isopathy - The Skeptic's Dictionary (original) (raw)
A type of homeopathy that uses medicines made by diluting and succussing the suspected causes of disease, such as a virus, toxin, or pollutant. It is common in isopathy to administer nosodes. Johann Joseph Wilhelm Lux (1773-1849), a veterinarian, is credited with creating isopathy in 1833.
Isopathy is not a type of vaccine treatment. Isopathic medicines are not administered to evoke an immune response. A vaccine against a flu virus may contain only non-living viruses, which are introduced to stimulate the immune system to create antibodies against the virus. An isopathic medicine contains a miniscule amount of a live virus in the belief that like cures like (law of similars) and that succussing the potion releases vital spirits and makes it more potent (the law of infinitesimals). Vaccine theory rejects the notion that there is any such thing as "vital spirits," a law of similars, or a law of infinitesimals.
John Goodwin, an isopathic homeopath in New Zealand, claims that the Theratest machine he uses can detect any toxins in the body. He uses it to determine what he calls "the toxic pecking order." He then develops homeopathic remedies from the toxins and promises to completely detoxify anyone who comes to him for treatment.* Goodwin describes the theratest machine as "a highly sophisticated bio-electrical machine that functions by measuring minute electrical impulses that travel throughout the body meridians via the acupuncture points found on the skin surface."* In another place, Goodwin claims that with his theratest machine: "I can measure the energy fields particular to poisons, bacteria, viruses, etc. In this way I can determine what, if anything, is the causative agent in any given body or animal."* This is interesting since no scientific instrument has ever detected a single meridian, yet Goodwin uses a machine that he somehow knows sends electrical impulses (which can be measured) into these undetectable channels and end points and can measure subtle energies that no other scientific instrument can detect. Amazing. (Note: whatever device Goodwin is using, it should not be confused with the TheraTest invented at TheraTest Laboratories, Inc.™, founded in 1988 by a group of clinical rheumatologists and laboratory investigators from the University of Illinois at Chicago. This device is used for autoantibody testing and allows clinicians to effectively track the changes in autoantibody profiles for improved disease management.)
See also anthroposophic medicine,complex homeopathy, detoxification therapies, homeopathy, natural cancer cures, nosode, sarcode, theratest machine, and sympathetic magic.
further reading
books and articles
Campbell, Anthony. (2008). Homeopathy in Perspective - Myth and Reality. lulu.com.
Gardner, Martin. 1989. "Water with memory? The dilution affair."Skeptical Inquirer 12(2):132-141.
Hines, Terence. Pseudoscience and the Paranormal (Prometheus 2003).
Jarvis, William. ed. "Homeopathy: A Position Statement by the National Council Against Health Fraud," Skeptic vol. 3, no. 1, 1994, pp. 50-57.
Kaminer, Wendy. Sleeping with Extra-Terrestrials (Pantheon Books, 1999).
Kleinjen J., P. Knipschild, and G. ter Reit. "Clinical trials of homeopathy." British Medical Journal. 302: 316-323, 1991.
Linde K, Clausius N, Ramirez G, Melchart D, Eitel F, Hedges LV, et al. "Are the clinical effects of homeopathy placebo effects? A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials," Lancet 1997;350:834-43.
Loudon, Irvine. ed. Western Medicine: An Illustrated History,(Oxford University Press 1997).
Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud (Oxford U. Press, 2000).
Ramey, David W. "The Scientific Evidence on Homeopathy," Health Priorities, Volume 12, Number 1, 2000.
Raso, Jack. "Alternative" Healthcare: A Comprehensive Guide (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1994).
Reilly, David. Morag A. Taylor, Neil G. M. Beattie, Jim H. Campbell, Charles McSharry, Tom C. Aitchison, Roger Carter, Robin D. Stevenson. "Is Evidence for Homeopathy Reproducible?" The Lancet, Vol 344 . December 10, 1994. Pages 1601-1606.
Sampson W, and W. London. "Analysis of homeopathic treatment of childhood diarrhea." Pediatrics 96:961-964, 1995.
Satel, Sally M.D. and James Taranto. (1996). "The battle over alternative therapies," Sacramento Bee, January 3. First published in The New Republic.
