- Email: [email protected]
Physical analysis of ultramolecular dilutions
ARTICLE IN PRESS Homeopathy (2004) 93, 63–64 r 2003 The Faculty of Homeopathy doi:10.1016/j.homp.2003.11.008, available online at www.sciencedirect.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The benefits of Arnica The questions Professor Ernst raises in his Arnica case reports are not about homeopathy but about science in general.1 There is much casuistry of questionable validity concerning the relation between cure and therapy, both in conventional and non-conventional medicine. Neither opponents nor proponents can ever prove their points this way. Until recently, we thought it possible to end the discussion around the effectiveness of homeopathy by randomised trials. As far as I know Professor Vandenbroucke’s challenge to produce a conventional therapy with better evidence than homeopathy still stands.2 This means, at least, that there are conventional therapies supported by less proof than homeopathy, such as psychotherapy or physical therapy. But can we do without these unproven methods? Clearly we cannot, because we have no ‘scientific’ alternative. It is also clear that we cannot do without homeopathy as long as conventional medicine has gaps in its possibilities. There are cases that can better and safer be solved by homeopathy but homeopathy cannot solve many cases. This has nothing to do with the question of whether the method is a placebo or not. Maybe we should accept that clinical evidence cannot prove right or wrong. Beyond the randomised trials a new challenge has been thrown down: plausibility. We need to produce more and better evidence because our method is not plausible. Why? How much more evidence should we produce? I doubt if we can produce better/stronger evidence. Our method is far from perfect: the homeopathic materia medica is partly incorrect and very incomplete and the repertory outdated. Probably more than 50% of our prescriptions are incorrect because of these shortcomings. Therefore many participants in a clinical trial get a placebo (=not the right medicine) instead of the verum that they should receive. This is like a trial with a conventional medicine produced by a very unreliable production process. The first thing we should do is improve our ‘production process’, more clinical trials with our present instruments are useless. Improving our method can also be a scientific process. It is different in some respects from trials to prove effectiveness, but every method deserves its own scientific identity. We should not claim that we are sure that homeopathy is effective but instead work on the shortcomings of our methods. Conventional medicine on the other hand should acknowledge that we deserve some space to develop our own scientific identity. So far we have done what was required and not too badly, considering our defective method. How necessary is
plausibility and how can we discover the mechanism of action of homeopathy? At the moment fundamental research which yields positive results is tantamount to scientific suicide and is therefore not attractive for scientists who have a reputation to loose. Is this discussion actually about science or about vested interests? Lex Rutten Aard 10, 4813 NN Breda, The Netherlands E-mail: [email protected]
References 1 Ernst E. The benefits of Arnica: 16 case reports, Homeopathy 2003; 92: 217–219. 2 Vandenbroucke JP. Medical journals and the shaping of medical knowledge. Lancet 1998; 352: 2001–2006.
doi:10.1016/j.homp.2003.11.001, available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Physical analysis of ultramolecular dilutions The chapter of instrumental analysis of homeopathically diluted water is by no means closed. In fact it is just beginning. Some NMR studies of homeopathic water have been discredited,1 and the ideal instrument is yet to be determined. For example, preliminary studies in structural pharmacology to date suffice to motivate in depth exploration (enough repetitions for statistical analysis and blind experiments) of the possibilities of electromagnetic spectra to explain homeopathic water structure. Shui Yin Lo,2 Casaroli3 and Sukul4 have published promising preliminary reports with infrared spectrophotometry which are. Another possible avenue is fluorescence spectrofluorometry pioneered by Rosas Landa5–7 and Shui Yin Lo,8 and recently explored in two further experiments published in PhD theses9,10 Sukul11,12 has published intriguing pilot studies in the UV-visible spectra with Cina 30c. There is also the almost unexplored (except by Shui Yin Lo8) promise of electron microscopy; if these results turn out to be reproducible or not several theoretical propositions could be sustained or rejected. Finally direct ultraviolet spectrophotometry which has frequently been claimed to show reproducible results.
