, 70% more than once)
     The general population agreed with a possible legal recognition of U.M. : Homoeopathy 74% pro, 4% against; Acupuncture 67%/5%; Osteopathy 67%/5%; Chiropraxis 63%
     Non-medically qualified people are not allowed to practice medicine in . Belgium U.M. is not possible in hospitals in Belgium. Education happens in private schools with a common basic teaching programme (from the European C Committee for Homoeopathy) M.D.s are reimbursed by the social security y systems, the fact that they are using U.M. or not is not considered for this basic reimbursement. Some private insurances reimburse (since, 1 January 9 1998) 25% of the costs of the prescribed medications.
     The review of economic efficiency was never done. Homoeopathic medications are available at all pharmacists; at least 10 laboratories produce high quality (and controlled) homoeopathic medications.
     The Professional Union regroups 300 M.D.s practicing Homoeopathy (with a mailing list of 500 people). There is no foundation or financed research in Belgium. Each member can be protected by different professional insurance (regrouped = very low price, the best guarantees).
     The “Revue Belge d’Homoeopathie” is a scientific journal published every 3 month, political and Union’s news are published every 4 months in a journal mailed to the members.
     The goals for next years are : harmonized knowledge control for all Belgian Homoeopathic schools, involvement in Research and with European nations.
     For more details,
     Michel Van Wassenhoven,
     Chaussee De Bruxelles 126, 1190 Bruxelles, Belgium.
     Source http://www.lmhi.org/
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The International Homoeopathic Renaissance
        Since its inception 200 years ago, homoeopathy has attracted support from European royalty, the educated elite, and leading artists. It was thus no surprise that the most expensive painting ever sold was that of a portrait of a homoeopathic physician, Dr. Gachet, drawn by her personal friend and patient, Vincent Van Gogh. Although homeopaths use exceedingly small doses of medicines, it seems that people greatly value portraits of them. In this case, the portrait of Dr. Gachet sold for $82.5 million.1

According to recent surveys in France, an astounding 40% of the French public have used homoeopathic medicines, and 39% of French physicians have prescribed them. At least six French medical schools offer courses leading to a degree in homoeopathy, and homoeopathy is taught in all pharmacy schools and in four veterinary schools. One further bit of evidence for the growing acceptance of homoeopathic medicines as a household items in France is that the most popular cold and flu medicine is not Contact or any other conventional drug; it is a homoeopathic remedy.

Homoeopathy is not as popular in England as it is in France, but according to an article in the British Medical Journal, 42% of British physicians surveyed refer patients to homoeopathic physicians. Another survey of British physicians discovered that 80% of recent graduates wanted training in either homoeopathy, acupuncture, or hypnosis.

The Scots hate to be overshadowed by the English, and this is true in homoeopathy too. According to The Times of London, homoeopathy is now the fastest growing alternative therapy in Scotland. The number of Scots who have used homoeopathic medicines have more than doubled from 1985 to 1990, increasing from 5% to 11%. Similarly, in 1985 23% of those Scots interviewed in 1985 said they would "seriously consider" going to a homoeopath, and in 1990 this figure grew to 40%

Homoeopathic medicine is very popular in Germany as well. One respected author estimated that 20% of German physicians use homoeopathic medicines occasionally. At present, the most popular hay fever remedy in Germany is a homoeopathic medicine, and other homoeopathic medicines for the common cold, sore throats, and circulatory problems are in the top ten of their respective categories.

It is also interesting to note that homoeopathy is gaining such respect in medical and business circles that one of the leading German homoeopathic manufacturers is owned by the same company that owns the BMW car company.

In addition to homoeopathy's popularity in France, England, Scotland, and Germany, it is also very popular in The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, and Greece.
Homoeopathy is even relatively popular in the Soviet Union. Although there are only about 500 homoeopathic physicians, they are popular enough that most of them charge for their services. Since most Russians receive free conventional medical care, it is indeed a tribute to homoeopathy that a growing number of Russian citizens are paying for homoeopathic care.