Shapiro, Rose. 2008. Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All. Random House
websites and blogs
Homeopathy; what's the harm? By Simon Singh
Is Alexa Ray Joel's "homeopathic overdose" possible? by Abel Pharmboy at Terra Sigillata
If Traumeel is truly homeopathic, there is absolutely no way this product could have caused Joel's hospitalization....She is very fortunate that she took what appears to be a homeopathic remedy rather than some other kind of pill.
Homeopathy Pushers Sink Their Case Before The Trial Begins by Rebecca at Skepchick
Spokesmen for homeopathy "freely admit that there’s no evidence for homeopathy and that they only sell it because people are throwing money at them."
The Montagnier “Homeopathy” Study by Harriet Hall
"Homeopaths are grasping at straws when they cite this study. It involved dilution and agitation: that’s the only possible hint of anything homeopathic and it is nothing but a false analogy." See also: Why I am Nominating Luc Montagnier for an IgNobel Prize by Andy Lewis
A total disaster for homeopathy - The Donner report by Jan Willem Nienhuys
"Fritz Donner (1896-1979) was ... a homeopath....he discovered that many things were seriously wrong in homeopathy....Donner was very surprised that nobody wanted to listen to his findings....When Donner got the idea to ... give everybody three rounds of placebo (in three successive weeks), his testees, physicians who took his introductory course in homeopathy, filled their diaries with just as many 'symptoms' as when they got a real (highly diluted) remedy. When Donner told this to his homeopathic colleagues, they didn't believe him....The whole Donner report was published in German in a not very well-known journal (Perfusion) in 1995, and also in a dissertation of 2003....the original German texts are now available on the internet (as well as a Dutch translation)."
Social and judgmental biases that make inert treatments seem to work by Barry L. Beyerstein (1999)
Homeopathy - the ultimate fake by Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Alternative Medicine and the Laws of Physics by Robert L. Park
The End of Homeopathy? by Ben Goldacre
Your Friday Dose of Woo: Fifty woo-ful facts [about homeopathy] - Respectful Insolence
Your Friday Dose of Woo: When a mad mathematician meets quantum homeopathy
Homeopathy - a position statement by the National Council Against Health Fraud
BBC Horizon program: Homeopathy put to the test
James Randi's take on the response to the Horizon program
Randi responds to Benveniste's claim that he is the victim of a witch hunt (September 5, 2003)
HomeoWatch Your Skeptical Guide to Homeopathic History, Theories, and Current Practices A Quackwatch subsidiary operated by Stephen Barrett, M.D.
What's up with homeopathy? - Cecil Adams, The Straight Dope
The End of Homeopathy? by Leon Jaroff
Are the principles of Homeopathy scientifically valid?
Classical Homeopathy by Douglas Hoff
Homeopathic Glossary by Stephen Barrett, M.D.
The Quackometer: The "New Fundamentalism": Why Lionel Milgrom is Plain Wrong (Again)
Bad Science: Lionel Milgrom - Quality Homeopathic Debate
Sense About Science on Homeopathy
Bad Science and Humorous Research Skewered at the Ignoble Awards by Sheila Gibson
Homoeopathy by Andrew Vickers and Catherine Zollman
Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann
The National Center for Homeopathy
Canine Natural Cures Looking for a homoeopathic product to help your dog?
news stories
Homeopathy not a cure, says WHO People with conditions such as HIV, TB, and malaria should not rely on homeopathic treatments. Dr. Nick Beeching, a specialist in infectious diseases at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, said: "Infections such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis all have a high mortality rate but can usually be controlled or cured by a variety of proven treatments, for which there is ample experience and scientific trial data. "There is no objective evidence that homeopathy has any effect on these infections, and I think it is irresponsible for a healthcare worker to promote the use of homeopathy in place of proven treatment for any life-threatening illness." (emphasis added)
British scientists ask WHO to condemn homeopathy for diseases such as HIV "Clinics throughout Asia and sub-Saharan Africa offering ineffective remedies for serious illnesses, putting lives at risk, researchers say."
Does Homeopathy Work? by Nathan Williams
"Many previous studies have demonstrated that homeopathy has an effect over and above placebo....It has been established beyond doubt and accepted by many researchers, that the placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial is not a fitting research tool with which to test homeopathy." --a spokeswoman from the Society of Homeopaths
Homeopaths 'endangering lives' by offering malaria remedies
Homoeopathy: voodoo on the NHS
Three-month ban for homeopathy GP
videos
Richard Dawkins interviews Prof. Michael Baum on YouTube
Last updated 03-Jan-2016