ARTICLE IN PRESS Letters to the Editor
64
Why limit the scope of water-structural analysis to NMR, when other types of spectroscopy are calling out for attention? May be pioneer studies like those of Luu D Vinh13 with Raman spectrophotometry should not be forgotten. Complex mathematical interpretation is undoubtedly needed, but they should be accompanied with relevant experimental approaches. Of equal importance as the study of structure is the analysis of physicochemical properties that might differ in activated solvent water. The 21st century greets us with promising results exploring thermoluminiscence,14 calorimetry,15,16 electrical conductivity and pH 17,18 of homeopathic dilutions German Guajardo University of Baja California, Mexico E-mail: [email protected]
References 1 Milgrom L, King K, Lee J, Pinkus A. On the investigation of homeopathic potencies using low resolution NMR T2 relaxation times: an experimental and critical survey of the work of Roland Conte et al. Homp 2001; 90: 5–13. 2 Lo SY, Lo A, Chong LW, Tianzhang L, Hui Hua L, Geng X. Physical properties of water with IE structures. Mod Phys Lett 1996; 10: 921–930. 3 Casaroli-Marano RP. Infrared changes in dinamized solutions. Rev Homeopatica 1998; 38: 5–12; Abstract in Br Hom J 2000; 89: 52. 4 Sukul NC, De A, Rutta R, Sukul A, Sinhababu SP. Nux vomica 30c prepared with and without succussion shows antialcoholic effect on toads and distinctive molecular association. Br Hom J 2001; 90: 79–85. 5 RosasLanda V, Rodriguez R, Andrade A. Espectrofluorometria de los medicamentos homeop!aticos. In: Propulsora de Homeopat!ıa (eds.), Temas de Investigacion en Homeopat!ıa. Mexico, pp. 38–58.
Homeopathy
6 Rosas Landa V, Rodriguez R, Andrade A. Estudios fluorometricos realizados conotros medicamentos homeopaticos. In: Propulsora de Homeopat!ıa (eds.), Temas de Investigacion en Homeopat!ıa. 59–67. 7 Rosas Landa V, Rodriguez R. La espectrofluorometr!ıa en el control de calidad de los medicamentos homeop!aticos. In: Propulsora de Homeopat!ıa (eds.), Temas de Investigacion en Homeopat!ıa. 70–75. 8 Rodekohr S. Estudio fluorom!etrico del medicamento homeop! (CH) y en escala cincuentaa! tico Phosphorus en alta dilucion milesimal (LM). Thesis for Specialty in Homeopathic Therapeutics. Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopat!ıa, Instituto Polit!ecnico Nacional, Dic 2001. 9 S!anchez L. An!alisis espectral mediante fluorometr!ıa del medicamento homeop!atico Sulphur en alta diluci!on (CH) y en escala cincuentamilesimal (LM). Thesis for Specialty in Homeopathic Therapeutics. Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopat!ıa, Instituto Polit!ecnico Nacional, M!exico, September 2001. 10 Lo SY. Proceedings of the First International Symposium of Physical, Chemical and Biological Properties of Stable Water (Ie) Clusters. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 1998. 11 Sukul A, Sarkar P, Sinhababu SP, Sukul NC. Antifilarial effect of Artemisia nilagirica at an ultra high diluiton on canine dirofilariasis. In: Jana, BB, Banerjee RD (eds.), Waste Recycling and Resource Management in the Developing World 2000: 473–476. 12 Sukul NC, Sukul A, Potentized Clna reduces root knot disease of cowpeas. Environ Ecol 1999; 17: 269–273. 13 Luu D Vinh, Boiron J. Structure physicochimique des dilutions homeopathiques. Ann Homeopathiques Francaises 1979; 4. 14 Rey L. Thermoluminesence of ultra-high dilutions of lithium chloride and sodium chloride. Physica A 2003; 323: 67–74. 15 Elia V,Niccoli M. New physico-Chemical properties of water induced by mechanical treatments. A calorimetric study at 251C. J Thermal Anal Calorimetry 2000; 61: 527–537. 16 Elia V, Niccoli M. Thermodynamics of extremely diluted aqueous solutions. Ann NY Acad Sci 1999; 879: 241–248. 17 Elia V, Niccoli M. New physico-chemical properties of extremely diluted aqueous solutions. XXIV National Meeting of Calorimetry and Thermal Analysis, December 2002. 18 Niccoli M. Propriet"a Termodinamiche di Soluzioni ad Alta Diluizione. PhD thesis of the XIV ciclo del Dottorato di Ricerca in Scienze Chimiche Universit"a degli studi ‘‘Federico II’’ di Napoli Tutore prof.Vittorio Elia, 1998–2001.