Dr. Joe Schwarcz

The vast majority of people have no real idea what homeopathy is, and if they have any kind of idea, they equate it to just sort of an umbrella of all kinds of, quote, natural therapies. This is not the case. Homeopathy is a very specific pseudoscientific practice that dates back about 200 years to a physician in Germany by the name of Samuel Hahnemann.

Now, Hahnemann actually was, I think, a pretty good guy who was disenchanted with what he had been taught in medical school back in those days because, you know, what did doctors learn back then? They learned how to purge patients. They learned how to bleed patients. And he didn't see his patients really getting better with this. So he searched for better methods of treatment.

Now, Hahnemann actually was, I think, a pretty good guy who was disenchanted with what he had been taught in medical school back in those days because, you know, what did doctors learn back then? They learned how to purge patients. They learned how to bleed patients. And he didn't see his patients really getting better with this. So he searched for better methods of treatment.

Now, Hahnemann actually was, I think, a pretty good guy who was disenchanted with what he had been taught in medical school back in those days because, you know, what did doctors learn back then? They learned how to purge patients. They learned how to bleed patients. And he didn't see his patients really getting better with this. So he searched for better methods of treatment.

And one treatment that was popular at the time, because it actually had a good chance of working, was to treat patients who suffered from malaria with an extract of the bark of the cinchona tree, which grew in Peru. Today, of course, we know that that bark contains quinine, but they had no idea of it back then.

And one treatment that was popular at the time, because it actually had a good chance of working, was to treat patients who suffered from malaria with an extract of the bark of the cinchona tree, which grew in Peru. Today, of course, we know that that bark contains quinine, but they had no idea of it back then.

And one treatment that was popular at the time, because it actually had a good chance of working, was to treat patients who suffered from malaria with an extract of the bark of the cinchona tree, which grew in Peru. Today, of course, we know that that bark contains quinine, but they had no idea of it back then.

And he knew that he wasn't always successful with the treatment because he didn't know exactly how much of this ground up bark to give to his patients. So he experimented on himself, and he started to take the bark of the cinchona tree to see how much he could stand. And it turned out that he developed a fever, the same kind of fever that he saw in his patients who suffered from malaria.

And he knew that he wasn't always successful with the treatment because he didn't know exactly how much of this ground up bark to give to his patients. So he experimented on himself, and he started to take the bark of the cinchona tree to see how much he could stand. And it turned out that he developed a fever, the same kind of fever that he saw in his patients who suffered from malaria.

And he knew that he wasn't always successful with the treatment because he didn't know exactly how much of this ground up bark to give to his patients. So he experimented on himself, and he started to take the bark of the cinchona tree to see how much he could stand. And it turned out that he developed a fever, the same kind of fever that he saw in his patients who suffered from malaria.

And at that moment, homeopathy was born. The term actually means like cures like. So Hahnemann came to the totally unscientific conclusion, based on his experiment, that a substance that in a healthy person causes a symptom will cure those symptoms in a sick person in a diluted version. Now this, of course, goes against everything we know in biology, chemistry, and physics.

And at that moment, homeopathy was born. The term actually means like cures like. So Hahnemann came to the totally unscientific conclusion, based on his experiment, that a substance that in a healthy person causes a symptom will cure those symptoms in a sick person in a diluted version. Now this, of course, goes against everything we know in biology, chemistry, and physics.

And at that moment, homeopathy was born. The term actually means like cures like. So Hahnemann came to the totally unscientific conclusion, based on his experiment, that a substance that in a healthy person causes a symptom will cure those symptoms in a sick person in a diluted version. Now this, of course, goes against everything we know in biology, chemistry, and physics.

Which is unfortunate because it is this one specific area that for which there is no reputable scientific evidence. Unfortunately, it is still extremely popular, essentially because it is marketed as having no side effects, which of course is true. Because when you're taking something that contains no active ingredient whatsoever, you are not going to get any side effects.

Which is unfortunate because it is this one specific area that for which there is no reputable scientific evidence. Unfortunately, it is still extremely popular, essentially because it is marketed as having no side effects, which of course is true. Because when you're taking something that contains no active ingredient whatsoever, you are not going to get any side effects.

Which is unfortunate because it is this one specific area that for which there is no reputable scientific evidence. Unfortunately, it is still extremely popular, essentially because it is marketed as having no side effects, which of course is true. Because when you're taking something that contains no active ingredient whatsoever, you are not going to get any side effects.

But when you are taking a homeopathic remedy, you are getting something. You're getting a good dose of placebo. And as you know, if you believe in something strongly enough, it can help benefit your symptoms. Of course, it doesn't cure the underlying disease. It just changes your perception of the disease.

But when you are taking a homeopathic remedy, you are getting something. You're getting a good dose of placebo. And as you know, if you believe in something strongly enough, it can help benefit your symptoms. Of course, it doesn't cure the underlying disease. It just changes your perception of the disease.

But when you are taking a homeopathic remedy, you are getting something. You're getting a good dose of placebo. And as you know, if you believe in something strongly enough, it can help benefit your symptoms. Of course, it doesn't cure the underlying disease. It just changes your perception of the disease.

And this is where the danger of homeopathy comes in, you know, because people always say, well, you know, what's the harm in homeopathy? You're just taking water and nothing more than that. Well, there is no danger physically in the actual therapy. The danger is in believing that it may do something that it cannot do and to use it to the exclusion of other remedies which may actually work.