Even Izvestia recently published a series of articles on homoeopathy in which they reported that a homeopathic clinic established for factory workers in 1984 resulted in a 10.1% decrease in days lost due to sickness. The series of articles concluded with an editorial that advocated further support for it from the Ministry of Health.

Homoeopathy is also relatively popular throughout South America, especially in Brazil and Argentina. Homoeopathy has become a bit of a legend in Argentina because its greatest hero in the 19th century, General San Martin, was known to carry a homoeopathic medicine kit when he traveled.

Homoeopathy is also quite popular in Mexico. There are five homoeopathic medical colleges, including two in Mexico City.
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At the turn of the century there were over 20 homoeopathic medical schools in America, including Boston University, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, and Hahnemann College in Philadelphia. There were also over 100 homeopathic hospitals and over 1,000 homeopathic pharmacies. In 1900 homeopathy was more popular in America than anywhere else in the world.

However, as the result of a concerted effort by the American Medical Association and the drug companies, homoeopathy went into a sharp decline. By the 1950s there were less than 200 homoeopathic physicians. Although homoeopathy in America is presently lagging behind the rest of the world, Americans hate being second to anybody. Lucky for us all, homoeopathy is growing at an extraordinary rate. According to the F.D.A., sales of homoeopathic medicines grew by 1,000%. In the past two years homoeopathy has received more media coverage than it has in the past 50 years. More research on homeopathy has also stimulated its growth, and more and more new books have been published that have updated old homeopathic knowledge.

Homoeopathy may be more popular in other countries, but because America is just waking up to homoeopathy's impressive healing potential, we can all expect a tremendous resurgence of this marvelous healing art and science.

Lancet Publishes Major Review of Research on Homoeopathic Medicine
The Lancet published the most significant and comprehensive review of homoeopathic research ever published in any issue. This article was a meta-analysis of 89 blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. The authors conclude that the clinical effects of homeopathic medicines are not simply the results of placebo.

The researchers uncovered 186 studies, 119 of which were double-blind and/or randomized placebo-control trials, and 89 of which met pre-defined criteria for inclusion into a pooled meta-analysis. The researchers found that by pooling the 89 trials together that homeopathic medicines had a 2.45 times greater effect than placebo.

The Lancet concurrently published two critiques of the homoeopathic research. One critique by Jan Vandenbroucke, MD, a Dutch professor, acknowledged, "The meta-analysis is completely state of the art." And yet, despite its results, he asserts that homoeopathic medicines "cannot possibly produce any effect." Because homoeopathic medicines are often so small in dose that physicians and scientists commonly assert that they cannot work, an increasing number of controlled trials and an ever increasing public interest in homoeopathy is proving them wrong.

The authors of the research include Klaus Linde, MD, German professor and author of the famed review of research on the herb, St. Johns wort, for depression, and Wayne Jonas, MD, head of the NIH Office of Alternative Medicine.

Dana Ullman, M.P.H., a leading spokesperson for homoeopathy and author of numerous books, including The Consumer's Guide to Homeopathy, stated, "This research places homoeopathy squarely in the arena of legitimate medical science. Homoeopathy IS effec tive, but we now need to know simply how effective it is."

The Treatment of Diarrhea with Homoeopathic Medicines

For the first time in history an American medical journal has published research on homoeopathic medicine. The journal, Pediatrics, has published important research on the homoeopathic treatment of acute diarrhea in children, a condition which is considered the most serious public health problem in many developing countries.

Although various European medical and scientific journals have published research on homoeopathy in the past, including The Lancet, British Medical Journal, and European Journal of Pharmacology, this new article represents a breakthrough for both homoeopathic medicine and for American medicine.

The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on the treatment of Nicaraguan children. Conducted by physicians at the University of Washington and University of Guadalajara, the study included 81 children, ages six months to five years. All the children in the study received oral rehydration fluids to prevent dehydration. While these fluids significantly reduce fatalities from dehydration, they do not treat the underlying infection which is causing the diarrhea.