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The benefits of Arnica The questions Professor Ernst raises in his Arnica case reports are not about homeopathy but about science in general.1 There is much casuistry of questionable validity concerning the relation between cure and therapy, both in conventional and non-conventional medicine. Neither opponents nor proponents can ever prove their points this way. Until recently, we thought it possible to end the discussion around the effectiveness of homeopathy by randomised trials. As far as I know Professor Vandenbroucke’s challenge to produce a conventional therapy with better evidence than homeopathy still stands.2 This means, at least, that there are conventional therapies supported by less proof than homeopathy, such as psychotherapy or physical therapy. But can we do without these unproven methods? Clearly we cannot, because we have no ‘scientific’ alternative. It is also clear that we cannot do without homeopathy as long as conventional medicine has gaps in its possibilities. There are cases that can better and safer be solved by homeopathy but homeopathy cannot solve many cases. This has nothing to do with the question of whether the method is a placebo or not. Maybe we should accept that clinical evidence cannot prove right or wrong. Beyond the randomised trials a new challenge has been thrown down: plausibility. We need to produce more and better evidence because our method is not plausible. Why? How much more evidence should we produce? I doubt if we can produce better/stronger evidence. Our method is far from perfect: the homeopathic materia medica is partly incorrect and very incomplete and the repertory outdated. Probably more than 50% of our prescriptions are incorrect because of these shortcomings. Therefore many participants in a clinical trial get a placebo (=not the right medicine) instead of the verum that they should receive. This is like a trial with a conventional medicine produced by a very unreliable production process. The first thing we should do is improve our ‘production process’, more clinical trials with our present instruments are useless. Improving our method can also be a scientific process. It is different in some respects from trials to prove effectiveness, but every method deserves its own scientific identity. We should not claim that we are sure that homeopathy is effective but instead work on the shortcomings of our methods. Conventional medicine on the other hand should acknowledge that we deserve some space to develop our own scientific identity. So far we have done what was required and not too badly, considering our defective method. How necessary is
plausibility and how can we discover the mechanism of action of homeopathy? At the moment fundamental research which yields positive results is tantamount to scientific suicide and is therefore not attractive for scientists who have a reputation to loose. Is this discussion actually about science or about vested interests? Lex Rutten Aard 10, 4813 NN Breda, The Netherlands E-mail: [email protected]
References 1 Ernst E. The benefits of Arnica: 16 case reports, Homeopathy 2003; 92: 217–219. 2 Vandenbroucke JP. Medical journals and the shaping of medical knowledge. Lancet 1998; 352: 2001–2006.
doi:10.1016/j.homp.2003.11.001, available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Physical analysis of ultramolecular dilutions The chapter of instrumental analysis of homeopathically diluted water is by no means closed. In fact it is just beginning. Some NMR studies of homeopathic water have been discredited,1 and the ideal instrument is yet to be determined. For example, preliminary studies in structural pharmacology to date suffice to motivate in depth exploration (enough repetitions for statistical analysis and blind experiments) of the possibilities of electromagnetic spectra to explain homeopathic water structure. Shui Yin Lo,2 Casaroli3 and Sukul4 have published promising preliminary reports with infrared spectrophotometry which are. Another possible avenue is fluorescence spectrofluorometry pioneered by Rosas Landa5–7 and Shui Yin Lo,8 and recently explored in two further experiments published in PhD theses9,10 Sukul11,12 has published intriguing pilot studies in the UV-visible spectra with Cina 30c. There is also the almost unexplored (except by Shui Yin Lo8) promise of electron microscopy; if these results turn out to be reproducible or not several theoretical propositions could be sustained or rejected. Finally direct ultraviolet spectrophotometry which has frequently been claimed to show reproducible results.