Those children given an individually chosen homoeopathic medicine recovered from the diarrhea approximately 20% faster than those children given a placebo.

Although acute diarrhea is not as serious a public health problem in developed countries, it is still a common and discomforting problem to both children and adults. Fortunately, homoeopathic medicines can be very effective in treating people with symptoms of diarrhea.
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Brain Abnormalities and ADHD
      Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have poor attention span, impulsivity and high motor activity, but ADHD is poorly understood. A new study shows children with ADHD have specific brain abnormalities.
      For the study, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles used high resolution MRI and sophisticated computational systems to look at the brains of children. The study included 27 children with ADHD and 46 children who did not have ADHD. Study authors say children with ADHD had a reduction in size of some brain areas and an increase in grey matter proportions. Specifically, researchers say abnormal brain structure was observed in the front portion of both sides of the brain. Researchers say previous studies have focused on areas of the brain controlling attention as being responsible for ADHD. However, this study finds brain abnormalities in the area responsible for impulse control.
      With the findings of this study, researchers hope they can better understand the areas of the brain that can be targeted in children with ADHD. These findings may help doctors develop new agents that specifically target the area of brain abnormalities in children with ADHD.
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'Le Weekend' Pill Newest Option for ED
      The market for erection pills, which Viagra had to itself for five years, is now, as the old saying goes, crowded. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the third pill to treat erectile dysfunction (ED), giving men and their doctors yet another option.
      The newest entry, Cialis, made by Eli Lilly and Co., stays in the body much longer than its two predecessors, sometimes as long as 36 hours. This distinction has led Europeans to call it "le weekend" pill.
      Cialis (also known by the generic name tadalafil) follows Viagra, which was introduced in 1998, and Levitra, which was approved earlier this year, as a boon for the 30 million American men who suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED).
      The most recent FDA action follows a delay about a year ago. Observers thought Cialis was going to be approved at that time, but the FDA disappointed millions of men by asking for more studies instead, says Dr. Jed Kaminetsky, a clinical assistant professor of urology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City, who has been involved in clinical trials for Cialis and other ED drugs.
      "I think they have similar efficacy, similar safety, similar side effects," says Dr. Ira Sharlip, a San Francisco urologist and spokesman for the American Urological Association. "I think that there is a slightly greater risk of back pain and muscle pain that occurs with Cialis, but it's rarely a problem for patients. The big difference, really distinct difference, is that Cialis has a much longer duration of action, and that's what really differentiates it from the other two."
      The main benefit appears to be the longer time window it allows for sexual activity. The "window of opportunity" for Viagra is about one to four hours, according to the package insert, and, for Levitra, about 15 minutes to five hours. Patients in clinical studies for Cialis reported an effect as soon as 30 minutes after taking Cialis, which lasted up to 36 hours for some men.
      Certainly, the longer time window allows for more spontaneity, but that is not always an issue. "Most people who are in a long-term relationship, there's a pattern to the way they have sex. They don't just spontaneously have sex and they don't have sex all weekend long," Kaminetsky says. "In some people, this new drug is going to be a huge advantage, and in the majority of people I think the shorter-acting drugs are going to work just fine and have worked fine."
      Cialis is not recommended for men who have suffered a heart attack or stroke within the last six months, or who have very low blood pressure, uncontrolled high blood pressure, unstable angina, severe liver impairment, or retinitis pigmentosa, an eye condition. Cialis also should not be taken with nitrates or with an alpha blocker (a prostate drug) other than Flomax. And some patients reported side effects including headaches, indigestion, back pain, muscle aches, flushing, and stuffy or runny nose.
      Both Levitra and Cialis have an advantage over old-timer Viagra in that neither involve any food or alcohol restrictions. Viagra, by contrast, is supposed to be taken on an empty stomach or after a low-fat meal because fatty foods can inhibit absorption of the drug. All three of the drugs work by inhibiting the enzyme phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5), which degrades the erection.
      Overall, the picture is improving for the millions of men who suffer some form of erectile dysfunction. "All these drugs are good drugs. All work in about 80 percent of men with ED," Kaminetsky says. "They're enhancers, so men don't need to be impotent to benefit from these drugs. In fact, men who enjoy these drugs the best are men who are still potent but maybe not functioning as well as they did in the past."
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Ignore GERD Symptoms at Your Own Risk
      If you're popping antacids regularly, you could be suffering more than mild heartburn. And you may be ignoring the symptoms of a more serious, though treatable, digestive disorder called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
      Experts say many people mistakenly assume GERD is heartburn and aren't aware of other symptoms such as bloating or gas, an acid taste in the mouth, trouble swallowing or regurgitation of food. In fact, almost nine of 10 people in a recent national survey incorrectly assumed GERD is simply heartburn. The survey, by Harris Interactive, found nearly 70 percent of those with GERD symptoms haven't discussed them with a health-care professional and almost half relied solely on over-the-counter antacids.
      That means many suffer needlessly because they don't get more effective medications. But more than that, experts say, chronic GERD, if untreated, can lead to serious complications, including ulcers; bleeding from the lining of the esophagus; narrowing of the esophagus; and Barrett's esophagus, a change in the cellular makeup of the esophagus that increases the risk of esophageal cancer.
      GERD occurs when stomach acid moves in the wrong direction, flowing back into the esophagus when a valve between the esophagus and stomach fails to close properly. Dr. Vikram Khoshoo, a pediatric gastroenterologist at West Jefferson Medical Center in New Orleans, says it's important to distinguish occasional heartburn from GERD. If you get indigestion after having margaritas and nachos, for example, you can take an over-the-counter medication to treat the symptoms. If you have persistent symptoms... they must be treated very systematically, he says.
      Over-the-counter antacids are typically the first medications used to treat GERD. Other over-the-counter and prescription drugs slow or stop acid production. Drugs known as proton-pump inhibitors effectively shut off acid production, reduce GERD symptoms and help cure inflammation of the esophagus.
      GERD also has been associated with alcohol use, smoking, being overweight and pregnancy. Citrus fruits, chocolate, garlic, onions and tomato-based and spicy foods could be linked to GERD, too. So, lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol, losing weight and eating smaller meals might help relieve GERD symptoms. If lifestyle changes or medications fail, you may need tests that help spot abnormalities or inflammation of the esophagus.
      Why people get GERD remains uncertain, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. But the agency, part of the National Institutes of Health, says a hiatal hernia may contribute to GERD. Surgical treatment includes a procedure in which the upper part of the stomach is wrapped around the muscle connecting the esophagus with the stomach. Other, newer procedures help strengthen the muscle, but long-term effects remain unknown, experts say. Many dismiss symptoms of GERD as mere annoyances, but effective treatment can reduce the risk of more serious conditions.
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Women Fare Worse Than Men After Bypass
Women who have coronary bypass surgery report a better quality of life following the procedure, but are not nearly as satisfied as men who have similar surgery. Women reported significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety a year after surgery than men did, even though both groups showed improvements in memory, verbal ability and concentration as well as quality of life, according to a Duke University Medical Center study.

      "This study prompts us to ask the question, 'Why are women not achieving the same benefits as men?,'" says lead author Barbara Phillips-Bute, an assistant research professor at Duke. "We need to find a way to come up with interventions that will help women achieve the same benefits as men."
      Phillips-Bute says some of the reasons for the difference could be that women overall have less success with the surgery than men because their arteries are smaller and the vessels used in the bypass tend not to last as long. Another possibility is that their diminished post-surgical quality of life could be affected by environment or personality rather than solely by cardiac health. Yet another factor could be cultural considerations, she adds.
      Nearly half the women who had surgery lived alone, lowering the possibility of at-home help after their operation, while nearly 85 percent of the men were married, which could mean their wives were caring for them, she says. Also a consideration could be that a woman's traditional care taking role might push her toward resuming tasks too early after surgery.
      For the study, Phillips-Bute and her colleagues enrolled in a clinical trial 280 patients (96 women and 184 men) who were having bypass surgery. Before and then one year after the operation, the participants were given a battery of tests to measure their quality of life and cognitive performance.
      The quality-of-life tests measured how easily they performed daily tasks, like dressing or preparing meals, as well their social support system, their feelings about their general health, and whether they suffered from anxiety or depression. Cognitive tests measured their memory, ability to concentrate, and do abstract thinking.
      After controlling for other factors like age -- women who undergo bypass tend to be older than men, for instance -- level of education, race, weight, and history of illnesses like diabetes, Phillips-Bute found that, on average, both sexes had improvements in their cognitive abilities and in their quality of life. However, the women's quality of life improved far less than the men's, a finding that surprised her.
      Her results, Phillips-Bute says, should make women and their doctors more aware of the importance of good post-operative care. "One question women should ask themselves is whom can they look to after surgery to give them the kind of moral and physical support they need," she says.
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Breastfeeding's Impact on Blood Pressure
      Previous research shows women who breastfeed are more likely to have children with low blood pressure. However, a new study suggests breastfeeding's effect on blood pressure may not be as significant as previously thought. Researchers from London reviewed 24 studies to determine whether children of mothers who breastfeed are more likely to have lower blood pressure at different ages throughout childhood than children of mothers who do not breastfeed.
      Results of the study show systolic blood pressure was slightly lower in breastfed children than in bottle-fed children. However, researchers found no significant difference in diastolic blood pressure between breastfed and bottle-fed groups. In addition, they found no specific trend among the different age groups studied.
      Researchers also say most studies that show a strong correlation between breastfeeding and low blood pressure are small, which raises the possibility of publication bias. Authors of the study write, "Our systematic review found that publication bias may partly explain the lower mean systolic blood pressure observed in participants that had been breastfed in infancy, with large studies showing little difference." Researchers add, even if publication bias did occur, the overall difference in systolic blood pressure was only 1.1 millimeters of mercury, which they say is fairly modest.
      However, researchers still recommend that mothers breastfeed their infants because of other long-term benefits such as improved neural and psychological development, potential protection against obesity, and possible allergy immunity.
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com
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Aspirin may not offer the desired protection against heart disease for some people because their body doesn't respond to the drug as it should. But this new finding doesn't mean people at high risk of heart disease should stop taking aspirin, says Dr. John W. Eikelboom, a clinical lecturer at the University of Western Australia. It does mean that "some patients may need more protection than aspirin alone can offer," he adds.
       The new study doesn't say how many people might need that extra protection, Eikelboom says. It uses data from the HOPE (Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation) study, which was designed to tell whether the drug ramipril could protect against heart attack and stroke. Because the study was so large, researchers have been mining its data for other purposes. Eikelboom's study used information about 5,529 people with heart disease who were enrolled in HOPE at 129 Canadian medical centers. Because all the participants gave urine samples, he was able to determine each body's levels of a close chemical relative of thromboxane, a molecule that makes blood platelets sticky and likely to form clots that block arteries in the heart or brain.
      Aspirin protects against those conditions because it reduces production of thromboxane by the platelets. The American Heart Association recommends aspirin for all people with artery disease, with a second anti-platelet drug added for those with the uncontrolled chest pain called unstable angina. All the people in Eikelboom's study had been taking aspirin. He found that the five-year incidence of heart attacks in those with the highest levels of the thromboxane-related molecule was double that of those with the lowest levels. As thromboxane levels went up, so did the risk of heart attacks, and of death. The risk of any cardiovascular event was 1.8 times higher for those with the highest levels compared to those with the lowest levels, and the risk of death was 3.8 times higher.
       “This study shows that there is such a phenomenon as aspirin resistance,” Eikelboom says. “It shows the need to develop new therapeutic strategies in such a case.” More studies are needed, he says A pioneering study of diet and the enlargement of the prostate gland that bothers many old men has yielded a recommendation that's common these days: Reduce your calorie intake and you might reduce the problem. "This is probably the most comprehensive study of diet and prostate enlargement ever done," says Dr. Edward Giovannucci, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School., first to seek out those people who may have aspirin resistance, then to “explore more carefully the benefit of new combinations of anti-platelet drugs. The last thing we want to do is to stop using aspirin. There is overwhelming evidence that it works for most people.”
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Calorie Cutting Could Help Prostate