ARTICLE IN PRESS Letters to the Editor
64
Why limit the scope of water-structural analysis to NMR, when other types of spectroscopy are calling out for attention? May be pioneer studies like those of Luu D Vinh13 with Raman spectrophotometry should not be forgotten. Complex mathematical interpretation is undoubtedly needed, but they should be accompanied with relevant experimental approaches. Of equal importance as the study of structure is the analysis of physicochemical properties that might differ in activated solvent water. The 21st century greets us with promising results exploring thermoluminiscence,14 calorimetry,15,16 electrical conductivity and pH 17,18 of homeopathic dilutions German Guajardo University of Baja California, Mexico E-mail: [email protected]
References 1 Milgrom L, King K, Lee J, Pinkus A. On the investigation of homeopathic potencies using low resolution NMR T2 relaxation times: an experimental and critical survey of the work of Roland Conte et al. Homp 2001; 90: 5–13. 2 Lo SY, Lo A, Chong LW, Tianzhang L, Hui Hua L, Geng X. Physical properties of water with IE structures. Mod Phys Lett 1996; 10: 921–930. 3 Casaroli-Marano RP. Infrared changes in dinamized solutions. Rev Homeopatica 1998; 38: 5–12; Abstract in Br Hom J 2000; 89: 52. 4 Sukul NC, De A, Rutta R, Sukul A, Sinhababu SP. Nux vomica 30c prepared with and without succussion shows antialcoholic effect on toads and distinctive molecular association. Br Hom J 2001; 90: 79–85. 5 RosasLanda V, Rodriguez R, Andrade A. Espectrofluorometria de los medicamentos homeop!aticos. In: Propulsora de Homeopat!ıa (eds.), Temas de Investigacion en Homeopat!ıa. Mexico, pp. 38–58.
Homeopathy
6 Rosas Landa V, Rodriguez R, Andrade A. Estudios fluorometricos realizados conotros medicamentos homeopaticos. In: Propulsora de Homeopat!ıa (eds.), Temas de Investigacion en Homeopat!ıa. 59–67. 7 Rosas Landa V, Rodriguez R. La espectrofluorometr!ıa en el control de calidad de los medicamentos homeop!aticos. In: Propulsora de Homeopat!ıa (eds.), Temas de Investigacion en Homeopat!ıa. 70–75. 8 Rodekohr S. Estudio fluorom!etrico del medicamento homeop! (CH) y en escala cincuentaa! tico Phosphorus en alta dilucion milesimal (LM). Thesis for Specialty in Homeopathic Therapeutics. Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopat!ıa, Instituto Polit!ecnico Nacional, Dic 2001. 9 S!anchez L. An!alisis espectral mediante fluorometr!ıa del medicamento homeop!atico Sulphur en alta diluci!on (CH) y en escala cincuentamilesimal (LM). Thesis for Specialty in Homeopathic Therapeutics. Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopat!ıa, Instituto Polit!ecnico Nacional, M!exico, September 2001. 10 Lo SY. Proceedings of the First International Symposium of Physical, Chemical and Biological Properties of Stable Water (Ie) Clusters. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 1998. 11 Sukul A, Sarkar P, Sinhababu SP, Sukul NC. Antifilarial effect of Artemisia nilagirica at an ultra high diluiton on canine dirofilariasis. In: Jana, BB, Banerjee RD (eds.), Waste Recycling and Resource Management in the Developing World 2000: 473–476. 12 Sukul NC, Sukul A, Potentized Clna reduces root knot disease of cowpeas. Environ Ecol 1999; 17: 269–273. 13 Luu D Vinh, Boiron J. Structure physicochimique des dilutions homeopathiques. Ann Homeopathiques Francaises 1979; 4. 14 Rey L. Thermoluminesence of ultra-high dilutions of lithium chloride and sodium chloride. Physica A 2003; 323: 67–74. 15 Elia V,Niccoli M. New physico-Chemical properties of water induced by mechanical treatments. A calorimetric study at 251C. J Thermal Anal Calorimetry 2000; 61: 527–537. 16 Elia V, Niccoli M. Thermodynamics of extremely diluted aqueous solutions. Ann NY Acad Sci 1999; 879: 241–248. 17 Elia V, Niccoli M. New physico-chemical properties of extremely diluted aqueous solutions. XXIV National Meeting of Calorimetry and Thermal Analysis, December 2002. 18 Niccoli M. Propriet"a Termodinamiche di Soluzioni ad Alta Diluizione. PhD thesis of the XIV ciclo del Dottorato di Ricerca in Scienze Chimiche Universit"a degli studi ‘‘Federico II’’ di Napoli Tutore prof.Vittorio Elia, 1998–2001.