       The findings come from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which followed more than 33,000 men for nearly a decade. Giovannucci and his colleagues looked at the relationship between the detailed dietary information the men gave and the incidence of benign prostate hyperplasia. “The associations we saw were statistically significant but relatively modest,” Giovannucci says. “They are worth pursuing, but they are only part of the whole picture.”
       One intriguing finding linked increased risk of enlargement to intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the kind that are found in fish and related to a reduced risk of heart disease. “These polyunsaturated fatty acids could increase the susceptibility of cells to oxidative stress, causing inflammation,” Giovannucci says. “What we are pursuing now is to see whether antioxidants such as vitamin E and selenium might offset the increased risk.” One decidedly noncontroversial finding was that “higher calorie intake was associated with increased risk,” he says.
       That's a critical point, says Dr. David Heber, professor of medicine and director of the University of California at Los Angeles Center for Human Nutrition. He's also the author of an accompanying editorial in the journal. “It is an interesting clue toward the relationship between inflammation and the American diet,” Heber says. “If you are overweight, that fat tissue stimulates inflammation, and it may also stimulate prostatic hyperplasia.”
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Cell phone manufacturers are disclosing for the first time the radiation levels of nearly every phone sold to consumers so infatuated with the devices they use them when they walk, drive, even eat. It is a voluntary disclosure that could alert many of the cell phone users to an issue they largely have ignored: conflicting evidence about whether the devices, which unlike regular phones work by beaming radiofrequency energy through the air, pose any health threats.

The Food and Drug Administration just ordered new studies after industry-sponsored test-tube research discovered cell phone signals might cause genetic damage in human blood cells, which in turn might spur cancer growth.

British health officials began distributing leaflets last week advising that children should limit cell phone use to emergencies, because children’s still-forming skulls and brains could be more vulnerable if the phones ultimately prove risky. Some small studies raise health questions, including one disputed finding that tumors were more likely near the ear where patients hold their cell phone.

The conflicting opinions have prompted at least one wireless company to post store signs recommending that parents consider pagers instead of cell phones for children. Metrocall, a nationwide reseller of wireless service, also recommends using earphones instead of holding cell phones to the head.

Amid this confusion, a new cottage industry is marketing products claiming to limit radiation absorption. They range from foam wafers stuck onto the phone’s earpiece to an antenna-attached gadget that looks like a ceramic ladybug.

Drinking more than two cups of coffee a week appears to cut the risk of bladder cancer among smokers, study results suggest. But smokers may want to think about kicking the habit rather than adding coffee to their repertoire of addictions.

The findings suggest that regardless of beverage, smoking may be an even more important risk factor for bladder cancer than previously believed, according to the report in the January issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Dr. Gonzalo Lopez-Abente, from the Institute of Health in Madrid, Spain, and the study’s lead author, stressed that drinking coffee should not be viewed as a preventive measure.

The researchers analyzed medical records of nearly 500 people who had been diagnosed with bladder cancer over a 12-month period.

Smokers who drank coffee were three times as likely to develop bladder cancer as nonsmoking coffee drinkers. But smokers who did not drink coffee were seven times as likely to develop bladder cancer, the report indicates.

Addiction to nicotine may start within a few days of starting to smoke and after just a few cigarettes contradicting belief that nicotine addiction is a gradual process, researchers from the University of Massachusetts and Harvard Medical School said in the journal Tobacco Control.

The study of about 700 teenagers aged between 12 and 13 from seven schools in central Massachusetts in 1998 showed that 95 students could be described as monthly smokers—they smoked at least one cigarette a month. Of these 95 monthly smokers one in five reported nicotine dependency symptoms within four weeks of starting to smoke and 16 developed symptoms within two weeks. In total 60 out of 95 mon